Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nong Khai

For one person, living is cheaper in Nong Khai: $918 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Nong Khai
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Nong Khai Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Nong Khai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Nong Khai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Nong Khai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $918 in Nong Khai, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Nong Khai $918

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,472 in Nong Khai, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Nong Khai $1,472

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,026 in Nong Khai, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Nong Khai $2,026

Medellin costs about 77% more than Nong Khai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Nong Khai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$3.03 ฿101

173.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$24.24 ฿810

93.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$7.94 ฿265

16.37%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$1.94 ฿64.9

57.22%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.65 ฿21.61

176.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.34 ฿11.34

305.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$1.92 ฿64.1

68.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$3.24 ฿108

71.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.81 ฿60.4

-17.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.41 ฿47.15

68.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.40 ฿46.88

21.43%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.98 ฿66.0

49.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$17.41 ฿582

-41.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$2.66 ฿89.0

266.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$10.93 ฿365

27.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.72 ฿91.0

51.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$0.99 ฿33.06

54.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.22 ฿74.1

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.83 ฿61.1

24.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.52 ฿50.9

30.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.19 ฿39.91

40.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.13 ฿37.70

4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.49 ฿16.31

153.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$4.46 ฿149

-13.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$17.97 ฿600

-23.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.71 ฿57.2

-2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.50 ฿83.5

-4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.88 ฿29.57

40.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.11 ฿37.19

15.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$1.00 ฿33.56

115.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$6.74 ฿225

24.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.38 ฿46.27

-2.17%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$22.6K ฿756.9K

53.49%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$27.9K ฿932.6K

24.30%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$167 COP 528.4K

$78.5 ฿2,624

112.24%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$9.94 ฿332

37.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$19.60 ฿655

48.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$47.18 ฿1,577

-4.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$14.48 ฿484

18.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$7.07 ฿236

-1.41%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$790 COP 2.5M

$515 ฿17.2K

53.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$9,737 ฿325.4K

-7.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$51.2 ฿1,711

71.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$27.43 ฿917

111.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$65.1 ฿2,175

113.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$82.1 ฿2,744

20.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$387 ฿12.9K

165.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$297 ฿9,932

108.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,157 ฿38.7K

62.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$669 ฿22.4K

50.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$2,170 ฿72.5K

83.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,538 ฿51.4K

10.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$452 ฿15.1K

46.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.57

96.41%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nong Khai: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Nong Khai

$297 32.4% 52% $322

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Nong Khai

$248 27.1% 16.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Nong Khai

$108 11.8% 48.4% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Nong Khai

$102 11.1% 41.2% $71

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Nong Khai

$91 10% 46.5% $79

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Nong Khai

$9.7 * 1.1% 89.8% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Nong Khai

$61 6.7% 3.9% $2.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $387 in Nong Khai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 47% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $24.00 in Nong Khai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $248 – making Nong Khai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇭 Nong Khai

🕒 Local time

12:29 12:29 PM

00:29 12:29 AM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

35,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Nong Khai 17,320 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Nong Khai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Nong Khai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 77%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,376 in Nong Khai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nong Khai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $24.00 in Nong Khai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nong Khai, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Nong Khai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nong Khai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Nong Khai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.