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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $923 in Samut Sakhon, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,513 in Samut Sakhon, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,103 in Samut Sakhon, rent included.

Medellin costs about 78% more than Samut Sakhon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Samut Sakhon is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$1.78 ฿59.0

351.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$18.52 ฿612

160.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$5.79 ฿191

62.69%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$1.20 ฿39.66

145.00%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$0.38 ฿12.72

389.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$0.29 ฿9.57

403.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

$1.95 ฿64.4

64.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.81 ฿92.9

103.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$1.84 ฿60.7

-21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$1.44 ฿47.77

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$1.43 ฿47.45

18.88%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$2.25 ฿74.4

28.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$15.46 ฿511

-34.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$2.64 ฿87.3

277.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$10.23 ฿338

38.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.60 ฿119

10.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$1.29 ฿42.71

22.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$1.96 ฿64.8

9.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$1.99 ฿65.8

15.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$1.26 ฿41.66

58.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$1.09 ฿36.21

38.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$1.26 ฿41.65

-4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$0.49 ฿16.14

161.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$4.53 ฿150

-15.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$18.09 ฿598

-22.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

$1.79 ฿59.3

-4.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

$3.05 ฿101

-10.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

$0.40 ฿13.15

212.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$1.04 ฿34.48

25.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$1.15 ฿37.87

88.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$3.69 ฿122

124.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$1.19 ฿39.26

14.29%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$46.7K ฿1.5M

-41.21%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$26.8K ฿886.6K

36.28%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$95.5 ฿3,159

76.65%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$12.00 ฿397

13.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$19.69 ฿651

43.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

$48.77 ฿1,613

-6.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$14.37 ฿475

19.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.65 ฿253

-13.07%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$644 ฿21.3K

24.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$14.8K ฿490.5K

-38.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$51.1 ฿1,688

71.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$30.22 ฿999

96.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$98.3 ฿3,251

41.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$76.4 ฿2,528

33.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$407 ฿13.4K

163.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$303 ฿10.0K

115.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,583 ฿52.3K

21.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$728 ฿24.1K

43.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,235 ฿73.9K

84.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,700 ฿56.2K

-0.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.96

83.56%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Samut Sakhon: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $407 in Samut Sakhon. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Samut Sakhon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $249 – making Samut Sakhon 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 Sakhon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 78%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,384 in Samut Sakhon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Samut Sakhon, 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 $19.00 in Samut Sakhon. 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 Samut Sakhon, where all-in costs run around $923, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Samut Sakhon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Samut Sakhon – 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 Sakhon. 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.