Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cheras

For one person, living is cheaper in Cheras: $1,130 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Cheras
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Cheras Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Cheras

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,130

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Cheras

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 Cheras actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,130 in Cheras, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Cheras $1,130

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,541 in Cheras, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Cheras $1,541

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,952 in Cheras, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Cheras $1,952

Medellin costs about 43% more than Cheras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Cheras is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$3.58 MYR 14.62

121.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$24.28 MYR 99.1

89.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.80 MYR 19.57

97.92%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.08 MYR 12.55

0.97%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.93 MYR 3.79

96.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.60 MYR 2.44

130.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$4.35 MYR 17.75

-29.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$6.25 MYR 25.50

-12.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.93 MYR 7.88

-24.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.02 MYR 4.18

131.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.44 MYR 5.89

16.67%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.77 MYR 7.23

61.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$17.85 MYR 72.8

-42.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$4.56 MYR 18.60

108.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$10.81 MYR 44.09

29.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.55 MYR 14.50

14.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.94 MYR 7.91

-22.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$2.63 MYR 10.73

-17.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.67 MYR 6.80

38.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$2.08 MYR 8.48

-7.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.65 MYR 6.72

-0.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.38 MYR 5.63

-18.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.51 MYR 2.07

145.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$4.24 MYR 17.30

-5.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$13.88 MYR 56.6

-3.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.77 MYR 11.30

-38.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.15 MYR 12.83

-24.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.70 MYR 2.87

72.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$12.03 MYR 49.08

535.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$1.01 MYR 4.13

30.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.35 MYR 1.44

511.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$8.96 MYR 36.57

-5.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$0.88 MYR 3.58

47.73%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$40.9K MYR 167.0K

-31.64%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$34.0K MYR 138.7K

4.16%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$49.67 MYR 203

246.47%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$11.06 MYR 45.10

20.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$27.31 MYR 111

5.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$39.42 MYR 161

14.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$7.14 MYR 29.13

138.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$4.99 MYR 20.36

25.85%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$164 MYR 667

370.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$4,451 MYR 18.2K

102.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$54.3 MYR 221

59.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$29.39 MYR 120

94.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$81.5 MYR 332

67.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$98.6 MYR 402

-0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$409 MYR 1,669

157.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$467 MYR 1,906

31.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$687 MYR 2,803

175.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$485 MYR 1,977

111.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$2,052 MYR 8,372

97.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,103 MYR 4,501

52.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$1,189 MYR 4,851

-45.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.06

169.46%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cheras: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Cheras

$467 41.4% 24.1% $149

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Cheras

$268 23.8% 8.9% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Cheras

$88 7.8% 58.9% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Cheras

$119 10.5% 30.2% $51

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Cheras

$120 10.7% 28.5% $48

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Cheras

$18 1.6% 81.1% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Cheras

$49 4.4% 14.6% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $409 in Cheras. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 82% higher in Cheras, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $24.00 in Cheras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $268 – making Cheras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Cheras

🕒 Local time

02:06 2:06 AM

15:06 3:06 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

440,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Cheras 18,930 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Cheras

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 Cheras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,695 in Cheras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cheras, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $24.00 in Cheras. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cheras, where all-in costs run around $1,130, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Cheras it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cheras – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cheras. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.