Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alor Setar and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Alor Setar: $868 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Alor Setar
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Alor Setar Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Alor Setar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$868

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alor Setar 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 Alor Setar and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $868 per month in Alor Setar vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Alor Setar $868
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,310 per month in Alor Setar vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Alor Setar $1,310
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,752 per month in Alor Setar vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Alor Setar $1,752
Medellin $3,186

Alor Setar is about 47% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Alor Setar sits 36% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 MYR 8.34

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-74.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.28 MYR 49.79

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-73.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 MYR 16.57

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-56.95%

Cappuccino

$1.92 MYR 7.80

$3.01 COP 9,735

-36.21%

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

$0.54 MYR 2.17

$1.80 COP 5,809

-70.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.23

$1.41 COP 4,561

-78.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 MYR 16.62

$3.18 COP 10.3K

28.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 MYR 18.33

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-21.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MYR 6.53

$1.51 COP 4,876

6.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 MYR 3.46

$2.38 COP 7,678

-64.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MYR 7.08

$1.77 COP 5,720

-1.13%

Eggs

$1.53 MYR 6.19

$2.89 COP 9,333

-47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.63 MYR 55.2

$10.19 COP 32.9K

33.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 MYR 17.53

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-56.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.47 MYR 34.34

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-39.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 MYR 12.43

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-22.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.82

$1.55 COP 5,012

-23.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 MYR 10.56

$2.18 COP 7,048

19.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 5.95

$2.18 COP 7,051

-32.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 MYR 4.30

$1.96 COP 6,337

-45.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 MYR 4.36

$1.59 COP 5,132

-32.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 MYR 4.43

$1.15 COP 3,699

-5.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.32

$1.24 COP 4,014

-54.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 MYR 18.04

$3.96 COP 12.8K

12.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.90 MYR 76.6

$13.68 COP 44.2K

38.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 MYR 12.09

$1.66 COP 5,359

79.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 MYR 21.01

$2.26 COP 7,291

129.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.83

$1.17 COP 3,771

-40.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.69 MYR 51.4

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-83.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MYR 6.99

$1.27 COP 4,094

36.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 MYR 1.66

$2.05 COP 6,612

-80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.38 MYR 29.94

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-13.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 1.98

$1.35 COP 4,349

-63.70%

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

$45.3K MYR 183.6K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

32.92%

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

$35.8K MYR 145.3K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

3.39%

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

$37.81 MYR 153

$170 COP 547.8K

-77.71%

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

$7.47 MYR 30.29

$13.55 COP 43.8K

-44.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.90 MYR 88.8

$28.07 COP 90.6K

-21.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.64 MYR 153

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-13.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.37 MYR 25.82

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-62.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.83 MYR 19.58

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-30.10%

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

$396 MYR 1,607

$797 COP 2.6M

-50.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MYR 43.4K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

17.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 MYR 242

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-29.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.76 MYR 145

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-38.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 MYR 331

$135 COP 435.8K

-39.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.9 MYR 279

$97.9 COP 316.0K

-29.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 MYR 1,705

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-65.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 MYR 1,191

$642 COP 2.1M

-54.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 MYR 2,647

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-67.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 MYR 2,156

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-47.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,256 MYR 9,146

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-45.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,157 MYR 4,689

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-39.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 MYR 6,486

$657 COP 2.1M

143.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

10.94

-63.07%

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

Last update for Alor Setar: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alor Setar

$294 33.8%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 118% $348

Groceries & Markets

Alor Setar

$245 28.3%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 21% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Alor Setar

$111 12.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 52.6% $58

Eating Out

Alor Setar

$85 9.8%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 100% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alor Setar

$67 7.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 214% $144

Sport & Entertainment

Alor Setar

$47 5.5%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 21.6% $10

Getting Around

Alor Setar

$19 2.2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 386% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $421 in Alor Setar versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Alor Setar are about 2.4 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Alor Setar versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $297 – making Alor Setar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Alor Setar

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

20:49 8:49 PM

13 h behind Alor Setar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

423,868

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.05 MYR (1 MYR = 0.247 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alor Setar Medellin 18,570 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Alor Setar
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

Alor Setar vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 89% more than Alor Setar, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,303 per month in Alor Setar and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alor Setar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $421 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Kindergarten costs $396 per month in Alor Setar and $797 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $868 in Alor Setar and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Alor Setar is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 47% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.