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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $813 in Gombak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,221 in Gombak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,629 in Gombak.

Living in Medellin is roughly 27% more expensive than Gombak, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Gombak 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$2.66 MYR 10.49

122.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$18.98 MYR 75.0

72.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$3.85 MYR 15.23

87.01%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.35 MYR 9.27

-27.66%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.72 MYR 2.85

52.78%

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

$3.59 MYR 14.19

-53.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$4.93 MYR 19.49

-37.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.91 MYR 7.54

-44.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.03 MYR 4.06

21.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.49 MYR 5.88

-6.71%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.82 MYR 7.21

24.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$10.56 MYR 41.71

-59.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.48 MYR 13.76

67.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$7.99 MYR 31.57

10.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.64 MYR 10.42

-15.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.67 MYR 6.60

-35.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$2.52 MYR 9.96

-39.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.21 MYR 4.79

13.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.14 MYR 4.51

-0.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.00 MYR 3.97

12.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.90 MYR 3.54

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.52 MYR 2.03

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$4.29 MYR 16.94

-45.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$20.51 MYR 81.0

-45.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$2.77 MYR 10.93

-57.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$3.84 MYR 15.15

-38.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.75 MYR 2.94

5.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$11.87 MYR 46.88

246.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.02 MYR 4.04

41.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.10 MYR 4.36

73.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$4.36 MYR 17.20

83.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.46 MYR 1.82

104.35%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$30.8K MYR 121.8K

-41.90%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$27.9K MYR 110.2K

-3.97%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$40.51 MYR 160

107.26%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$9.68 MYR 38.26

-0.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$22.57 MYR 89.2

7.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$36.78 MYR 145

-29.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$5.73 MYR 22.64

232.29%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$5.07 MYR 20.01

-22.68%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$118 MYR 468

158.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$4,369 MYR 17.3K

35.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$49.88 MYR 197

16.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$27.00 MYR 107

17.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$54.6 MYR 216

82.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$48.28 MYR 191

121.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$391 MYR 1,543

24.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$274 MYR 1,082

34.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$635 MYR 2,510

29.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$477 MYR 1,883

50.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,824 MYR 7,206

60.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$941 MYR 3,717

49.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$567 MYR 2,238

-3.73%

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 Gombak: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $391 in Gombak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gombak pays 4% 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 $19.00 in Gombak. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $233, 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 27% 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.

On paper, Gombak earns 4% 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 $391 in Gombak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 23% 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 $813 in Gombak versus $1,034 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 $813 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 27% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.