Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kota Kinabalu Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kota Kinabalu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $840 in Kota Kinabalu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,352 in Kota Kinabalu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,865 in Kota Kinabalu.

Living in Medellin is roughly 21% more expensive than Kota Kinabalu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Kota Kinabalu 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$3.50 MYR 13.98

71.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$19.05 MYR 76.0

72.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$4.67 MYR 18.65

51.82%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$2.60 MYR 10.38

-34.23%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.69 MYR 2.74

59.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.37 MYR 1.47

110.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$2.38 MYR 9.51

-29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$3.51 MYR 14.00

-12.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.68 MYR 6.70

-35.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.24 MYR 4.94

1.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$1.70 MYR 6.77

-18.82%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$2.89 MYR 11.55

-24.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$25.74 MYR 103

-82.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.44 MYR 13.73

63.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$7.43 MYR 29.63

19.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$2.56 MYR 10.22

-8.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$1.16 MYR 4.65

-8.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$3.14 MYR 12.54

-52.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$1.91 MYR 7.63

-27.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$1.52 MYR 6.06

-24.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$1.71 MYR 6.83

-32.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$1.13 MYR 4.52

-21.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.47 MYR 1.89

78.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$4.23 MYR 16.89

-46.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$16.30 MYR 65.0

-34.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.85 MYR 7.40

-35.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.61 MYR 6.41

53.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$1.51 MYR 6.04

-43.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$41.03 MYR 164

0.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.90 MYR 7.59

-22.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.46 MYR 1.85

326.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$5.75 MYR 22.95

34.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$0.46 MYR 1.83

106.52%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$29.6K MYR 118.0K

-38.67%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$27.1K MYR 108.3K

-2.43%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$51.6 MYR 206

59.28%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$9.22 MYR 36.78

3.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$32.25 MYR 129

-24.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$43.54 MYR 174

-40.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$2.99 MYR 11.95

535.45%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.73 MYR 18.88

-16.91%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$132 MYR 526

134.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$4,506 MYR 18.0K

32.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$60.6 MYR 242

-3.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$22.99 MYR 91.7

40.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$71.4 MYR 285

43.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$94.5 MYR 377

14.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$372 MYR 1,482

28.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$168 MYR 671

125.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$641 MYR 2,556

30.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$368 MYR 1,470

96.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$1,889 MYR 7,539

47.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,133 MYR 4,521

6.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$598 MYR 2,385

-14.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.8

253.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $372 in Kota Kinabalu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota Kinabalu pays 17% 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 $19.00 in Kota Kinabalu. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $269, 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 Kota Kinabalu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kota Kinabalu wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kota Kinabalu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Kota Kinabalu earns 17% 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: $476 in Medellin versus $372 in Kota Kinabalu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kota Kinabalu runs roughly 1% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $132 in Kota Kinabalu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $840 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kota Kinabalu but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kota Kinabalu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kota Kinabalu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $840 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kota Kinabalu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Kota Kinabalu 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 Kota Kinabalu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.