Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Johor Bahru Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Johor Bahru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,048 in Johor Bahru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,549 in Johor Bahru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,050 in Johor Bahru.

Living in Medellin is roughly 60% more expensive than in Johor Bahru, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$3.68 MYR 15.05

117.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$21.22 MYR 86.9

125.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$4.89 MYR 20.01

102.25%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.93 MYR 12.01

6.83%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$0.84 MYR 3.44

127.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.52 MYR 2.11

190.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$4.39 MYR 17.97

-28.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$6.32 MYR 25.88

-9.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.67 MYR 6.83

-13.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.11 MYR 4.53

124.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.43 MYR 5.86

23.78%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$1.68 MYR 6.89

76.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$18.49 MYR 75.7

-45.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$4.67 MYR 19.13

116.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$10.73 MYR 43.91

33.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$3.29 MYR 13.48

25.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.76 MYR 7.21

-8.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$3.75 MYR 15.34

-40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.68 MYR 6.86

33.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.41 MYR 5.79

44.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.67 MYR 6.82

-7.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.38 MYR 5.64

-15.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.54 MYR 2.22

142.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.23 MYR 17.32

-7.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$14.40 MYR 58.9

-2.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$2.96 MYR 12.11

-41.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$3.08 MYR 12.63

-6.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.72 MYR 2.93

69.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$12.16 MYR 49.79

561.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$1.43 MYR 5.84

-8.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.75 MYR 3.09

192.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$9.99 MYR 40.88

-12.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$0.82 MYR 3.36

67.07%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$42.6K MYR 174.3K

-34.62%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$35.7K MYR 146.2K

0.17%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$53.6 MYR 219

231.03%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$11.39 MYR 46.60

21.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$28.27 MYR 116

5.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$40.40 MYR 165

11.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$5.79 MYR 23.72

195.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$4.79 MYR 19.61

38.83%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$161 MYR 658

406.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$4,523 MYR 18.5K

103.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$53.7 MYR 220

66.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$16.30 MYR 66.7

261.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$83.2 MYR 340

66.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$98.1 MYR 401

4.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$515 MYR 2,108

106.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$397 MYR 1,625

67.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$905 MYR 3,702

108.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$639 MYR 2,615

60.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$2,058 MYR 8,423

103.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,177 MYR 4,818

42.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,090 MYR 4,460

-37.80%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Johor Bahru: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $515 in Johor Bahru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johor Bahru pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $21.00 in Johor Bahru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $271 per month, with Johor Bahru 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 Johor Bahru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Johor Bahru differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,048 including rent). Johor Bahru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Johor Bahru. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $515 in Johor Bahru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Johor Bahru – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,048 in Johor Bahru – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,048 in Johor Bahru versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Johor Bahru but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Johor Bahru 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Johor Bahru 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 Johor Bahru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.