Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bintulu Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bintulu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $781 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,224 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,667 in Bintulu.

Living in Medellin is roughly 32% more expensive than Bintulu, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Bintulu 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$3.71 MYR 14.66

59.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$17.73 MYR 70.0

84.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$5.67 MYR 22.40

26.98%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.80 MYR 11.07

-39.29%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.62 MYR 2.44

77.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.39 MYR 1.55

84.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.80 MYR 11.05

-40.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$4.89 MYR 19.33

-36.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.74 MYR 6.88

-39.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.38 MYR 5.45

-9.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.32 MYR 5.21

5.30%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.11 MYR 8.34

7.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$16.62 MYR 65.7

-73.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.33 MYR 13.17

75.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$5.77 MYR 22.79

53.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.61 MYR 6.36

39.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$0.90 MYR 3.57

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.63 MYR 6.44

-6.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.11 MYR 4.38

23.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.49 MYR 1.95

130.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.20 MYR 4.76

-6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.73 MYR 2.88

16.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.42 MYR 1.66

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$4.08 MYR 16.12

-42.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$19.12 MYR 75.5

-41.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$2.79 MYR 11.01

-57.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.91 MYR 7.53

24.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$1.21 MYR 4.79

-34.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$15.86 MYR 62.6

159.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.92 MYR 3.63

56.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.88 MYR 3.46

117.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$2.39 MYR 9.46

235.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.51 MYR 2.03

84.31%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$42.8K MYR 168.9K

-58.09%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$38.2K MYR 151.0K

-29.90%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$57.9 MYR 229

45.11%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$9.27 MYR 36.61

3.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$29.53 MYR 117

-18.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$65.7 MYR 259

-60.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$6.00 MYR 23.71

217.33%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$4.26 MYR 16.84

-7.98%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$122 MYR 483

150.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$7,059 MYR 27.9K

-16.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$63.3 MYR 250

-8.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$33.69 MYR 133

-5.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$76.8 MYR 303

30.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$89.5 MYR 353

19.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$213 MYR 843

128.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$151 MYR 597

143.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$467 MYR 1,845

76.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$316 MYR 1,248

126.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,831 MYR 7,234

59.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,198 MYR 4,732

17.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$639 MYR 2,525

-14.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.5

198.44%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $213 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bintulu pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $18.00 in Bintulu. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $222, 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

Medellin vs Bintulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bintulu wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bintulu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Bintulu earns 17% less. 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: $487 in Medellin versus $213 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $781 in Bintulu – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bintulu runs roughly 159% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $781 in Bintulu versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bintulu but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bintulu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bintulu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $781 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bintulu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Bintulu 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 Bintulu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.