Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuantan and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuantan: $839 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Kuantan
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Kuantan Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Kuantan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $839 per month in Kuantan vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Kuantan $839
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,219 per month in Kuantan vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Kuantan $1,219
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,599 per month in Kuantan vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Kuantan $1,599
Medellin $3,190

Kuantan is about 48% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Kuantan sits 38% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 MYR 10.18

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-68.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.00 MYR 48.96

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-73.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.63 MYR 14.83

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-61.79%

Cappuccino

$2.88 MYR 11.73

$3.11 COP 9,866

-7.40%

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

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$1.83 COP 5,800

-61.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.82

$1.38 COP 4,360

-67.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 MYR 11.43

$3.05 COP 9,672

-8.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 MYR 23.37

$5.50 COP 17.4K

4.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MYR 6.52

$1.45 COP 4,600

10.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 MYR 3.35

$2.36 COP 7,496

-65.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 5.98

$1.68 COP 5,328

-12.50%

Eggs

$1.31 MYR 5.34

$2.86 COP 9,077

-54.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 MYR 38.79

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-6.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 MYR 13.36

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-65.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.42 MYR 18.04

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-68.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MYR 12.35

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-25.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

$1.50 COP 4,742

28.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 MYR 11.12

$2.17 COP 6,891

25.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 MYR 7.14

$2.31 COP 7,310

-24.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 MYR 7.03

$1.93 COP 6,113

-10.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MYR 7.93

$1.64 COP 5,196

18.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 MYR 3.12

$1.13 COP 3,571

-32.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.28

$1.25 COP 3,954

-55.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MYR 17.85

$3.99 COP 12.6K

9.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.95 MYR 81.4

$13.35 COP 42.3K

49.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 MYR 8.13

$1.70 COP 5,384

17.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 MYR 7.81

$2.37 COP 7,525

-18.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$1.21 COP 3,827

-57.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.15 MYR 49.55

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-84.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 MYR 4.61

$1.32 COP 4,179

-14.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.45

$2.14 COP 6,774

-83.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.05 MYR 36.92

$8.47 COP 26.8K

6.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.13

$1.30 COP 4,114

-60.00%

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

$34.1K MYR 139.1K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

21.84%

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

$33.1K MYR 134.9K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-6.59%

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

$49.82 MYR 203

$172 COP 545.6K

-71.05%

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

$8.06 MYR 32.86

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-39.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 MYR 98.6

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-15.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.79 MYR 162

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-12.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.83 MYR 27.87

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-59.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 MYR 18.98

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-25.96%

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

$280 MYR 1,142

$770 COP 2.4M

-63.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K MYR 41.8K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

13.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 MYR 214

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-39.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.29 MYR 124

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-46.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.62 MYR 202

$137 COP 432.9K

-63.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.89 MYR 199

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-50.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 MYR 1,675

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-61.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 MYR 1,232

$616 COP 2.0M

-50.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 MYR 2,822

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-63.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 MYR 1,943

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-53.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,015 MYR 8,220

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-50.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,090 MYR 4,448

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-35.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MYR 3,976

$652 COP 2.1M

49.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.15

10.94

-62.07%

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

Last update for Kuantan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuantan

$302 36%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 104% $314

Groceries & Markets

Kuantan

$212 25.3%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 38.8% $82

Eating Out

Kuantan

$95 11.4%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 76.4% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuantan

$82 9.8%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 161% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Kuantan

$82 9.7%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 109% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Kuantan

$49 5.9%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 17.7% $8.7

Getting Around

Kuantan

$17 2%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 447% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Kuantan 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 49% higher in Kuantan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Kuantan versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $212 vs $295 – making Kuantan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuantan

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:21 4:21 AM

15:21 3:21 PM

13 h behind Kuantan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

548,014

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kuantan Medellin 18,890 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuantan
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

Kuantan vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,259 per month in Kuantan 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 Kuantan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $280 per month in Kuantan and $770 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kuantan, where all-in costs run around $839, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Kuantan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuantan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Kuantan. 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.