Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Kuching versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,223 in Kuching versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,642 in Kuching versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Kuching costs roughly 22% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuching 40% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.80 MYR 11.08

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-52.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.00 MYR 79.0

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-38.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 MYR 18.49

$7.20 COP 26.2K

-35.00%

Cappuccino

$2.45 MYR 9.69

$1.70 COP 6,186

44.12%

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

$0.75 MYR 2.94

$1.10 COP 3,996

-31.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 MYR 1.27

$0.72 COP 2,625

-55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 MYR 11.43

$1.67 COP 6,067

73.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MYR 14.33

$3.10 COP 11.3K

17.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 MYR 7.51

$1.06 COP 3,837

79.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 MYR 4.43

$1.25 COP 4,531

-10.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 MYR 4.03

$1.39 COP 5,060

-26.62%

Eggs

$2.26 MYR 8.91

$2.26 COP 8,229

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.55 MYR 37.72

$4.33 COP 15.8K

120.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.73 MYR 14.72

$5.84 COP 21.2K

-36.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.99 MYR 31.56

$8.83 COP 32.1K

-9.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MYR 12.18

$2.24 COP 8,159

37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.54

$1.08 COP 3,911

6.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MYR 10.36

$1.53 COP 5,563

71.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 MYR 7.15

$1.37 COP 4,987

32.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 MYR 4.40

$1.13 COP 4,109

-1.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 4.89

$1.12 COP 4,067

10.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 MYR 6.88

$0.85 COP 3,080

104.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.10

$0.91 COP 3,305

-41.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MYR 16.67

$2.33 COP 8,477

81.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.58 MYR 85.3

$11.13 COP 40.5K

93.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.84 MYR 15.18

$1.19 COP 4,342

222.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 MYR 13.71

$2.37 COP 8,617

46.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 MYR 0.99

$0.79 COP 2,859

-68.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.84 MYR 46.78

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-71.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 MYR 3.88

$1.44 COP 5,223

-31.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 MYR 4.38

$1.91 COP 6,952

-41.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MYR 7.60

$8.02 COP 29.2K

-76.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.47 MYR 1.84

$0.94 COP 3,410

-50.00%

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

$46.1K MYR 182.0K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

157.09%

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

$36.3K MYR 143.3K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

35.45%

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

$40.86 MYR 161

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-51.33%

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

$9.15 MYR 36.13

$9.60 COP 34.9K

-4.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.01 MYR 98.8

$24.16 COP 87.9K

3.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.43 MYR 116

$25.88 COP 94.1K

13.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.87 MYR 39.00

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-48.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 MYR 18.65

$3.92 COP 14.2K

20.41%

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

$145 MYR 575

$306 COP 1.1M

-52.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,146 MYR 24.3K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

3.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 MYR 260

$57.9 COP 210.6K

13.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.81 MYR 126

$31.82 COP 115.7K

-0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 MYR 340

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-13.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 MYR 282

$107 COP 389.7K

-33.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 MYR 1,123

$487 COP 1.8M

-41.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 MYR 800

$368 COP 1.3M

-44.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$566 MYR 2,237

$826 COP 3.0M

-31.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 MYR 1,494

$716 COP 2.6M

-47.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,090 MYR 8,254

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-28.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,556 MYR 6,145

$1,407 COP 5.1M

10.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$554 MYR 2,186

$546 COP 2.0M

1.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

13.43

-68.21%

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

Last update for Kuching: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $284 in Kuching and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuching pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Kuching vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $245 vs $190, 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

Kuching vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuching is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Kuching pays 1% 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: $284 in Kuching versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuching – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $804 per month in Kuching versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $804 in Kuching versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuching but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kuching the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kuching is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kuching 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 Kuching gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.