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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $848 in Kota Kinabalu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,331 in Kota Kinabalu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,814 in Kota Kinabalu.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Kota Kinabalu 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$3.52 MYR 14.41

75.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$18.53 MYR 75.8

75.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$4.62 MYR 18.88

58.87%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.70 MYR 11.04

-36.30%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.65 MYR 2.64

61.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.39 MYR 1.60

97.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$2.40 MYR 9.80

-29.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.53 MYR 14.42

-10.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.76 MYR 7.19

-40.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.21 MYR 4.95

7.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.75 MYR 7.17

-20.00%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$2.78 MYR 11.35

-22.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$26.05 MYR 107

-83.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.61 MYR 14.77

62.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$7.06 MYR 28.87

22.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$2.52 MYR 10.29

-9.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.16 MYR 4.76

-4.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$3.20 MYR 13.07

-52.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.98 MYR 8.10

-31.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.51 MYR 6.17

-25.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.77 MYR 7.26

-36.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.13 MYR 4.63

-24.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.51 MYR 2.07

78.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$4.17 MYR 17.07

-43.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$15.66 MYR 64.0

-21.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.92 MYR 7.84

-37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.62 MYR 6.62

53.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$1.56 MYR 6.36

-46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$40.74 MYR 167

-0.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.86 MYR 7.60

-23.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.47 MYR 1.90

308.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$5.77 MYR 23.61

32.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$0.46 MYR 1.89

115.22%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$29.4K MYR 120.0K

-38.57%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$27.2K MYR 111.4K

-2.21%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$52.5 MYR 215

54.04%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$9.29 MYR 38.00

7.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$33.03 MYR 135

-26.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$43.88 MYR 179

-42.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$2.99 MYR 12.22

540.47%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.56 MYR 18.63

-12.72%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$128 MYR 525

137.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$4,486 MYR 18.3K

35.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$59.4 MYR 243

-2.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$23.13 MYR 94.6

39.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$70.8 MYR 290

42.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$93.8 MYR 384

14.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$378 MYR 1,546

26.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$168 MYR 687

124.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$650 MYR 2,658

29.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$362 MYR 1,483

101.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$1,793 MYR 7,334

79.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,086 MYR 4,440

26.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$595 MYR 2,432

3.74%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $378 in Kota Kinabalu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 4% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $19.00 in Kota Kinabalu. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $270, 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.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $378 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 0% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $128 in Kota Kinabalu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $848 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,031 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 $848 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.