Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Bharu and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota Bharu: $692 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Kota Bharu
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Kota Bharu Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Kota Bharu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$692

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $692 per month in Kota Bharu vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Kota Bharu $692
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,072 per month in Kota Bharu vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Kota Bharu $1,072
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,452 per month in Kota Bharu vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Kota Bharu $1,452
Medellin $3,190

Kota Bharu is about 57% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kota Bharu sits 49% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.18 MYR 8.90

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-72.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.41 MYR 79.2

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-57.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.70

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-51.79%

Cappuccino

$2.18 MYR 8.89

$3.11 COP 9,866

-29.90%

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

$0.48 MYR 1.94

$1.83 COP 5,800

-73.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 MYR 1.05

$1.38 COP 4,360

-81.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 MYR 17.29

$3.05 COP 9,672

39.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 MYR 18.33

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-18.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MYR 6.62

$1.45 COP 4,600

11.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 MYR 3.74

$2.36 COP 7,496

-61.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 MYR 3.39

$1.68 COP 5,328

-50.60%

Eggs

$1.61 MYR 6.58

$2.86 COP 9,077

-43.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 MYR 56.1

$10.19 COP 32.3K

34.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.94 MYR 12.00

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-69.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 MYR 27.13

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-52.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 MYR 11.88

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-28.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.12

$1.50 COP 4,742

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 MYR 11.15

$2.17 COP 6,891

25.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.60

$2.31 COP 7,310

-51.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 MYR 3.94

$1.93 COP 6,113

-49.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.59

$1.64 COP 5,196

-31.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.64

$1.13 COP 3,571

0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.84

$1.25 COP 3,954

-64.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 MYR 13.61

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-16.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.00 MYR 77.5

$13.35 COP 42.3K

42.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 MYR 11.88

$1.70 COP 5,384

71.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 MYR 21.71

$2.37 COP 7,525

124.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MYR 3.12

$1.21 COP 3,827

-36.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.33 MYR 50.3

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-83.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$1.32 COP 4,179

31.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.53

$2.14 COP 6,774

-82.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 MYR 15.04

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-56.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.14

$1.30 COP 4,114

-60.00%

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

$31.5K MYR 128.5K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

12.50%

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

$29.0K MYR 118.2K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-18.20%

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

$37.43 MYR 153

$172 COP 545.6K

-78.25%

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

$8.65 MYR 35.27

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-35.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.39 MYR 104

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-11.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.63 MYR 202

$45.24 COP 143.5K

9.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 MYR 18.26

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-28.66%

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

$125 MYR 508

$770 COP 2.4M

-83.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MYR 44.2K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

20.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 MYR 222

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-36.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.29 MYR 78.7

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-66.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 MYR 322

$137 COP 432.9K

-42.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.6 MYR 284

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-28.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 MYR 1,010

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-76.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$122 MYR 499

$616 COP 2.0M

-80.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 MYR 2,745

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-64.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 MYR 913

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-78.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$299 MYR 1,221

$652 COP 2.1M

-54.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

10.94

-63.07%

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

Last update for Kota Bharu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kota Bharu

$230 33.2%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 28.4% $65

Accommodation & Living

Kota Bharu

$122 17.7%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 403% $493

Clothing & Footwear

Kota Bharu

$100 14.5%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 70% $70

Eating Out

Kota Bharu

$90 13.1%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 86.2% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kota Bharu

$71 10.3%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 200% $143

Sport & Entertainment

Kota Bharu

$59 8.5%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 1.3% $0.8

Getting Around

Kota Bharu

$19 2.8%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 391% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in Kota Bharu 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 118% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Kota Bharu versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $295 – making Kota Bharu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kota Bharu

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

03:35 3:35 AM

14:35 2:35 PM

13 h behind Kota Bharu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

568,900

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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Highest

Between locations

Kota Bharu Medellin 18,620 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Kota Bharu
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

Kota Bharu vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 133% more than Kota Bharu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,037 per month in Kota Bharu 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 Kota Bharu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 520% less in Kota Bharu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $125 per month in Kota Bharu and $770 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kota Bharu, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Kota Bharu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kota Bharu costs $692 versus $1,614 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Kota Bharu. 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.