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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $944 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,399 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,853 in Kedah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 78% more expensive than in Kedah, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Kedah is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$3.51 MYR 14.38

128.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$12.36 MYR 50.6

287.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$5.03 MYR 20.58

96.62%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.66 MYR 10.91

17.67%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$0.91 MYR 3.74

109.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.33 MYR 1.34

357.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.41 MYR 9.87

29.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.29 MYR 17.56

34.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$2.43 MYR 9.95

-40.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.36 MYR 5.57

83.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.76 MYR 7.20

0.57%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.62 MYR 10.71

12.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$15.65 MYR 64.0

-35.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$4.90 MYR 20.07

106.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$9.56 MYR 39.14

49.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.36 MYR 9.65

75.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.45 MYR 5.92

11.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.28 MYR 9.32

-1.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.25 MYR 5.13

80.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.91 MYR 3.74

124.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.79 MYR 3.23

94.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$0.77 MYR 3.17

51.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.65 MYR 2.66

101.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.66 MYR 19.08

-16.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$21.25 MYR 87.0

-34.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$2.49 MYR 10.18

-30.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$3.63 MYR 14.85

-20.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.74 MYR 3.04

64.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$11.77 MYR 48.18

583.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$1.22 MYR 4.99

7.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.50 MYR 2.06

338.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$6.64 MYR 27.19

31.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$0.60 MYR 2.45

128.33%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$41.8K MYR 171.1K

-33.42%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$28.8K MYR 117.7K

24.40%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$50.7 MYR 207

250.05%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$7.98 MYR 32.64

73.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$32.15 MYR 132

-7.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$39.87 MYR 163

12.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$5.78 MYR 23.67

196.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$4.81 MYR 19.69

38.25%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$171 MYR 698

376.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$4,987 MYR 20.4K

84.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$54.5 MYR 223

64.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$35.20 MYR 144

67.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$72.3 MYR 296

91.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$69.5 MYR 284

46.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$416 MYR 1,701

155.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$320 MYR 1,311

106.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$693 MYR 2,837

172.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$451 MYR 1,847

127.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$1,745 MYR 7,141

139.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,006 MYR 4,117

66.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,329 MYR 5,440

-49.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.43

146.95%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kedah: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $416 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 96% 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 $12.00 in Kedah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $269 per month, with Kedah 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 Kedah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Kedah differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $944 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 96% lower in Kedah. 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 $416 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $171 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $944 in Kedah versus $1,681 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 78% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.