Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Labuan and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Labuan: $969 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Labuan
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Labuan Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Labuan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$969

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $969 in Labuan versus $1,692 in Medellin.

Labuan $969
Medellin $1,692

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,507 in Labuan versus $2,471 in Medellin.

Labuan $1,507
Medellin $2,471

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,045 in Labuan versus $3,249 in Medellin.

Labuan $2,045
Medellin $3,249

Living in Labuan costs roughly 43% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Labuan is 28% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.45 MYR 22.13

$8.34 COP 26.9K

-34.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.74 MYR 100

$46.53 COP 150.1K

-46.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 MYR 28.06

$9.47 COP 30.5K

-27.03%

Cappuccino

$3.96 MYR 16.06

$3.13 COP 10.1K

26.52%

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

$1.07 MYR 4.33

$1.77 COP 5,696

-39.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 MYR 1.67

$1.42 COP 4,594

-71.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.82 MYR 15.53

$3.15 COP 10.2K

21.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MYR 18.79

$5.70 COP 18.4K

-18.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MYR 7.18

$1.53 COP 4,943

15.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.25

$2.29 COP 7,389

-54.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.86

$1.94 COP 6,273

-25.77%

Eggs

$2.26 MYR 9.17

$3.07 COP 9,889

-26.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.79 MYR 68.2

$9.99 COP 32.2K

68.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 MYR 18.42

$10.45 COP 33.7K

-56.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.39 MYR 38.14

$13.96 COP 45.0K

-32.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MYR 13.31

$4.05 COP 13.1K

-19.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.80

$1.53 COP 4,929

9.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 MYR 10.23

$2.10 COP 6,786

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 MYR 6.41

$2.29 COP 7,397

-31.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.93

$2.11 COP 6,803

-42.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.58

$1.71 COP 5,512

-19.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MYR 4.81

$1.17 COP 3,774

0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.10

$1.58 COP 5,096

-67.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MYR 17.44

$3.91 COP 12.6K

9.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.07 MYR 77.5

$14.04 COP 45.3K

35.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 MYR 12.09

$1.76 COP 5,682

69.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 MYR 18.02

$2.71 COP 8,746

63.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.84

$1.18 COP 3,805

-40.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.19 MYR 49.50

$76.3 COP 246.0K

-84.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.88

$1.81 COP 5,827

-33.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MYR 2.34

$2.13 COP 6,867

-72.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.38 MYR 29.96

$8.13 COP 26.2K

-9.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 MYR 3.15

$1.28 COP 4,113

-39.84%

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

$44.4K MYR 180.4K

$34.4K COP 111.1M

28.97%

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

$35.9K MYR 145.8K

$34.1K COP 110.1M

5.19%

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

$48.90 MYR 199

$178 COP 573.2K

-72.49%

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

$9.66 MYR 39.23

$13.89 COP 44.8K

-30.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 MYR 117

$30.74 COP 99.1K

-6.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.51 MYR 152

$41.94 COP 135.3K

-10.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.74 MYR 27.35

$16.80 COP 54.2K

-59.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 MYR 17.82

$7.47 COP 24.1K

-41.23%

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

$241 MYR 979

$790 COP 2.5M

-69.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,912 MYR 28.1K

$12.3K COP 39.7M

-43.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 MYR 224

$86.3 COP 278.4K

-36.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.25 MYR 139

$59.3 COP 191.1K

-42.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 MYR 333

$138 COP 446.2K

-40.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.3 MYR 310

$98.8 COP 318.7K

-22.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 MYR 1,661

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-69.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 MYR 1,181

$667 COP 2.2M

-56.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 MYR 2,972

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-62.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 MYR 2,261

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-46.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,970 MYR 8,002

$4,098 COP 13.2M

-51.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,191 MYR 4,839

$1,940 COP 6.3M

-38.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$362 MYR 1,471

$646 COP 2.1M

-43.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

10.94

-62.89%

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

Last update for Labuan: November 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Labuan

$291 30%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 130% $376

Groceries & Markets

Labuan

$268 27.6%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 14.8% $40

Eating Out

Labuan

$146 15.1%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 18.2% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Labuan

$111 11.5%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 54.5% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Labuan

$87 9%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 155% $135

Sport & Entertainment

Labuan

$46 4.8%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 22.9% $11

Getting Around

Labuan

$19 2%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 390% $74

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $409 in Labuan and $1,341 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 78% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $25 in Labuan vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $307 per month, with Labuan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Labuan

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

15:40 3:40 PM

02:40 2:40 AM

13 h behind Labuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,120

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4.06 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,624 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Labuan Medellin 18,250 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Labuan
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

Labuan vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Labuan is about 43% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Labuan. 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: $409 in Labuan versus $1,341 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $241 in Labuan versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Labuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.