Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Samut Prakan

For one person, living is cheaper in Samut Prakan: $886 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Samut Prakan
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Samut Prakan Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Samut Prakan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Samut Prakan

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 Samut Prakan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $886 in Samut Prakan, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Samut Prakan $886

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,378 in Samut Prakan, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Samut Prakan $1,378

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,869 in Samut Prakan, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Samut Prakan $1,869

Medellin costs about 83% more than Samut Prakan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Samut Prakan is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$3.30 ฿110

151.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$15.12 ฿505

210.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$7.48 ฿250

23.53%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$1.38 ฿46.13

121.01%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.52 ฿17.54

246.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.26 ฿8.77

430.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.02 ฿67.6

60.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$2.92 ฿97.4

90.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.46 ฿48.92

2.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$0.98 ฿32.62

141.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$0.88 ฿29.34

93.18%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.84 ฿61.5

60.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$12.31 ฿411

-16.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$2.49 ฿83.1

291.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$10.20 ฿341

36.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$1.84 ฿61.5

124.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$0.77 ฿25.67

98.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.31 ฿43.68

69.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.21 ฿40.59

87.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.52 ฿50.7

30.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.77 ฿25.78

116.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.78 ฿25.99

51.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.45 ฿15.01

175.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$4.50 ฿151

-14.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$9.10 ฿304

51.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.03 ฿34.32

61.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.89 ฿63.2

26.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.51 ฿16.95

143.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.74 ฿58.1

-26.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$1.61 ฿53.7

33.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$5.85 ฿196

43.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.07 ฿35.84

26.17%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$12.1K ฿405.1K

186.75%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$24.3K ฿811.4K

42.86%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$83.1 ฿2,776

100.61%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$9.40 ฿314

44.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$16.35 ฿547

78.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$47.72 ฿1,595

-5.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$15.06 ฿503

14.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$6.41 ฿214

8.74%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$148 ฿4,933

435.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$5,950 ฿198.9K

51.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$15.09 ฿504

481.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$35.66 ฿1,192

63.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$70.9 ฿2,369

96.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$120 ฿4,004

-17.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$478 ฿16.0K

115.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$330 ฿11.0K

87.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,147 ฿38.3K

63.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$691 ฿23.1K

45.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,726 ฿57.7K

131.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,607 ฿53.7K

5.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$671 ฿22.4K

-1.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

264.67%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Samut Prakan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Samut Prakan

$330 37.2% 46.8% $290

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Samut Prakan

$182 20.5% 38.9% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Samut Prakan

$109 12.3% 48% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Samut Prakan

$109 12.3% 37.1% $64

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Samut Prakan

$84 9.5% 50.5% $86

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Samut Prakan

$12 * 1.3% 87.6% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Samut Prakan

$61 6.8% 2.6% $1.5

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 $478 in Samut Prakan. 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 1% higher in Samut Prakan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $15.00 in Samut Prakan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $182 – making Samut Prakan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇭 Samut Prakan

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

23:12 11:12 PM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

50,843

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Samut Prakan 17,770 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Samut Prakan

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 Samut Prakan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,329 in Samut Prakan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Samut Prakan, 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 $15.00 in Samut Prakan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 64% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Samut Prakan, where all-in costs run around $886, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Samut Prakan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Samut Prakan – 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 Samut Prakan. 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.