Cost of Living Comparison Between Kedah and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kedah and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $869 in Kedah versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,333 in Kedah versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,797 in Kedah versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Kedah costs roughly 16% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kedah 35% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.10 MYR 12.26

$5.92 COP 21.4K

-47.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.93 MYR 82.7

$32.75 COP 118.2K

-36.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.12 MYR 16.26

$7.20 COP 26.0K

-42.78%

Cappuccino

$2.92 MYR 11.52

$1.70 COP 6,140

71.76%

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

$0.74 MYR 2.91

$1.10 COP 3,966

-32.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.44

$0.72 COP 2,605

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.29 MYR 16.95

$1.67 COP 6,022

156.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 MYR 17.91

$3.10 COP 11.2K

46.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MYR 7.16

$1.06 COP 3,809

70.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 MYR 3.65

$1.25 COP 4,497

-26.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.78

$1.39 COP 5,022

-12.95%

Eggs

$2.06 MYR 8.15

$2.26 COP 8,168

-8.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.78 MYR 58.4

$4.33 COP 15.6K

241.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 MYR 19.67

$5.84 COP 21.1K

-14.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 MYR 58.6

$8.83 COP 31.9K

67.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MYR 10.99

$2.24 COP 8,099

24.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.76

$1.08 COP 3,882

11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 MYR 10.70

$1.53 COP 5,522

77.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 MYR 8.51

$1.37 COP 4,950

56.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 MYR 4.64

$1.13 COP 4,078

3.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.64

$1.12 COP 4,036

5.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 MYR 3.74

$0.85 COP 3,057

11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.77

$0.91 COP 3,281

-50.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MYR 17.08

$2.33 COP 8,414

85.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.89 MYR 78.6

$11.13 COP 40.2K

78.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 MYR 10.61

$1.19 COP 4,309

126.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 MYR 13.96

$2.37 COP 8,553

49.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MYR 2.70

$0.79 COP 2,838

-13.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.59 MYR 45.78

$41.13 COP 148.5K

-71.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 MYR 2.86

$1.44 COP 5,184

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MYR 1.85

$1.91 COP 6,901

-75.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.96 MYR 27.49

$8.02 COP 28.9K

-13.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 1.94

$0.94 COP 3,385

-47.87%

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

$33.7K MYR 133.3K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

88.26%

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

$27.2K MYR 107.4K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

1.53%

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

$37.91 MYR 150

$84.0 COP 303.1K

-54.85%

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

$10.09 MYR 39.84

$9.60 COP 34.7K

5.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.64 MYR 45.97

$24.16 COP 87.2K

-51.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.47 MYR 148

$25.88 COP 93.4K

44.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.95 MYR 23.49

$19.04 COP 68.7K

-68.75%

Cinema Ticket

$2.77 MYR 10.95

$3.92 COP 14.1K

-29.34%

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

$238 MYR 942

$306 COP 1.1M

-22.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,226 MYR 24.6K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

5.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 MYR 216

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-5.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.36 MYR 116

$31.82 COP 114.9K

-7.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 MYR 241

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-38.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.8 MYR 208

$107 COP 386.8K

-50.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 MYR 1,558

$487 COP 1.8M

-18.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MYR 1,046

$368 COP 1.3M

-28.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$656 MYR 2,590

$826 COP 3.0M

-20.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MYR 1,858

$716 COP 2.6M

-34.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,947 MYR 7,692

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-33.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$795 MYR 3,142

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-43.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,390 MYR 5,491

$546 COP 2.0M

154.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

13.43

-69.02%

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

Last update for Kedah: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $394 in Kedah and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 155% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21.00 in Kedah vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $190, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Kedah vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kedah and Medellin differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($869 vs $1,034 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kedah pays 155% more on average, 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: $394 in Kedah versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $238 in Kedah versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 43% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $869 in Kedah versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kedah but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kedah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Kedah and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kedah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.