Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Saraburi

For one person, living is cheaper in Saraburi: $793 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Saraburi
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Saraburi Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Saraburi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Saraburi

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $793 in Saraburi, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Saraburi $793

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,485 in Saraburi, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Saraburi $1,485

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $2,176 in Saraburi, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Saraburi $2,176

Medellin costs about 113% more than Saraburi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Saraburi is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$6.20 ฿209

34.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.2K

$26.96 ฿910

72.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$6.47 ฿218

46.37%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.19 ฿73.8

42.92%

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

$1.77 COP 5,702

$0.70 ฿23.61

152.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,599

$0.26 ฿8.84

446.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.92 ฿64.7

64.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$3.02 ฿102

88.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,948

$1.44 ฿48.55

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$1.12 ฿37.67

104.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,279

$1.35 ฿45.47

43.70%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,900

$2.12 ฿71.5

44.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$16.78 ฿566

-40.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$2.64 ฿89.0

295.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$10.71 ฿361

30.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$5.15 ฿174

-21.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,934

$1.78 ฿59.9

-14.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,794

$2.25 ฿75.8

-6.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,405

$1.98 ฿66.6

15.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,810

$1.49 ฿50.4

41.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,518

$1.07 ฿36.17

59.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,778

$1.10 ฿37.08

6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,101

$0.51 ฿17.22

209.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$4.37 ฿147

-10.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$20.89 ฿705

-32.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,688

$1.64 ฿55.4

7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,756

$2.75 ฿92.9

-1.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,809

$0.88 ฿29.69

34.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,833

$1.01 ฿34.15

79.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,874

$1.12 ฿37.72

90.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$4.15 ฿140

95.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,117

$1.36 ฿45.73

-5.88%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$30.3K ฿1.0M

13.57%

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

$34.1K COP 110.2M

$29.5K ฿996.8K

15.53%

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

$178 COP 573.8K

$82.2 ฿2,775

116.14%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$11.41 ฿385

21.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.2K

$16.71 ฿564

83.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

$48.13 ฿1,624

-12.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$15.25 ฿515

10.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$6.56 ฿221

13.87%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$616 ฿20.8K

28.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$6,766 ฿228.3K

81.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.7K

$49.87 ฿1,683

73.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.3K

$29.42 ฿993

101.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.6K

$78.1 ฿2,637

77.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.0K

$77.0 ฿2,598

28.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$446 ฿15.0K

200.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$128 ฿4,327

420.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$1,249 ฿42.1K

58.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$704 ฿23.7K

46.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$2,252 ฿76.0K

82.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,930 ฿65.1K

0.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$443 ฿15.0K

45.73%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Saraburi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Saraburi

$128 16.2% 80.8% $539

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Saraburi

$263 33.2% 14.4% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Saraburi

$110 13.9% 50.4% $112

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Saraburi

$115 14.5% 33.5% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Saraburi

$105 13.3% 38.8% $67

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Saraburi

$10 * 1.3% 89.2% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Saraburi

$61 7.7% 7.7% $4.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $446 in Saraburi. 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 46% 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 in Medellin versus $27 in Saraburi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $263 – making Saraburi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇭 Saraburi

🕒 Local time

13:45 1:45 PM

01:45 1:45 AM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

61,900

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,615 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Saraburi 17,670 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Saraburi

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 Saraburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 113%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,190 in Saraburi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saraburi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $446 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $27 in Saraburi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Saraburi, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Saraburi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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