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: $868 in Kedah versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,344 in Kedah versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,819 in Kedah versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Kedah costs roughly 15% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kedah 35% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.02 MYR 12.24

$5.95 COP 20.8K

-49.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.42 MYR 86.9

$33.33 COP 116.3K

-35.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.28 MYR 17.34

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-40.80%

Cappuccino

$2.95 MYR 11.95

$1.63 COP 5,687

80.98%

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

$0.74 MYR 3.02

$1.09 COP 3,821

-32.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.48

$0.73 COP 2,548

-49.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.40 MYR 17.83

$1.74 COP 6,065

152.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MYR 18.18

$3.23 COP 11.3K

38.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MYR 7.34

$1.05 COP 3,662

72.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 MYR 3.67

$1.29 COP 4,515

-29.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.91

$1.32 COP 4,617

-8.33%

Eggs

$2.11 MYR 8.58

$2.27 COP 7,927

-7.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.33 MYR 62.2

$4.35 COP 15.2K

252.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 MYR 20.26

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-14.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 MYR 59.5

$8.61 COP 30.0K

70.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 MYR 11.69

$2.25 COP 7,844

28.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.83

$1.07 COP 3,733

11.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.59

$1.52 COP 5,322

71.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MYR 8.81

$1.42 COP 4,964

52.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.83

$1.17 COP 4,084

1.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 MYR 4.71

$1.17 COP 4,077

-0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 MYR 3.92

$0.89 COP 3,096

8.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.95

$0.90 COP 3,146

-46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MYR 16.75

$2.25 COP 7,837

83.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.59 MYR 79.5

$11.04 COP 38.5K

77.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MYR 10.69

$1.14 COP 3,977

131.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 MYR 13.66

$2.38 COP 8,301

41.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MYR 2.77

$0.84 COP 2,916

-19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.77 MYR 47.71

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-71.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 MYR 2.82

$1.41 COP 4,912

-51.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MYR 1.92

$1.90 COP 6,634

-75.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 MYR 28.32

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-9.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 2.00

$1.01 COP 3,509

-51.49%

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

$33.5K MYR 135.8K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

90.46%

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

$27.4K MYR 110.9K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

3.26%

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

$38.49 MYR 156

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-54.00%

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

$9.99 MYR 40.49

$9.45 COP 33.0K

5.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.96 MYR 48.51

$24.11 COP 84.1K

-50.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.49 MYR 148

$25.31 COP 88.3K

44.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.85 MYR 23.74

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-69.44%

Cinema Ticket

$2.81 MYR 11.40

$4.10 COP 14.3K

-31.46%

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

$238 MYR 963

$312 COP 1.1M

-23.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,215 MYR 25.2K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

3.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 MYR 225

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-4.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.32 MYR 115

$32.56 COP 113.6K

-13.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.0 MYR 251

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-37.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.5 MYR 213

$109 COP 378.8K

-51.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 MYR 1,540

$482 COP 1.7M

-21.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 MYR 1,093

$379 COP 1.3M

-28.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 MYR 2,620

$837 COP 2.9M

-22.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MYR 1,885

$723 COP 2.5M

-35.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,964 MYR 7,963

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-30.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$957 MYR 3,880

$1,223 COP 4.3M

-21.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,322 MYR 5,359

$541 COP 1.9M

144.35%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $380 in Kedah and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 144% 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 $273 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 17% in total monthly costs ($868 vs $1,017 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kedah pays 144% 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: $380 in Kedah versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $238 in Kedah versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 44% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $868 in Kedah versus $1,017 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 17% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.