Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Kinabalu and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota Kinabalu: $921 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Kota Kinabalu
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Kota Kinabalu Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Kota Kinabalu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$921

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $921 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Kota Kinabalu $921
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,421 in Kota Kinabalu versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Kota Kinabalu $1,421
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Kota Kinabalu versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Kota Kinabalu $1,921
Medellin $3,190

Living in Kota Kinabalu costs roughly 43% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kota Kinabalu is 32% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 MYR 14.86

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-54.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.52 MYR 79.6

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-57.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 MYR 19.65

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-49.26%

Cappuccino

$2.57 MYR 10.50

$3.11 COP 9,866

-17.36%

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

$0.59 MYR 2.41

$1.83 COP 5,800

-67.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 MYR 1.20

$1.38 COP 4,360

-78.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 MYR 10.19

$3.05 COP 9,672

-18.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 MYR 15.28

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-31.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MYR 7.02

$1.45 COP 4,600

18.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 MYR 5.28

$2.36 COP 7,496

-44.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 MYR 9.43

$1.68 COP 5,328

37.50%

Eggs

$3.52 MYR 14.37

$2.86 COP 9,077

23.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.38 MYR 116

$10.19 COP 32.3K

178.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 MYR 15.06

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-61.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.91 MYR 28.19

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-50.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 MYR 9.20

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-44.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MYR 5.81

$1.50 COP 4,742

-5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MYR 7.78

$2.17 COP 6,891

-11.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.88

$2.31 COP 7,310

-16.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.79

$1.93 COP 6,113

-13.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 MYR 8.44

$1.64 COP 5,196

26.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 MYR 4.06

$1.13 COP 3,571

-11.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.95

$1.25 COP 3,954

-61.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.81 MYR 19.64

$3.99 COP 12.6K

20.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.20 MYR 66.1

$13.35 COP 42.3K

21.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.76 MYR 15.36

$1.70 COP 5,384

121.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MYR 10.14

$2.37 COP 7,525

5.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.90 MYR 7.76

$1.21 COP 3,827

57.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.22 MYR 176

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-43.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 MYR 7.77

$1.32 COP 4,179

44.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 MYR 0.93

$2.14 COP 6,774

-89.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$1.30 COP 4,114

-45.38%

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

$42.5K MYR 173.5K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

51.99%

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

$34.8K MYR 142.1K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-1.67%

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

$69.4 MYR 283

$172 COP 545.6K

-59.70%

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

$9.25 MYR 37.75

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-30.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.46 MYR 132

$28.73 COP 91.1K

12.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 MYR 209

$45.24 COP 143.5K

13.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.07 MYR 12.53

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-81.98%

Cinema Ticket

$5.11 MYR 20.83

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-18.63%

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

$138 MYR 565

$770 COP 2.4M

-82.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,981 MYR 28.5K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-22.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.7 MYR 333

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-5.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.02 MYR 151

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-35.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 MYR 374

$137 COP 432.9K

-32.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.12 MYR 196

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-50.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 MYR 1,786

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-58.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 MYR 775

$616 COP 2.0M

-69.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$676 MYR 2,759

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-64.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 MYR 1,501

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-64.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,802 MYR 7,351

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-55.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,089 MYR 4,444

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-35.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$578 MYR 2,356

$652 COP 2.1M

-11.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

10.94

-64.35%

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

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: 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 Kinabalu

$290 31.5%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 1.6% $4.7

Accommodation & Living

Kota Kinabalu

$190 20.6%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 224% $426

Clothing & Footwear

Kota Kinabalu

$116 12.6%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 46.2% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kota Kinabalu

$111 12.1%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 92.8% $103

Eating Out

Kota Kinabalu

$98 10.6%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 71.8% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Kota Kinabalu

$61 6.7%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 6% $3.7

Getting Around

Kota Kinabalu

$54 5.9%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 73.2% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Kota Kinabalu and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 13% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $20.00 in Kota Kinabalu vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $295 per month, with Kota Kinabalu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kota Kinabalu

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:45 9:45 AM

20:45 8:45 PM

13 h behind Kota Kinabalu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

500,425

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 19, 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 19, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kota Kinabalu Medellin 18,140 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Kota Kinabalu wins on cost – living expenses run 75% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kota Kinabalu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Medellin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $438 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kota Kinabalu runs roughly 77% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $138 in Kota Kinabalu versus $770 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $921 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kota Kinabalu but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kota Kinabalu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kota Kinabalu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $921 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kota Kinabalu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kota Kinabalu 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 Kota Kinabalu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.