Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yala and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Yala: $895 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Yala
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Yala Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Yala

🇹🇭 Thailand

$895

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yala and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Yala and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $895 per month in Yala vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Yala $895
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $1,487 per month in Yala vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Yala $1,487
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $2,079 per month in Yala vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Yala $2,079
Medellin $3,199

Yala is about 45% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Yala sits 34% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.51 ฿50.3

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-81.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.70 ฿825

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-47.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 ฿225

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-27.16%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿64.0

$3.05 COP 9,676

-37.05%

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

$0.56 ฿18.76

$1.80 COP 5,707

-68.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ฿5.42

$1.38 COP 4,382

-88.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 ฿63.4

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-41.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿110

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-40.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ฿51.3

$1.50 COP 4,760

2.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ฿40.90

$2.37 COP 7,508

-48.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.51

$1.70 COP 5,377

-21.76%

Eggs

$1.79 ฿59.7

$2.96 COP 9,379

-39.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.29 ฿611

$10.22 COP 32.4K

78.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.96 ฿98.8

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-69.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 ฿309

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-33.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 ฿101

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-26.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.97

$1.53 COP 4,839

-25.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ฿69.7

$2.22 COP 7,052

-5.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$2.27 COP 7,194

-14.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 ฿52.3

$1.99 COP 6,311

-21.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.44

$1.67 COP 5,285

-41.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ฿39.17

$1.18 COP 3,742

-0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.62

$1.24 COP 3,919

-57.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.87 ฿163

$3.87 COP 12.3K

25.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.33 ฿546

$13.78 COP 43.7K

18.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ฿54.8

$1.66 COP 5,256

-1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 ฿86.2

$2.40 COP 7,615

7.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ฿20.44

$1.24 COP 3,944

-50.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 ฿37.42

$1.28 COP 4,044

-12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 ฿43.70

$2.15 COP 6,803

-39.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 ฿215

$8.37 COP 26.5K

-23.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ฿47.43

$1.35 COP 4,288

5.19%

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

$26.5K ฿887.0K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-23.65%

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

$26.5K ฿887.1K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-23.47%

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

$85.4 ฿2,853

$167 COP 528.4K

-48.77%

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

$11.99 ฿401

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-11.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.46 ฿650

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-33.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.07 ฿1,473

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-2.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.69 ฿458

$17.18 COP 54.5K

-20.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.63 ฿222

$6.97 COP 22.1K

-4.88%

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

$589 ฿19.7K

$790 COP 2.5M

-25.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿376.2K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

24.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.88 ฿1,533

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-47.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 ฿1,079

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-44.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 ฿2,592

$139 COP 440.7K

-44.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 ฿2,704

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-18.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 ฿15.9K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-53.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,662

$620 COP 2.0M

-53.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 ฿39.1K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-37.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 ฿25.4K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-24.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,762 ฿58.9K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-55.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,405 ฿46.9K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-17.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.94

-49.09%

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

Last update for Yala: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yala

$289 32.3%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 114% $330

Groceries & Markets

Yala

$241 26.9%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 23.5% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yala

$117 13.1%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 79.3% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Yala

$106 11.9%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 62.2% $66

Eating Out

Yala

$74 8.3%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 130% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Yala

$57 6.4%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 3% $1.7

Getting Around

Yala

$10 * 1.1%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 843% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $475 in Yala versus $1,028 in Medellin. 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 $25.00 in Yala versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $298 – making Yala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Yala

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

17:50 5:50 PM

05:50 5:50 AM

12 h behind Yala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,617

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Yala Medellin 18,550 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Yala
Medellin

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

Yala vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,343 per month in Yala and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yala, 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 $25.00 in Yala and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% 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 Yala, where all-in costs run around $895, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Yala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yala – 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 Yala. 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.