Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Johor Bahru

For one person, living is cheaper in Johor Bahru: $1,080 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Johor Bahru
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Johor Bahru Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Johor Bahru

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Johor Bahru

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Johor Bahru actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,080 in Johor Bahru.

Medellin $1,639
Johor Bahru $1,080

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,611 in Johor Bahru.

Medellin $2,413
Johor Bahru $1,611

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $2,141 in Johor Bahru.

Medellin $3,186
Johor Bahru $2,141

Living in Medellin is roughly 52% more expensive than in Johor Bahru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Johor Bahru is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.57 MYR 14.52

126.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$18.54 MYR 75.5

153.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$5.03 MYR 20.47

88.87%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$3.00 MYR 12.20

0.33%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.85 MYR 3.45

111.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.56 MYR 2.30

151.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$4.54 MYR 18.48

-29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$6.27 MYR 25.50

-8.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.70 MYR 6.92

-11.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.05 MYR 4.28

126.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$1.42 MYR 5.77

24.65%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$1.73 MYR 7.03

67.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$18.23 MYR 74.2

-44.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.57 MYR 18.60

115.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$10.51 MYR 42.77

33.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.28 MYR 13.37

21.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.74 MYR 7.09

-10.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$3.91 MYR 15.93

-44.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$1.64 MYR 6.67

32.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$1.41 MYR 5.72

39.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$1.65 MYR 6.70

-3.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.37 MYR 5.56

-16.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.56 MYR 2.26

121.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.19 MYR 17.05

-5.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$14.20 MYR 57.8

-3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.92 MYR 11.90

-43.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$3.03 MYR 12.32

-25.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.70 MYR 2.83

67.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$12.36 MYR 50.3

525.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.94 MYR 3.84

35.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$0.75 MYR 3.07

173.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$9.95 MYR 40.50

-14.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$0.83 MYR 3.37

62.65%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$43.9K MYR 178.6K

-22.35%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$35.7K MYR 145.4K

-2.96%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$52.7 MYR 214

222.10%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$11.01 MYR 44.82

23.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$28.28 MYR 115

-0.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$41.28 MYR 168

5.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$5.80 MYR 23.59

196.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.81 MYR 19.59

43.66%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$239 MYR 974

232.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$4,518 MYR 18.4K

101.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$54.6 MYR 222

55.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$16.53 MYR 67.3

250.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$81.3 MYR 331

65.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$98.3 MYR 400

-0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$523 MYR 2,130

130.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$416 MYR 1,692

54.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$983 MYR 4,000

106.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$707 MYR 2,879

43.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$2,002 MYR 8,147

108.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,214 MYR 4,940

57.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,076 MYR 4,378

-38.91%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Johor Bahru: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Johor Bahru

$416 38.5% 35.2% $226

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Johor Bahru

$269 24.9% 9.6% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Johor Bahru

$92 8.5% 56.5% $119

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Johor Bahru

$120 11.2% 29% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Johor Bahru

$113 10.4% 33.2% $56

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Johor Bahru

$20 1.8% 78.8% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Johor Bahru

$51 4.7% 11.5% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $523 in Johor Bahru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johor Bahru pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $19 in Johor Bahru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $269 per month, with Johor Bahru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Johor Bahru

🕒 Local time

15:16 3:16 PM

04:16 4:16 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

858,118

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Johor Bahru 19,150 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Johor Bahru

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,080 in Johor Bahru, so Johor Bahru is about 34% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $523 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 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $1,080 in Johor Bahru – Johor Bahru is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Johor Bahru gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Johor Bahru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.