Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Samut Prakan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Samut Prakan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $890 in Samut Prakan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $1,509 in Samut Prakan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,128 in Samut Prakan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 93% more than Samut Prakan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Samut Prakan is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$3.14 ฿103

155.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$15.51 ฿510

211.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$7.76 ฿255

25.90%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$1.49 ฿48.88

95.30%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.50 ฿16.59

288.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.25 ฿8.16

508.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$2.03 ฿66.6

52.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$2.82 ฿92.8

103.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.46 ฿47.87

-6.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.03 ฿33.89

132.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$1.09 ฿35.95

55.96%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$1.79 ฿58.9

60.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$12.80 ฿421

-22.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$2.54 ฿83.7

324.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$10.50 ฿345

40.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.82 ฿59.8

124.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.03 ฿34.02

52.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.75 ฿57.4

21.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$1.35 ฿44.41

63.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$1.72 ฿56.6

19.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$1.05 ฿34.47

42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$0.75 ฿24.63

58.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.43 ฿14.10

169.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.47 ฿147

-12.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$12.10 ฿398

19.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.53 ฿50.3

3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$2.24 ฿73.6

26.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$0.51 ฿16.80

129.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$30.18 ฿992

157.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$1.09 ฿35.96

17.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$1.20 ฿39.32

74.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$4.01 ฿132

114.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.11 ฿36.56

17.12%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$12.3K ฿403.3K

125.50%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$24.6K ฿808.1K

44.47%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$83.3 ฿2,739

111.34%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$9.44 ฿310

41.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$17.03 ฿560

75.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$46.30 ฿1,522

-3.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$14.46 ฿475

17.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$6.03 ฿198

2.82%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$155 ฿5,082

413.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$6,927 ฿227.8K

30.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$23.18 ฿762

269.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$34.18 ฿1,124

71.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$74.1 ฿2,436

84.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$98.0 ฿3,223

5.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$486 ฿16.0K

117.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$290 ฿9,520

134.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,234 ฿40.6K

63.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$827 ฿27.2K

41.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$1,962 ฿64.5K

109.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,640 ฿53.9K

3.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$650 ฿21.4K

2.30%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Samut Prakan: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $486 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 2% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $16.00 in Samut Prakan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $200 – making Samut Prakan 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 Samut Prakan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 93%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,335 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $16.00 in Samut Prakan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,716 in Medellin and $890 in Samut Prakan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Samut Prakan, where all-in costs run around $890, than in Medellin at $1,716. 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.