Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bayan Lepas Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bayan Lepas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $740 in Bayan Lepas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,228 in Bayan Lepas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,717 in Bayan Lepas.

Living in Medellin is roughly 122% more expensive than in Bayan Lepas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Bayan Lepas is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.07 MYR 12.49

161.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$17.15 MYR 69.8

181.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$3.99 MYR 16.23

136.09%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.82 MYR 11.49

4.26%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.85 MYR 3.46

118.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.60 MYR 2.42

143.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$4.77 MYR 19.42

-32.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$5.03 MYR 20.45

13.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$2.50 MYR 10.19

-42.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.04 MYR 4.22

130.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.84 MYR 3.40

102.38%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.97 MYR 8.00

46.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.40 MYR 13.84

193.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$6.74 MYR 27.42

110.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.08 MYR 12.52

29.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.70 MYR 6.90

-7.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$3.10 MYR 12.63

-30.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.19 MYR 4.85

93.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.31 MYR 5.34

52.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.26 MYR 5.12

19.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.72 MYR 2.94

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.67 MYR 2.74

91.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$5.31 MYR 21.62

-27.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$19.72 MYR 80.2

-28.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.66 MYR 2.68

89.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$14.64 MYR 59.5

432.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.65 MYR 6.70

-20.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.63 MYR 2.56

115.87%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$24.48 MYR 99.6

589.22%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$11.58 MYR 47.09

17.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$31.37 MYR 128

-9.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$29.95 MYR 122

52.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$7.48 MYR 30.44

130.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$4.95 MYR 20.14

34.34%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$39.98 MYR 163

118.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$27.48 MYR 112

116.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$65.6 MYR 267

111.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$82.1 MYR 334

24.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$196 MYR 798

446.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$225 MYR 916

190.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$496 MYR 2,017

288.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$588 MYR 2,392

78.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$991 MYR 4,031

-33.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.5

212.57%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bayan Lepas: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $196 in Bayan Lepas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bayan Lepas pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $17.00 in Bayan Lepas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $185 per month, with Bayan Lepas cheaper across the board.

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 Bayan Lepas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Bayan Lepas differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $740 including rent). Bayan Lepas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Bayan Lepas. 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $196 in Bayan Lepas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bayan Lepas – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Bayan Lepas runs roughly 432% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $740 in Bayan Lepas versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bayan Lepas but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bayan Lepas the clear choice for anyone on this 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Bayan Lepas 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 Bayan Lepas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.