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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $843 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,334 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,824 in Bintulu.

Living in Medellin is roughly 99% more expensive than in Bintulu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Bintulu is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$3.89 MYR 15.88

106.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$18.53 MYR 75.6

158.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$5.78 MYR 23.57

71.11%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$2.96 MYR 12.09

5.74%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$0.64 MYR 2.62

198.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.37 MYR 1.53

308.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$2.93 MYR 11.94

6.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$5.13 MYR 20.93

12.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$2.16 MYR 8.80

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.37 MYR 5.61

81.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.32 MYR 5.39

34.09%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$2.18 MYR 8.90

35.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$16.92 MYR 69.0

-40.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$3.46 MYR 14.12

192.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$5.93 MYR 24.20

141.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$1.67 MYR 6.82

147.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.01 MYR 4.11

59.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$1.67 MYR 6.82

34.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.16 MYR 4.75

93.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$0.52 MYR 2.10

292.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.20 MYR 4.89

28.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$0.76 MYR 3.09

53.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.44 MYR 1.81

197.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$4.20 MYR 17.13

-7.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$19.38 MYR 79.1

-27.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$2.90 MYR 11.85

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$1.93 MYR 7.87

48.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$1.20 MYR 4.88

1.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$16.15 MYR 65.9

398.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$1.00 MYR 4.07

31.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.89 MYR 3.64

146.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$2.40 MYR 9.77

262.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$0.59 MYR 2.40

132.20%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$45.0K MYR 183.6K

-38.16%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$38.8K MYR 158.5K

-7.91%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$59.7 MYR 244

196.98%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$31.36 MYR 128

-55.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$31.26 MYR 128

-4.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$68.8 MYR 281

-34.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$12.31 MYR 50.2

39.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$4.47 MYR 18.22

48.77%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$129 MYR 528

528.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$7,469 MYR 30.5K

23.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$66.1 MYR 270

35.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$35.14 MYR 143

67.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$79.7 MYR 325

73.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$91.7 MYR 374

11.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$219 MYR 892

385.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$155 MYR 632

327.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$487 MYR 1,988

287.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$338 MYR 1,378

204.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$1,724 MYR 7,035

142.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,139 MYR 4,646

47.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

$603 MYR 2,458

12.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.5

143.11%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $219 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $19.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $232 per month, with Bintulu 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 Bintulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bintulu wins on cost – living expenses run 99% 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.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Medellin, 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $219 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $843 in Bintulu – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bintulu runs roughly 398% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $843 in Bintulu versus $1,681 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 $843 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 99% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.