Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johor Bahru and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Johor Bahru: $1,080 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Johor Bahru
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Johor Bahru Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Johor Bahru

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,080

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,080 in Johor Bahru versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Johor Bahru $1,080
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,611 in Johor Bahru versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Johor Bahru $1,611
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,141 in Johor Bahru versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Johor Bahru $2,141
Medellin $3,186

Living in Johor Bahru costs roughly 34% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Johor Bahru is 21% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 MYR 14.52

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-55.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.54 MYR 75.5

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-60.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 MYR 20.47

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-47.05%

Cappuccino

$3.00 MYR 12.20

$3.01 COP 9,734

-0.33%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.45

$1.80 COP 5,809

-52.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.30

$1.41 COP 4,560

-60.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.54 MYR 18.48

$3.18 COP 10.3K

42.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.27 MYR 25.50

$5.75 COP 18.6K

9.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MYR 6.92

$1.51 COP 4,875

12.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$2.38 COP 7,677

-55.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MYR 5.77

$1.77 COP 5,719

-19.77%

Eggs

$1.73 MYR 7.03

$2.89 COP 9,332

-40.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 MYR 74.2

$10.19 COP 32.9K

78.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.57 MYR 18.60

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-53.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.51 MYR 42.77

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-24.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MYR 13.37

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-17.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MYR 7.09

$1.55 COP 5,011

12.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 MYR 15.93

$2.18 COP 7,047

79.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MYR 6.67

$2.18 COP 7,050

-24.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.72

$1.96 COP 6,336

-28.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.70

$1.59 COP 5,131

3.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MYR 5.56

$1.15 COP 3,698

19.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.26

$1.24 COP 4,014

-54.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MYR 17.05

$3.96 COP 12.8K

5.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 MYR 57.8

$13.68 COP 44.2K

3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 MYR 11.90

$1.66 COP 5,359

75.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 MYR 12.32

$2.26 COP 7,290

34.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.83

$1.17 COP 3,770

-40.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.36 MYR 50.3

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-84.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 MYR 3.84

$1.27 COP 4,094

-25.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 MYR 3.07

$2.05 COP 6,611

-63.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.95 MYR 40.50

$8.55 COP 27.6K

16.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 MYR 3.37

$1.35 COP 4,348

-38.52%

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

$43.9K MYR 178.6K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

28.79%

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

$35.7K MYR 145.4K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

3.05%

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

$52.7 MYR 214

$170 COP 547.7K

-68.95%

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

$11.01 MYR 44.82

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-18.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.28 MYR 115

$28.07 COP 90.6K

0.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.28 MYR 168

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-5.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.80 MYR 23.59

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-66.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MYR 19.59

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-30.39%

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

$239 MYR 974

$797 COP 2.6M

-69.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,518 MYR 18.4K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-50.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 MYR 222

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-35.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.53 MYR 67.3

$58.0 COP 187.1K

-71.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 MYR 331

$135 COP 435.7K

-39.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.3 MYR 400

$97.9 COP 316.0K

0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 MYR 2,130

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-56.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 MYR 1,692

$642 COP 2.1M

-35.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$983 MYR 4,000

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-51.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 MYR 2,879

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-30.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,002 MYR 8,147

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-52.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,214 MYR 4,940

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-36.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,076 MYR 4,378

$657 COP 2.1M

63.68%

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 Johor Bahru: 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

Johor Bahru

$416 38.5%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 54.4% $226

Groceries & Markets

Johor Bahru

$269 24.9%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 10.6% $28

Eating Out

Johor Bahru

$120 11.2%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 40.8% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Johor Bahru

$113 10.4%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 49.8% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johor Bahru

$92 8.5%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 130% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Johor Bahru

$51 4.7%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 13% $6.6

Getting Around

Johor Bahru

$20 1.8%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 371% $74

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $523 in Johor Bahru and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johor Bahru pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19 in Johor Bahru vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $297 per month, with Johor Bahru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Johor Bahru

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

21:20 9:20 PM

08:20 8:20 AM

13 h behind Johor Bahru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

858,118

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Johor Bahru Medellin 19,150 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Johor Bahru
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

Johor Bahru vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,080 in Johor Bahru and $1,639 in Medellin, so Johor Bahru is about 34% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 64% higher in Johor Bahru, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $523 in Johor Bahru versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Johor Bahru – a meal for two runs $19 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,080 per month in Johor Bahru versus $1,639 in Medellin – Johor Bahru is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Johor Bahru gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Johor Bahru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.