Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kota Bharu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota Bharu: $692 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Kota Bharu
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Kota Bharu Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Kota Bharu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kota Bharu

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $692 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Kota Bharu $692

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,072 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Kota Bharu $1,072

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,452 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Kota Bharu $1,452

Medellin costs about 133% more than Kota Bharu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Kota Bharu is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$2.18 MYR 8.90

263.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$19.41 MYR 79.2

137.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.58 MYR 18.70

107.42%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.18 MYR 8.89

42.66%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.48 MYR 1.94

281.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.26 MYR 1.05

430.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$4.24 MYR 17.29

-28.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$4.49 MYR 18.33

22.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.62 MYR 6.62

-10.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$0.92 MYR 3.74

156.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$0.83 MYR 3.39

102.41%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.61 MYR 6.58

77.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$13.74 MYR 56.1

-25.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$2.94 MYR 12.00

224.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$6.65 MYR 27.13

111.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.91 MYR 11.88

39.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.50 MYR 6.12

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$2.73 MYR 11.15

-20.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.13 MYR 4.60

104.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$0.97 MYR 3.94

98.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.12 MYR 4.59

46.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.14 MYR 4.64

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.45 MYR 1.84

177.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$3.34 MYR 13.61

19.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$19.00 MYR 77.5

-29.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.91 MYR 11.88

-41.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$5.32 MYR 21.71

-55.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.77 MYR 3.12

57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$12.33 MYR 50.3

520.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$1.73 MYR 7.05

-23.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.37 MYR 1.53

478.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$3.69 MYR 15.04

129.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$0.52 MYR 2.14

150.00%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$31.5K MYR 128.5K

-11.11%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$29.0K MYR 118.2K

22.25%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$37.43 MYR 153

359.76%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$8.65 MYR 35.27

54.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$25.39 MYR 104

13.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$49.63 MYR 202

-8.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$4.48 MYR 18.26

40.18%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$125 MYR 508

518.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$10.8K MYR 44.2K

-16.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$54.5 MYR 222

58.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$19.29 MYR 78.7

196.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$79.0 MYR 322

72.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$69.6 MYR 284

40.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$248 MYR 1,010

326.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$122 MYR 499

403.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$673 MYR 2,745

181.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$224 MYR 913

357.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$299 MYR 1,221

117.97%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Kota Bharu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Kota Bharu

$122 17.7% 80.1% $493

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Kota Bharu

$230 33.2% 22.1% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Kota Bharu

$71 10.3% 66.6% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Kota Bharu

$100 14.5% 41.2% $70

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Kota Bharu

$90 13.1% 46.3% $78

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Kota Bharu

$19 2.8% 79.6% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Kota Bharu

$59 8.5% 1.3% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $248 in Kota Bharu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 118% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Kota Bharu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $230 – making Kota Bharu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Kota Bharu

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

04:30 4:30 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

568,900

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Kota Bharu 18,620 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kota Bharu

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 Kota Bharu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 133% more than Kota Bharu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,037 in Kota Bharu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kota Bharu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 520% less in Kota Bharu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $770 per month in Medellin and $125 in Kota Bharu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kota Bharu, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Kota Bharu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kota Bharu costs $692 versus $1,614 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kota Bharu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.