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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $966 in Johor Bahru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,378 in Johor Bahru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,791 in Johor Bahru.

Living in Medellin is roughly 7% more expensive than Johor Bahru, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Johor Bahru 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$3.53 MYR 13.93

67.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$18.69 MYR 73.8

75.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$4.76 MYR 18.82

51.26%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$3.01 MYR 11.90

-43.52%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.85 MYR 3.35

29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.49 MYR 1.93

46.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$3.51 MYR 13.85

-52.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$6.76 MYR 26.71

-54.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.80 MYR 7.11

-41.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.98 MYR 3.89

27.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.24 MYR 4.89

12.10%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.84 MYR 7.26

22.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$10.67 MYR 42.16

-59.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.55 MYR 14.01

64.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$8.25 MYR 32.60

7.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.66 MYR 10.51

-15.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.46 MYR 5.76

-26.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$2.57 MYR 10.16

-40.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.25 MYR 4.93

9.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.14 MYR 4.51

-0.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.34 MYR 5.30

-16.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.94 MYR 3.71

-9.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.52 MYR 2.04

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$4.17 MYR 16.47

-44.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$14.50 MYR 57.3

-23.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$2.68 MYR 10.59

-55.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.92 MYR 11.53

-18.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.72 MYR 2.86

9.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$11.81 MYR 46.65

248.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.97 MYR 3.84

48.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.02 MYR 4.04

87.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$9.09 MYR 35.92

-11.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.47 MYR 1.84

100.00%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$34.8K MYR 137.4K

-48.49%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$28.1K MYR 111.0K

-4.71%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$40.87 MYR 161

105.43%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$9.23 MYR 36.44

4.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$30.64 MYR 121

-21.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$35.09 MYR 139

-26.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$5.82 MYR 22.99

227.15%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$4.90 MYR 19.35

-20.00%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$191 MYR 755

60.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$6,900 MYR 27.3K

-14.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$49.07 MYR 194

18.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$19.14 MYR 75.6

66.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$54.2 MYR 214

84.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$39.65 MYR 157

170.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$468 MYR 1,848

4.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$396 MYR 1,565

-7.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$843 MYR 3,331

-2.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$599 MYR 2,366

19.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$2,090 MYR 8,254

39.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,190 MYR 4,700

18.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$1,155 MYR 4,562

-52.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.07

229.98%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Johor Bahru: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $468 in Johor Bahru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johor Bahru pays 112% 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 Johor Bahru. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $218, 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 Johor Bahru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Johor Bahru differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $966 including rent). Johor Bahru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Johor Bahru earns 112% 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 $468 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 $19.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $966 in Johor Bahru – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $966 in Johor Bahru versus $1,034 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 7% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.