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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $802 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,238 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,674 in Bintulu.

Living in Medellin is roughly 27% more expensive than Bintulu, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Bintulu 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$3.83 MYR 15.52

55.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$17.48 MYR 70.9

90.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$5.73 MYR 23.24

26.18%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.78 MYR 11.27

-41.37%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.67 MYR 2.71

62.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.37 MYR 1.50

97.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.79 MYR 11.33

-37.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$4.84 MYR 19.65

-33.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.72 MYR 6.97

-38.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.32 MYR 5.35

-2.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.31 MYR 5.30

0.76%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.18 MYR 8.84

4.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$16.62 MYR 67.4

-73.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.52 MYR 14.26

67.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$5.80 MYR 23.52

48.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.63 MYR 6.60

38.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$0.92 MYR 3.74

16.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.63 MYR 6.60

-6.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.07 MYR 4.32

32.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.53 MYR 2.13

120.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.15 MYR 4.65

1.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.67 MYR 2.73

32.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.43 MYR 1.73

109.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$3.90 MYR 15.83

-42.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$19.51 MYR 79.1

-43.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$2.81 MYR 11.40

-59.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.86 MYR 7.53

27.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$1.20 MYR 4.86

-30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$15.64 MYR 63.4

168.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.91 MYR 3.69

54.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.88 MYR 3.55

115.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$2.33 MYR 9.43

232.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.51 MYR 2.05

98.04%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$42.4K MYR 171.9K

-58.53%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$38.0K MYR 154.1K

-30.28%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$59.1 MYR 240

41.57%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$8.97 MYR 36.37

5.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$29.31 MYR 119

-17.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$66.4 MYR 269

-61.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$5.88 MYR 23.83

225.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$4.14 MYR 16.79

-0.97%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$121 MYR 491

157.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$7,172 MYR 29.1K

-16.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$62.3 MYR 253

-6.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$34.27 MYR 139

-4.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$75.5 MYR 306

31.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$87.8 MYR 356

23.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$212 MYR 859

127.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$151 MYR 611

151.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$461 MYR 1,870

81.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$318 MYR 1,291

127.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,756 MYR 7,122

61.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,159 MYR 4,701

5.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$611 MYR 2,478

-11.48%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $212 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bintulu pays 13% 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 $17.00 in Bintulu. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $223, 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 27% 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 13% 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: $482 in Medellin versus $212 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,017 per month in Medellin versus $802 in Bintulu – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bintulu runs roughly 168% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $802 in Bintulu versus $1,017 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 $802 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 27% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.