Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Surat Thani Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Surat Thani

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $806 in Surat Thani, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $1,435 in Surat Thani, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,063 in Surat Thani, rent included.

Medellin costs about 113% more than Surat Thani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$1.94 ฿63.9

313.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$18.12 ฿596

166.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$4.48 ฿147

118.08%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$1.52 ฿49.93

91.45%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.48 ฿15.69

304.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.30 ฿9.85

406.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$2.51 ฿82.6

23.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$3.74 ฿123

53.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.84 ฿60.6

-26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.22 ฿39.99

95.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$1.21 ฿39.67

40.50%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$1.95 ฿64.0

47.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$19.59 ฿644

-49.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$3.53 ฿116

205.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$7.72 ฿254

90.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.93 ฿96.4

39.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.65 ฿54.2

-4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.79 ฿58.8

18.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$2.20 ฿72.3

0.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$1.34 ฿44.19

52.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$1.41 ฿46.45

6.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$1.15 ฿37.75

3.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.41 ฿13.49

182.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.04 ฿99.8

28.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$19.08 ฿628

-24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.57 ฿51.5

0.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$1.79 ฿58.9

58.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$1.08 ฿35.58

8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$21.27 ฿699

265.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$1.19 ฿39.24

7.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.63 ฿20.82

231.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$3.62 ฿119

138.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.25 ฿41.17

4.00%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$27.0K ฿888.9K

2.31%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$27.7K ฿909.4K

28.39%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$76.1 ฿2,502

131.40%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$11.50 ฿378

16.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$17.44 ฿573

71.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$48.94 ฿1,609

-8.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$14.57 ฿479

17.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$4.55 ฿150

36.26%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$574 ฿18.9K

38.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$11.7K ฿385.0K

-22.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$65.0 ฿2,138

31.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$29.70 ฿976

96.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$97.6 ฿3,208

39.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$88.8 ฿2,920

16.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$241 ฿7,926

339.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$152 ฿5,002

346.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,240 ฿40.8K

62.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$715 ฿23.5K

63.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$2,026 ฿66.6K

102.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,621 ฿53.3K

4.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Surat Thani: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $241 in Surat Thani. 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 $18.00 in Surat Thani. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $251 – making Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 113%, 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 $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,209 in Surat Thani. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surat Thani, 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 $18.00 in Surat Thani. 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 $806 in Surat Thani. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surat Thani, where all-in costs run around $806, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Surat Thani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Surat Thani – 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 Surat Thani. 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.