Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ta Khmau Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ta Khmau

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $456 in Ta Khmau, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $743 in Ta Khmau, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $1,031 in Ta Khmau, rent included.

Medellin costs about 122% more than Ta Khmau, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Ta Khmau are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Ta Khmau 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$2.47 ៛9,900

142.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$24.09 ៛96.6K

36.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$7.19 ៛28.9K

-1.39%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$1.62 ៛6,484

5.56%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.73 ៛2,937

50.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.48 ៛1,923

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$0.98 ៛3,912

71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$1.92 ៛7,704

59.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.82 ៛7,300

-40.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.37 ៛5,513

-8.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$0.96 ៛3,846

43.75%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.64 ៛6,566

33.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$13.07 ៛52.4K

-66.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.60 ៛14.4K

56.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$10.32 ៛41.4K

-13.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$3.57 ៛14.3K

-34.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$1.13 ៛4,538

-6.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$3.38 ៛13.6K

-55.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$1.32 ៛5,281

4.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$1.30 ៛5,234

-11.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.89 ៛3,574

30.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$1.36 ៛5,475

-34.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.68 ៛2,714

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$1.83 ៛7,340

24.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$7.49 ៛30.0K

42.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$0.80 ៛3,191

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.69 ៛6,762

46.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.07 ៛4,303

37.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.97 ៛3,892

102.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$4.48 ៛18.0K

72.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.12 ៛4,480

-15.18%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$49.4K ៛198.3M

-63.33%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$37.0K ៛148.2M

-28.32%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$74.0 ៛296.6K

11.22%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$6.05 ៛24.3K

57.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$19.89 ៛79.8K

21.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.45 ៛17.9K

-11.69%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$366 ៛1.5M

-15.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$5,076 ៛20.4M

17.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$22.06 ៛88.5K

165.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$18.39 ៛73.8K

75.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$55.8 ៛223.7K

84.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$36.14 ៛145.0K

200.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.2

45.98%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ta Khmau: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $24.00 in Ta Khmau. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Medellin vs $217 in Ta Khmau – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Ta Khmau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 122%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,519 per month in Medellin and $684 in Ta Khmau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $24.00 in Ta Khmau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ta Khmau, where all-in costs run around $456, than in Medellin at $1,013. In Ta Khmau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ta Khmau – 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 Ta Khmau. 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.