Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheras and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Cheras: $1,130 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Cheras
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Cheras Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Cheras

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,130

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,130 per month in Cheras vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Cheras $1,130
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,541 per month in Cheras vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Cheras $1,541
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,952 per month in Cheras vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Cheras $1,952
Medellin $3,190

Cheras is about 30% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Cheras sits 16% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.62

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-54.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.28 MYR 99.1

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-47.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.80 MYR 19.57

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-49.47%

Cappuccino

$3.08 MYR 12.55

$3.11 COP 9,866

-0.96%

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

$0.93 MYR 3.79

$1.83 COP 5,800

-49.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 MYR 2.44

$1.38 COP 4,360

-56.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.35 MYR 17.75

$3.05 COP 9,672

42.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.25 MYR 25.50

$5.50 COP 17.4K

13.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.88

$1.45 COP 4,600

33.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.18

$2.36 COP 7,496

-56.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.89

$1.68 COP 5,328

-14.29%

Eggs

$1.77 MYR 7.23

$2.86 COP 9,077

-38.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.85 MYR 72.8

$10.19 COP 32.3K

75.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MYR 18.60

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-52.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 MYR 44.09

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-23.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 MYR 14.50

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-12.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MYR 7.91

$1.50 COP 4,742

29.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 MYR 10.73

$2.17 COP 6,891

21.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.80

$2.31 COP 7,310

-27.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MYR 8.48

$1.93 COP 6,113

7.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.72

$1.64 COP 5,196

0.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MYR 5.63

$1.13 COP 3,571

22.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$1.25 COP 3,954

-59.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 MYR 17.30

$3.99 COP 12.6K

6.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 MYR 56.6

$13.35 COP 42.3K

3.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 MYR 11.30

$1.70 COP 5,384

62.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MYR 12.83

$2.37 COP 7,525

32.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$1.21 COP 3,827

-42.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.03 MYR 49.08

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-84.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 MYR 4.13

$1.32 COP 4,179

-23.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

$2.14 COP 6,774

-83.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.96 MYR 36.57

$8.47 COP 26.8K

5.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.58

$1.30 COP 4,114

-32.31%

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

$40.9K MYR 167.0K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

46.28%

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

$34.0K MYR 138.7K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-3.99%

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

$49.67 MYR 203

$172 COP 545.6K

-71.14%

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

$11.06 MYR 45.10

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-17.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.31 MYR 111

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-4.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.42 MYR 161

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-12.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.14 MYR 29.13

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-58.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.99 MYR 20.36

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-20.54%

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

$164 MYR 667

$770 COP 2.4M

-78.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,451 MYR 18.2K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-50.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 MYR 221

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-37.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.39 MYR 120

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-48.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 MYR 332

$137 COP 432.9K

-40.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 MYR 402

$97.9 COP 310.4K

0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 MYR 1,669

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-61.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 MYR 1,906

$616 COP 2.0M

-24.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 MYR 2,803

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-63.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 MYR 1,977

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-52.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,052 MYR 8,372

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-49.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,103 MYR 4,501

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-34.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,189 MYR 4,851

$652 COP 2.1M

82.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

10.94

-62.89%

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

Last update for Cheras: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cheras

$467 41.4%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 31.8% $149

Groceries & Markets

Cheras

$268 23.8%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 9.8% $26

Eating Out

Cheras

$120 10.7%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 39.9% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Cheras

$119 10.5%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 43.3% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cheras

$88 7.8%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 143% $126

Sport & Entertainment

Cheras

$49 4.4%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 17% $8.4

Getting Around

Cheras

$18 1.6%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 430% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $409 in Cheras versus $1,055 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 run about 82% higher in Cheras, 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 $24.00 in Cheras versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $295 – making Cheras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Cheras

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

15:06 3:06 PM

02:06 2:06 AM

13 h behind Cheras

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

440,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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 MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cheras Medellin 18,930 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Cheras
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

Cheras vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,695 per month in Cheras and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cheras, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cheras and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cheras, where all-in costs run around $1,130, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Cheras it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cheras – 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 Cheras. 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.