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: $840 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,352 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,865 in Kota Kinabalu versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Kota Kinabalu costs roughly 17% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kota Kinabalu 37% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 MYR 13.89

$5.99 COP 21.4K

-41.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.05 MYR 75.6

$32.86 COP 117.4K

-42.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 MYR 18.53

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-34.13%

Cappuccino

$2.60 MYR 10.32

$1.71 COP 6,115

52.05%

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

$0.69 MYR 2.72

$1.10 COP 3,924

-37.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.46

$0.78 COP 2,781

-52.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 MYR 9.45

$1.68 COP 5,997

41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 MYR 13.91

$3.07 COP 11.0K

14.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MYR 6.66

$1.09 COP 3,906

54.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 MYR 4.91

$1.26 COP 4,508

-1.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.72

$1.38 COP 4,922

23.19%

Eggs

$2.89 MYR 11.47

$2.19 COP 7,827

31.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.74 MYR 102

$4.40 COP 15.7K

485.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 MYR 13.65

$5.63 COP 20.1K

-38.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.43 MYR 29.45

$8.89 COP 31.8K

-16.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 MYR 10.16

$2.34 COP 8,349

9.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 MYR 4.62

$1.06 COP 3,777

9.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 MYR 12.46

$1.50 COP 5,374

109.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 MYR 7.58

$1.38 COP 4,924

38.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.02

$1.15 COP 4,111

32.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.79

$1.16 COP 4,155

47.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.49

$0.89 COP 3,182

26.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.88

$0.84 COP 2,997

-44.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 MYR 16.79

$2.28 COP 8,145

85.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.30 MYR 64.6

$10.64 COP 38.0K

53.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 MYR 7.35

$1.20 COP 4,284

54.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 MYR 6.37

$2.47 COP 8,824

-34.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 MYR 6.00

$0.86 COP 3,056

75.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.03 MYR 163

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-0.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 MYR 7.54

$1.47 COP 5,264

29.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 MYR 1.84

$1.96 COP 7,009

-76.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 MYR 22.80

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-25.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.82

$0.95 COP 3,409

-51.58%

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

$29.6K MYR 117.2K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

63.06%

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

$27.1K MYR 107.6K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

2.49%

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

$51.6 MYR 205

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-37.22%

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

$9.22 MYR 36.55

$9.50 COP 33.9K

-2.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.25 MYR 128

$24.23 COP 86.5K

33.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.54 MYR 173

$25.89 COP 92.4K

68.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.99 MYR 11.87

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-84.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.73 MYR 18.76

$3.93 COP 14.0K

20.36%

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

$132 MYR 523

$309 COP 1.1M

-57.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,506 MYR 17.9K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-24.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 MYR 240

$58.7 COP 209.5K

3.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.99 MYR 91.2

$32.35 COP 115.5K

-28.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 MYR 283

$103 COP 366.4K

-30.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.5 MYR 375

$108 COP 387.2K

-12.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$372 MYR 1,473

$476 COP 1.7M

-21.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 MYR 667

$379 COP 1.4M

-55.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 MYR 2,540

$838 COP 3.0M

-23.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 MYR 1,461

$724 COP 2.6M

-49.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,889 MYR 7,492

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-32.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,133 MYR 4,492

$1,211 COP 4.3M

-6.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 MYR 2,370

$512 COP 1.8M

16.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

13.43

-71.71%

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

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $372 in Kota Kinabalu and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota Kinabalu pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Kota Kinabalu vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $188, 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

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

Kota Kinabalu wins on cost – living expenses run 21% 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.

Kota Kinabalu pays 17% 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: $372 in Kota Kinabalu versus $476 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 1% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $132 in Kota Kinabalu versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $840 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,013 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 $840 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 21% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.