Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gombak Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gombak

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Medellin versus $819 in Gombak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,234 in Gombak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,648 in Gombak.

Living in Medellin is roughly 22% more expensive than in Gombak, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Gombak 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$2.60 MYR 10.63

127.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$19.17 MYR 78.3

71.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$3.80 MYR 15.52

95.53%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$2.25 MYR 9.19

-26.67%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.71 MYR 2.91

54.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.37 MYR 1.49

110.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$3.59 MYR 14.64

-52.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$5.13 MYR 20.96

-38.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.88 MYR 7.69

-41.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$1.01 MYR 4.12

24.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.43 MYR 5.84

-3.50%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.83 MYR 7.46

19.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$10.56 MYR 43.13

-57.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$3.44 MYR 14.04

68.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$7.98 MYR 32.58

12.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$2.76 MYR 11.29

-15.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.76 MYR 7.19

-39.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$2.54 MYR 10.37

-40.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.22 MYR 4.98

11.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.17 MYR 4.80

-3.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$1.03 MYR 4.22

13.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.94 MYR 3.85

-4.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.54 MYR 2.22

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$4.19 MYR 17.10

-46.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$19.32 MYR 78.9

-37.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$2.67 MYR 10.92

-55.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$3.92 MYR 15.99

-36.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.68 MYR 2.77

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$11.61 MYR 47.39

258.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$1.01 MYR 4.13

40.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$1.11 MYR 4.52

75.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$4.20 MYR 17.16

87.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$0.49 MYR 2.00

102.04%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$31.3K MYR 127.6K

-43.69%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$28.0K MYR 114.2K

-4.15%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$41.18 MYR 168

101.58%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$9.75 MYR 39.80

-0.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$23.07 MYR 94.2

1.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$36.79 MYR 150

-31.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$5.94 MYR 24.27

221.55%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$4.99 MYR 20.37

-20.84%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$116 MYR 472

173.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$4,317 MYR 17.6K

38.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$49.23 MYR 201

21.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$27.21 MYR 111

16.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$54.8 MYR 224

85.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$49.55 MYR 202

116.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$380 MYR 1,550

25.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$270 MYR 1,102

38.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$656 MYR 2,678

29.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$470 MYR 1,919

53.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$2,115 MYR 8,637

54.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$1,136 MYR 4,640

26.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$547 MYR 2,235

14.06%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Gombak: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $380 in Gombak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 14% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $19.00 in Gombak. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $231, 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 Gombak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gombak wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gombak the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 14% 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: $475 in Medellin versus $380 in Gombak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Gombak – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $819 in Gombak versus $1,003 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gombak but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Gombak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gombak delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $819 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gombak hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Gombak 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 Gombak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.