Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kedah

For one person, living is cheaper in Kedah: $877 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Kedah
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Kedah Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Kedah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kedah

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 Kedah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $877 in Kedah.

Medellin $1,639
Kedah $877

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,399 in Kedah.

Medellin $2,413
Kedah $1,399

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,920 in Kedah.

Medellin $3,186
Kedah $1,920

Living in Medellin is roughly 87% more expensive than in Kedah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Kedah is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.72 MYR 15.13

117.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$12.32 MYR 50.2

281.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$4.56 MYR 18.57

108.33%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$2.91 MYR 11.86

3.44%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.77 MYR 3.14

133.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.39 MYR 1.59

261.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$4.24 MYR 17.24

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$4.36 MYR 17.73

31.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.88 MYR 7.65

-19.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.06 MYR 4.31

124.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$1.72 MYR 6.98

2.91%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$2.19 MYR 8.90

31.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$13.55 MYR 55.1

-24.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.34 MYR 17.68

127.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$8.84 MYR 35.99

58.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.94 MYR 11.97

35.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.63 MYR 6.65

-4.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$2.75 MYR 11.19

-20.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$1.45 MYR 5.92

50.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$1.10 MYR 4.48

78.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$1.09 MYR 4.43

45.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.13 MYR 4.61

1.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.57 MYR 2.33

117.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.62 MYR 18.81

-14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$18.76 MYR 76.4

-27.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.98 MYR 12.14

-44.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$5.33 MYR 21.70

-57.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.76 MYR 3.10

53.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$12.85 MYR 52.3

502.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.66 MYR 6.75

-23.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$0.38 MYR 1.54

439.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$7.29 MYR 29.67

17.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$0.60 MYR 2.46

125.00%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$45.6K MYR 185.8K

-25.35%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$35.8K MYR 145.9K

-3.28%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$36.47 MYR 148

365.18%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$9.66 MYR 39.31

40.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$29.48 MYR 120

-4.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$34.63 MYR 141

26.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$6.85 MYR 27.89

150.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.79 MYR 19.51

44.26%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$388 MYR 1,578

105.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$10.7K MYR 43.4K

-14.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$58.9 MYR 240

43.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$34.76 MYR 141

66.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$81.6 MYR 332

65.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$70.7 MYR 288

38.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$358 MYR 1,456

237.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$258 MYR 1,050

148.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$712 MYR 2,899

184.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$607 MYR 2,469

66.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,930 MYR 7,857

116.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,258 MYR 5,119

51.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,339 MYR 5,451

-50.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.04

170.79%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kedah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Kedah

$258 29.4% 59.8% $384

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Kedah

$257 29.3% 13.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Kedah

$76 8.6% 64.2% $136

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Kedah

$113 12.9% 33.4% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Kedah

$111 12.6% 34.5% $58

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Kedah

$19 2.2% 79.2% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Kedah

$44 5% 23.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $358 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays about 2 times 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 $12 in Kedah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $257 per month, with Kedah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Kedah

🕒 Local time

11:50 11:50 AM

00:50 12:50 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

417,800

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 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 = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Kedah 18,570 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kedah

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 Kedah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $877 in Kedah, so Kedah is about 46% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 51% 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 $358 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $388 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $877 in Kedah versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 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.

Expats usually find Kedah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.