Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bukit Mertajam Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bukit Mertajam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $639 in Bukit Mertajam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,215 in Bukit Mertajam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,790 in Bukit Mertajam.

Living in Medellin is roughly 62% more expensive than Bukit Mertajam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Bukit Mertajam 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$1.85 MYR 7.32

220.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$20.24 MYR 80.0

61.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$3.82 MYR 15.09

88.48%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.33 MYR 9.19

-27.04%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.74 MYR 2.94

48.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.33 MYR 1.32

118.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$3.02 MYR 11.93

-44.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$4.74 MYR 18.71

-34.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.68 MYR 6.63

-36.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.13 MYR 4.47

10.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$0.61 MYR 2.41

127.87%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.86 MYR 7.34

21.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$22.05 MYR 87.1

-80.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$4.88 MYR 19.27

19.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$10.54 MYR 41.64

-16.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$3.86 MYR 15.27

-41.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.77 MYR 6.97

-38.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$3.40 MYR 13.41

-55.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$2.57 MYR 10.17

-46.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.71 MYR 6.75

-33.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.00 MYR 3.97

12.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.07 MYR 4.22

-20.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.36 MYR 1.44

152.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$4.19 MYR 16.55

-44.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$19.23 MYR 76.0

-42.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$4.23 MYR 16.70

-71.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.56 MYR 10.10

-7.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.72 MYR 2.86

9.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$11.90 MYR 47.00

245.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.15 MYR 4.56

25.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.15 MYR 4.55

66.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$4.17 MYR 16.49

92.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.50 MYR 1.97

88.00%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$44.1K MYR 174.1K

-59.34%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$31.4K MYR 124.1K

-14.70%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$26.25 MYR 104

219.85%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$9.95 MYR 39.29

-3.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$28.38 MYR 112

-14.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$36.20 MYR 143

-28.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$6.00 MYR 23.72

217.33%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$4.30 MYR 16.98

-8.84%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$117 MYR 461

162.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$4,334 MYR 17.1K

36.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$11.96 MYR 47.25

384.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$63.0 MYR 249

-49.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$23.31 MYR 92.1

328.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$79.9 MYR 316

34.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$383 MYR 1,514

27.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$59.0 MYR 233

523.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$647 MYR 2,556

27.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$467 MYR 1,845

53.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$975 MYR 3,853

-44.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.96

239.14%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bukit Mertajam: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $383 in Bukit Mertajam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bukit Mertajam pays 79% 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 $20.00 in Bukit Mertajam. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $297, 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 Bukit Mertajam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Bukit Mertajam differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $639 including rent). Bukit Mertajam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bukit Mertajam earns 79% 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 $383 in Bukit Mertajam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bukit Mertajam – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $639 in Bukit Mertajam – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $639 in Bukit Mertajam versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bukit Mertajam but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bukit Mertajam 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 Bukit Mertajam 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 Bukit Mertajam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.