Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kemaman

For one person, living is cheaper in Kemaman: $897 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Kemaman
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Kemaman Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Kemaman

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kemaman

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $897 in Kemaman, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Kemaman $897

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,369 in Kemaman, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Kemaman $1,369

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,841 in Kemaman, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Kemaman $1,841

Medellin costs about 83% more than Kemaman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Kemaman is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$2.62 MYR 10.65

208.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$14.92 MYR 60.7

215.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$4.40 MYR 17.90

115.91%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$3.09 MYR 12.57

-2.59%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.48 MYR 1.93

275.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.36 MYR 1.46

291.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$3.28 MYR 13.34

-3.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$5.76 MYR 23.45

-0.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.88 MYR 7.66

-19.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.04 MYR 4.24

128.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$1.01 MYR 4.13

75.25%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$1.15 MYR 4.70

151.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$9.61 MYR 39.11

6.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.19 MYR 13.00

209.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$9.30 MYR 37.84

50.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.59 MYR 14.63

10.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.87 MYR 7.62

-17.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$2.62 MYR 10.66

-16.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$1.82 MYR 7.40

19.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$2.17 MYR 8.83

-9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$2.04 MYR 8.30

-22.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.47 MYR 5.98

-21.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.51 MYR 2.08

143.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.57 MYR 18.60

-13.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$19.42 MYR 79.1

-29.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.72 MYR 11.09

-38.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$4.44 MYR 18.07

-49.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.76 MYR 3.11

53.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$10.79 MYR 43.94

617.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.20 MYR 4.88

5.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$0.36 MYR 1.46

469.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$8.90 MYR 36.24

-3.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$0.48 MYR 1.94

181.25%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$46.4K MYR 188.7K

-26.52%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$36.1K MYR 146.8K

-3.89%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$49.04 MYR 200

245.94%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$8.25 MYR 33.58

64.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$27.11 MYR 110

3.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$41.78 MYR 170

4.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$6.29 MYR 25.62

173.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.79 MYR 19.49

44.26%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$123 MYR 500

547.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$10.3K MYR 42.1K

-11.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$52.0 MYR 211

63.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$30.15 MYR 123

92.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$78.6 MYR 320

71.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$86.0 MYR 350

13.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$434 MYR 1,767

178.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$288 MYR 1,171

122.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$636 MYR 2,589

218.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$546 MYR 2,223

85.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$2,062 MYR 8,395

102.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,069 MYR 4,351

78.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.51

142.57%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kemaman: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Kemaman

$288 32.1% 55.1% $354

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Kemaman

$243 27.1% 18.1% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Kemaman

$84 9.4% 60% $127

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Kemaman

$102 11.4% 39.6% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Kemaman

$111 12.4% 34.3% $58

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Kemaman

$17 1.9% 82% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Kemaman

$51 5.7% 10.7% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $434 in Kemaman. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $15 in Kemaman. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $243 – making Kemaman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Kemaman

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

02:22 2:22 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

215,582

💱 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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Between locations

Medellin Kemaman 18,840 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kemaman

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 Kemaman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,346 in Kemaman. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kemaman, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $434 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $15 in Kemaman. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $897 in Kemaman. That makes Kemaman about 45% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kemaman, where all-in costs run around $897, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Kemaman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kemaman – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Kemaman is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 45% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.