Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ranong Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ranong

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $992 in Ranong, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $1,649 in Ranong, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $2,306 in Ranong, rent included.

Medellin costs about 60% more than Ranong, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Ranong is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.8K

$4.36 ฿147

83.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 149.9K

$32.93 ฿1,107

41.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.4K

$8.66 ฿291

8.89%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,374

$2.73 ฿91.8

6.59%

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

$1.75 COP 5,643

$0.94 ฿31.76

86.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,263

$0.46 ฿15.54

186.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.46 ฿82.9

27.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.9K

$3.80 ฿128

46.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,542

$1.64 ฿55.1

-14.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,858

$1.38 ฿46.33

76.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,245

$1.50 ฿50.4

8.67%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,084

$2.11 ฿71.0

33.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.2K

$19.58 ฿658

-50.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 30.0K

$3.41 ฿115

173.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.3K

$10.96 ฿369

22.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.9K

$2.94 ฿99.0

36.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,768

$1.63 ฿54.8

-9.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,839

$2.25 ฿75.7

-5.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,253

$2.03 ฿68.3

10.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,155

$1.45 ฿48.81

31.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,214

$1.32 ฿44.25

22.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$1.12 ฿37.69

2.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,063

$0.51 ฿17.22

147.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.3K

$4.43 ฿149

-13.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.2K

$18.68 ฿628

-29.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,136

$1.77 ฿59.4

-9.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,263

$2.88 ฿96.9

-21.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.98 ฿33.06

19.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 241.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,098

$3.02 ฿102

-57.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,600

$1.02 ฿34.31

100.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.4K

$3.90 ฿131

110.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,088

$1.42 ฿47.69

-10.56%

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

$26.8K COP 86.2M

$26.3K ฿882.7K

1.98%

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

$34.4K COP 110.8M

$26.1K ฿878.8K

31.63%

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

$162 COP 522.3K

$97.9 ฿3,290

65.77%

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

$13.12 COP 42.3K

$11.05 ฿372

18.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 90.5K

$17.33 ฿583

62.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 142.7K

$45.35 ฿1,525

-2.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.6K

$15.40 ฿518

6.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.6K

$7.48 ฿251

-18.58%

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

$764 COP 2.5M

$565 ฿19.0K

35.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.7M

$11.3K ฿379.7K

-21.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 273.6K

$62.3 ฿2,093

36.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 185.1K

$28.52 ฿959

101.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 424.2K

$97.0 ฿3,262

35.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 308.3K

$88.2 ฿2,964

8.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$474 ฿15.9K

116.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$311 ฿10.5K

94.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$1,199 ฿40.3K

50.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$705 ฿23.7K

40.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.6M

$1,727 ฿58.0K

127.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.3M

$1,568 ฿52.7K

4.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

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 6, 2026

Last update for Ranong: October 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $474 in Ranong. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $33.00 in Ranong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $267 – making Ranong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Ranong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 60%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $1,488 in Ranong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ranong, 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 $33.00 in Ranong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% 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 Ranong, where all-in costs run around $992, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Ranong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ranong – 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 Ranong. 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.