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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $933 in Gombak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,387 in Gombak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,841 in Gombak.

Living in Medellin is roughly 80% more expensive than in Gombak, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Gombak is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$3.79 MYR 15.52

111.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$24.48 MYR 100

95.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$5.01 MYR 20.50

97.41%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.08 MYR 12.62

1.62%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$0.94 MYR 3.86

103.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.45 MYR 1.83

235.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$3.24 MYR 13.26

-3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$5.84 MYR 23.91

-1.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.86 MYR 7.60

-22.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.09 MYR 4.45

128.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.49 MYR 6.09

18.79%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$1.83 MYR 7.50

61.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$9.63 MYR 39.42

4.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$3.24 MYR 13.24

212.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$9.55 MYR 39.10

49.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$3.46 MYR 14.15

19.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.89 MYR 7.73

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.76 MYR 11.31

-18.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.74 MYR 7.12

29.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$2.16 MYR 8.83

-5.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.97 MYR 8.07

-21.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.49 MYR 6.09

-21.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.56 MYR 2.31

133.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.47 MYR 18.31

-12.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$19.16 MYR 78.4

-26.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$2.66 MYR 10.88

-34.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$4.64 MYR 18.99

-38.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.76 MYR 3.10

60.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$12.11 MYR 49.56

564.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$1.26 MYR 5.14

3.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.39 MYR 1.59

461.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$9.20 MYR 37.66

-5.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$0.77 MYR 3.15

77.92%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$42.2K MYR 172.8K

-34.06%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$32.6K MYR 133.4K

9.79%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$48.90 MYR 200

262.58%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$8.16 MYR 33.38

70.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$27.03 MYR 111

9.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$39.64 MYR 162

13.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$7.22 MYR 29.57

137.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$3.12 MYR 12.78

113.14%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$283 MYR 1,158

187.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$10.5K MYR 43.1K

-12.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$51.7 MYR 212

72.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$30.41 MYR 124

93.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$77.3 MYR 316

78.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$87.5 MYR 358

16.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$423 MYR 1,733

150.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$318 MYR 1,301

108.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$674 MYR 2,760

180.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$434 MYR 1,778

136.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$2,332 MYR 9,545

79.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,106 MYR 4,527

51.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$544 MYR 2,227

24.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.51

142.57%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Gombak: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $423 in Gombak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 25% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $24.00 in Gombak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $249 per month, with Gombak cheaper across the board.

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 80% 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 25% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $423 in Gombak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gombak – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $933 in Gombak versus $1,681 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 $933 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 80% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.