Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kedah Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kedah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $869 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,333 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,797 in Kedah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 19% more expensive than Kedah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Kedah 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$3.10 MYR 12.26

90.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$20.93 MYR 82.7

56.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$4.12 MYR 16.26

74.76%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.92 MYR 11.52

-41.78%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.74 MYR 2.91

48.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.36 MYR 1.44

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$4.29 MYR 16.95

-61.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$4.53 MYR 17.91

-31.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.81 MYR 7.16

-41.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.92 MYR 3.65

35.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.21 MYR 4.78

14.88%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.06 MYR 8.15

9.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$14.78 MYR 58.4

-70.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$4.98 MYR 19.67

17.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$14.83 MYR 58.6

-40.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.78 MYR 10.99

-19.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.20 MYR 4.76

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$2.71 MYR 10.70

-43.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$2.15 MYR 8.51

-36.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.17 MYR 4.64

-3.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.18 MYR 4.64

-5.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.95 MYR 3.74

-10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.45 MYR 1.77

102.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$4.32 MYR 17.08

-46.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$19.89 MYR 78.6

-44.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$2.69 MYR 10.61

-55.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$3.54 MYR 13.96

-33.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.68 MYR 2.70

16.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$11.59 MYR 45.78

254.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.72 MYR 2.86

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.47 MYR 1.85

306.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$6.96 MYR 27.49

15.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.49 MYR 1.94

91.84%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$33.7K MYR 133.3K

-46.88%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$27.2K MYR 107.4K

-1.51%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$37.91 MYR 150

121.47%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$10.09 MYR 39.84

-4.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$11.64 MYR 45.97

107.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$37.47 MYR 148

-30.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$5.95 MYR 23.49

220.00%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$2.77 MYR 10.95

41.52%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$238 MYR 942

28.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$6,226 MYR 24.6K

-4.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$54.7 MYR 216

5.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$29.36 MYR 116

8.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$61.0 MYR 241

63.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$52.8 MYR 208

103.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$394 MYR 1,558

23.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$265 MYR 1,046

38.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$656 MYR 2,590

25.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$470 MYR 1,858

52.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,947 MYR 7,692

50.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$795 MYR 3,142

76.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$1,390 MYR 5,491

-60.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.16

222.84%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kedah: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $394 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 155% 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 $21.00 in Kedah. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $272, 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 Kedah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Kedah differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $869 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kedah earns 155% 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 $394 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $238 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 43% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $869 in Kedah versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kedah but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kedah 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 Kedah 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 Kedah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.