Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Kinabalu and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Kinabalu and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $937 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,460 in Kota Kinabalu versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,983 in Kota Kinabalu versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Kota Kinabalu costs roughly 45% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kota Kinabalu is 32% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 MYR 14.72

$8.03 COP 25.3K

-54.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.15 MYR 81.5

$48.26 COP 152.0K

-58.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 MYR 20.35

$9.77 COP 30.8K

-48.52%

Cappuccino

$2.76 MYR 11.16

$2.91 COP 9,167

-5.15%

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

$0.56 MYR 2.25

$1.94 COP 6,122

-71.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.35

$1.52 COP 4,792

-78.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 MYR 10.10

$3.09 COP 9,740

-19.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 MYR 14.85

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-36.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 MYR 7.46

$1.36 COP 4,296

35.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 MYR 5.49

$2.39 COP 7,519

-43.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 MYR 9.34

$1.70 COP 5,356

35.88%

Eggs

$3.60 MYR 14.56

$2.87 COP 9,038

25.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.42 MYR 115

$9.94 COP 31.3K

185.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 MYR 14.69

$10.78 COP 34.0K

-66.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.78 MYR 27.42

$14.73 COP 46.4K

-53.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 MYR 9.25

$4.09 COP 12.9K

-44.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.61

$1.57 COP 4,950

-11.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.81

$2.13 COP 6,695

-9.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MYR 8.19

$2.21 COP 6,972

-8.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.18

$2.05 COP 6,447

-13.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 MYR 8.72

$1.50 COP 4,737

44.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MYR 4.19

$1.19 COP 3,747

-12.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 MYR 1.77

$1.16 COP 3,647

-62.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 MYR 19.31

$3.90 COP 12.3K

22.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.33 MYR 66.0

$14.44 COP 45.5K

13.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.69 MYR 14.91

$1.58 COP 4,987

133.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MYR 10.21

$2.83 COP 8,905

-10.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 MYR 7.90

$1.17 COP 3,679

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.28 MYR 171

$77.7 COP 244.8K

-45.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 MYR 7.89

$1.28 COP 4,045

52.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 MYR 0.97

$2.09 COP 6,589

-88.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 MYR 2.83

$1.30 COP 4,088

-46.15%

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

$41.7K MYR 168.8K

$27.7K COP 87.1M

50.93%

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

$35.6K MYR 143.8K

$35.5K COP 111.8M

0.20%

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

$68.8 MYR 278

$176 COP 554.5K

-60.95%

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

$9.77 MYR 39.48

$13.37 COP 42.1K

-26.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.19 MYR 130

$29.89 COP 94.1K

7.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MYR 213

$44.76 COP 141.0K

17.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.06 MYR 12.37

$17.06 COP 53.7K

-82.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.41 MYR 21.86

$6.20 COP 19.5K

-12.74%

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

$144 MYR 581

$793 COP 2.5M

-81.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,144 MYR 28.9K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

-20.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 MYR 342

$85.6 COP 269.6K

-1.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 MYR 152

$58.5 COP 184.1K

-35.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 MYR 382

$136 COP 429.3K

-30.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.80 MYR 197

$103 COP 324.7K

-52.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 MYR 1,733

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-59.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 MYR 788

$680 COP 2.1M

-71.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$680 MYR 2,750

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-66.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 MYR 1,529

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-67.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,845 MYR 7,458

$4,111 COP 12.9M

-55.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,092 MYR 4,417

$1,701 COP 5.4M

-35.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$582 MYR 2,354

$665 COP 2.1M

-12.49%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Kota Kinabalu and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 14% 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 $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $303 per month, with Kota Kinabalu 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

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

Kota Kinabalu wins on cost – living expenses run 83% 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 14% 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: $429 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,060 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 84% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $144 in Kota Kinabalu versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $937 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,716 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 $937 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 83% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.