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: $944 in Kedah versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Kedah versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,853 in Kedah versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Kedah costs roughly 44% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kedah is 31% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.51 MYR 14.38

$8.02 COP 25.3K

-56.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.36 MYR 50.6

$47.87 COP 151.0K

-74.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 MYR 20.58

$9.89 COP 31.2K

-49.14%

Cappuccino

$2.66 MYR 10.91

$3.13 COP 9,873

-15.02%

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

$0.91 MYR 3.74

$1.91 COP 6,019

-52.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.34

$1.51 COP 4,763

-78.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MYR 9.87

$3.12 COP 9,853

-22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 MYR 17.56

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-25.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 MYR 9.95

$1.44 COP 4,558

68.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 MYR 5.57

$2.49 COP 7,843

-45.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.20

$1.77 COP 5,595

-0.56%

Eggs

$2.62 MYR 10.71

$2.96 COP 9,336

-11.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.65 MYR 64.0

$10.07 COP 31.8K

55.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 MYR 20.07

$10.12 COP 31.9K

-51.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.56 MYR 39.14

$14.30 COP 45.1K

-33.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 MYR 9.65

$4.14 COP 13.0K

-43.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.92

$1.61 COP 5,073

-9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 MYR 9.32

$2.25 COP 7,083

1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.13

$2.25 COP 7,104

-44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 MYR 3.74

$2.04 COP 6,444

-55.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 MYR 3.23

$1.54 COP 4,842

-48.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 MYR 3.17

$1.17 COP 3,691

-34.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 MYR 2.66

$1.31 COP 4,121

-50.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.66 MYR 19.08

$3.90 COP 12.3K

19.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.25 MYR 87.0

$14.01 COP 44.2K

51.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 MYR 10.18

$1.74 COP 5,498

43.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MYR 14.85

$2.87 COP 9,053

26.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MYR 3.04

$1.22 COP 3,834

-39.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.77 MYR 48.18

$80.5 COP 253.9K

-85.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 MYR 4.99

$1.31 COP 4,129

-6.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MYR 2.06

$2.19 COP 6,899

-77.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 MYR 27.19

$8.71 COP 27.5K

-23.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 MYR 2.45

$1.37 COP 4,306

-56.20%

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

$41.8K MYR 171.1K

$27.8K COP 87.8M

50.20%

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

$28.8K MYR 117.7K

$35.8K COP 112.8M

-19.61%

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

$50.7 MYR 207

$177 COP 559.3K

-71.43%

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

$7.98 MYR 32.64

$13.88 COP 43.8K

-42.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.15 MYR 132

$29.72 COP 93.8K

8.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.87 MYR 163

$44.88 COP 141.6K

-11.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.78 MYR 23.67

$17.12 COP 54.0K

-66.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MYR 19.69

$6.65 COP 21.0K

-27.67%

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

$171 MYR 698

$813 COP 2.6M

-79.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,987 MYR 20.4K

$9,187 COP 29.0M

-45.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 MYR 223

$89.5 COP 282.3K

-39.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.20 MYR 144

$59.0 COP 186.0K

-40.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 MYR 296

$138 COP 435.9K

-47.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.5 MYR 284

$102 COP 322.1K

-31.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 MYR 1,701

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-60.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 MYR 1,311

$663 COP 2.1M

-51.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 MYR 2,837

$1,888 COP 6.0M

-63.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 MYR 1,847

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-56.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,745 MYR 7,141

$4,183 COP 13.2M

-58.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,006 MYR 4,117

$1,675 COP 5.3M

-39.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 MYR 5,440

$678 COP 2.1M

96.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

10.94

-59.51%

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

Last update for Kedah: September 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $416 in Kedah and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 96% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $12.00 in Kedah vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $305 per month, with Kedah cheaper across the board.

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 78% in total monthly costs ($944 vs $1,681 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 96% higher in Kedah, 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: $416 in Kedah versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $171 in Kedah versus $813 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $944 in Kedah versus $1,681 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 78% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.