Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Trang Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Trang

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $980 in Trang, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,608 in Trang, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,237 in Trang, rent included.

Medellin costs about 71% more than Trang, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Trang is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$1.79 ฿59.8

348.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$22.87 ฿763

109.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$8.62 ฿288

14.73%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.84 ฿94.7

10.21%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.85 ฿28.37

124.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.48 ฿16.11

214.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.39 ฿79.7

30.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.87 ฿129

48.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.83 ฿61.0

-21.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.26 ฿42.19

97.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.04 ฿34.78

70.19%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.16 ฿72.0

37.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$11.34 ฿378

-11.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.34 ฿112

202.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$11.19 ฿373

27.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$3.02 ฿101

37.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.66 ฿55.4

-3.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.28 ฿76.0

-1.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.09 ฿69.9

7.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.47 ฿49.12

38.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.20 ฿40.13

28.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.14 ฿38.12

2.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.59 ฿19.60

122.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.36 ฿146

-10.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$18.63 ฿622

-24.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.79 ฿59.7

-2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.94 ฿98.1

-2.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.94 ฿31.26

29.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$3.06 ฿102

-57.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.07 ฿35.73

104.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$3.93 ฿131

121.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.10 ฿36.79

24.55%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$27.0K ฿899.8K

3.26%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$27.4K ฿914.9K

30.51%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$104 ฿3,479

70.10%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$11.15 ฿372

24.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$17.70 ฿591

67.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$47.39 ฿1,582

-5.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$14.54 ฿485

17.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$7.79 ฿260

-14.63%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$565 ฿18.9K

43.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$11.8K ฿392.2K

-21.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$64.7 ฿2,158

38.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$28.97 ฿967

103.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$99.6 ฿3,325

38.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$91.5 ฿3,054

11.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$451 ฿15.1K

135.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$302 ฿10.1K

119.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,414 ฿47.2K

33.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$768 ฿25.6K

33.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,004 ฿66.9K

108.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,595 ฿53.2K

5.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Trang: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $451 in Trang. 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 $23.00 in Trang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $243 – making Trang 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 Trang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 71%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,470 in Trang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Trang, 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 $23.00 in Trang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Trang, where all-in costs run around $980, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Trang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Trang – 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 Trang. 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.