Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Batu Kawan

For one person, living is cheaper in Batu Kawan: $963 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Batu Kawan
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Batu Kawan Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Batu Kawan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$963

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Batu Kawan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Batu Kawan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $963 in Batu Kawan.

Medellin $1,639
Batu Kawan $963

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,506 in Batu Kawan.

Medellin $2,413
Batu Kawan $1,506

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $2,050 in Batu Kawan.

Medellin $3,186
Batu Kawan $2,050

Living in Medellin is roughly 70% more expensive than in Batu Kawan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Batu Kawan is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$4.80 MYR 19.55

68.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$29.52 MYR 120

59.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$4.96 MYR 20.18

91.53%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$3.02 MYR 12.29

-0.33%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.79 MYR 3.21

127.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.42 MYR 1.72

235.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$4.45 MYR 18.13

-28.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$6.14 MYR 24.97

-6.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.45 MYR 5.89

4.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.11 MYR 4.52

114.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$0.71 MYR 2.90

149.30%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$2.12 MYR 8.62

36.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$13.88 MYR 56.5

-26.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.46 MYR 18.17

121.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$10.00 MYR 40.72

39.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.33 MYR 13.55

19.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.77 MYR 7.21

-12.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$2.22 MYR 9.03

-1.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$1.50 MYR 6.11

45.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$1.21 MYR 4.94

61.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$1.38 MYR 5.62

15.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.17 MYR 4.75

-1.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.66 MYR 2.68

87.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.48 MYR 18.23

-11.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$19.69 MYR 80.2

-30.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$3.37 MYR 13.73

-50.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$5.05 MYR 20.55

-55.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.76 MYR 3.08

53.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$12.18 MYR 49.56

535.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.75 MYR 3.07

69.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$1.20 MYR 4.90

70.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$4.96 MYR 20.20

72.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$0.81 MYR 3.29

66.67%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$31.9K MYR 129.7K

6.92%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$34.1K MYR 138.9K

1.60%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$63.1 MYR 257

168.94%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$8.70 MYR 35.42

55.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$24.35 MYR 99.1

15.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$32.29 MYR 131

35.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$7.09 MYR 28.85

142.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$3.68 MYR 15.00

87.77%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$237 MYR 966

235.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$13.0K MYR 52.7K

-29.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$71.8 MYR 292

18.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$42.73 MYR 174

35.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$84.5 MYR 344

59.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$85.9 MYR 350

13.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$412 MYR 1,678

193.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$289 MYR 1,175

122.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$704 MYR 2,867

187.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$555 MYR 2,261

82.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,973 MYR 8,032

111.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,208 MYR 4,916

58.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,870 MYR 7,611

-64.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

173.50%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Batu Kawan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Batu Kawan

$289 30% 55% $353

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Batu Kawan

$260 27% 12.5% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Batu Kawan

$96 10% 54.5% $115

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Batu Kawan

$129 13.4% 24% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Batu Kawan

$128 13.3% 24.1% $41

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Batu Kawan

$22 2.3% 76.5% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Batu Kawan

$40 4.1% 31.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $412 in Batu Kawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Batu Kawan pays about 2.8 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $30 in Batu Kawan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $260 per month, with Batu Kawan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Batu Kawan

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

05:04 5:04 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

11,409

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Batu Kawan 18,660 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Batu Kawan

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

Medellin vs Batu Kawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Batu Kawan is about 41% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 65% 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $412 in Batu Kawan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $963 in Batu Kawan – Batu Kawan is about 41% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Batu Kawan runs roughly 84% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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 Batu Kawan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.