Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bukit Mertajam

For one person, living is cheaper in Bukit Mertajam: $621 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Bukit Mertajam
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Bukit Mertajam Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Bukit Mertajam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bukit Mertajam

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Bukit Mertajam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $621 in Bukit Mertajam.

Medellin $1,639
Bukit Mertajam $621

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $976 in Bukit Mertajam.

Medellin $2,413
Bukit Mertajam $976

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,331 in Bukit Mertajam.

Medellin $3,186
Bukit Mertajam $1,331

Living in Medellin is roughly 164% more expensive than in Bukit Mertajam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Bukit Mertajam is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$1.91 MYR 7.79

323.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$20.97 MYR 85.4

124.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$3.98 MYR 16.21

138.69%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$3.14 MYR 12.77

-4.14%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.69 MYR 2.82

160.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.45 MYR 1.85

213.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$4.51 MYR 18.35

-29.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$6.26 MYR 25.48

-8.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.66 MYR 6.76

-9.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.12 MYR 4.56

112.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$1.95 MYR 7.94

-9.23%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$2.55 MYR 10.37

13.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$13.83 MYR 56.3

-26.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.41 MYR 17.96

123.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$9.98 MYR 40.64

40.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.39 MYR 13.79

17.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.76 MYR 7.16

-11.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$2.26 MYR 9.21

-3.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$1.55 MYR 6.31

40.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$1.27 MYR 5.15

54.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$1.38 MYR 5.60

15.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.12 MYR 4.55

2.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.67 MYR 2.72

85.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.45 MYR 18.11

-11.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$19.54 MYR 79.5

-29.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$3.42 MYR 13.91

-51.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$5.08 MYR 20.70

-55.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.24 MYR 5.03

2.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$1.19 MYR 4.86

72.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$4.95 MYR 20.16

72.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$0.81 MYR 3.31

66.67%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$43.9K MYR 178.5K

-22.33%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$35.5K MYR 144.5K

-2.36%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$63.1 MYR 257

168.94%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$8.54 MYR 34.76

58.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$26.67 MYR 109

5.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.00 MYR 20.36

38.20%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$249 MYR 1,013

220.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$13.1K MYR 53.5K

-30.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$70.5 MYR 287

20.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$41.35 MYR 168

40.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$86.7 MYR 353

55.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$95.0 MYR 387

3.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$572 MYR 2,330

14.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.17

162.35%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bukit Mertajam: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Bukit Mertajam

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Bukit Mertajam

$269 43.3% 9.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Bukit Mertajam

$98 15.8% 53.5% $113

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Bukit Mertajam

$105 16.8% 38.3% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Bukit Mertajam

$132 21.3% 21.8% $37

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Bukit Mertajam

$7.2 * 1.2% 92.3% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Bukit Mertajam

$10 * 1.6% 82.6% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Medellin pays 15% 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: $47 in Medellin vs $21 in Bukit Mertajam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $269 per month, with Bukit Mertajam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Bukit Mertajam

🕒 Local time

12:34 12:34 PM

01:34 1:34 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

212,329

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Bukit Mertajam 18,650 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bukit Mertajam

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $621 in Bukit Mertajam, so Bukit Mertajam is about 62% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $621 in Bukit Mertajam – Bukit Mertajam is about 62% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $621 in Bukit Mertajam versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 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.

It comes down to priorities – Bukit Mertajam wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.