Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kuala Lipis

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lipis: $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
44

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lipis
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Kuala Lipis Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Kuala Lipis

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kuala Lipis

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

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

Medellin $1,639
Kuala Lipis $897

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,420 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Kuala Lipis $1,420

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,944 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Kuala Lipis $1,944

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.59 MYR 14.60

125.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.8K

$24.70 MYR 100

90.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$4.98 MYR 20.28

90.76%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,729

$2.99 MYR 12.18

0.67%

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

$1.80 COP 5,806

$0.85 MYR 3.48

111.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,558

$0.42 MYR 1.70

235.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$3.21 MYR 13.04

-0.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$5.63 MYR 22.90

2.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,873

$1.95 MYR 7.94

-22.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,673

$1.08 MYR 4.37

120.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,716

$1.47 MYR 5.99

20.41%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,327

$1.78 MYR 7.22

62.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$9.81 MYR 39.93

3.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.17 MYR 12.90

211.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$9.58 MYR 38.95

46.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.59 MYR 14.62

10.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,009

$1.85 MYR 7.53

-16.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,044

$2.75 MYR 11.20

-20.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$1.83 MYR 7.45

19.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,333

$2.16 MYR 8.78

-9.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,129

$2.05 MYR 8.34

-22.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$1.49 MYR 6.05

-22.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,012

$0.52 MYR 2.11

138.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.46 MYR 18.14

-11.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$19.69 MYR 80.1

-30.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,356

$2.71 MYR 11.03

-38.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,286

$4.44 MYR 18.05

-49.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,769

$0.66 MYR 2.67

77.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.7K

$13.50 MYR 54.9

473.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,092

$1.20 MYR 4.90

5.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,608

$0.36 MYR 1.46

469.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$8.79 MYR 35.75

-2.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,346

$0.81 MYR 3.28

66.67%

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

$34.1K COP 109.9M

$44.9K MYR 182.8K

-24.19%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$34.8K MYR 141.8K

-0.51%

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

$170 COP 547.5K

$49.77 MYR 202

240.87%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$8.30 MYR 33.76

63.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$27.35 MYR 111

2.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.0K

$40.93 MYR 167

6.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$7.48 MYR 30.41

129.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.88 MYR 19.85

41.60%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$276 MYR 1,123

188.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$10.3K MYR 41.9K

-11.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.4K

$51.6 MYR 210

64.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.0K

$29.76 MYR 121

94.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.5K

$77.7 MYR 316

73.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.8K

$86.8 MYR 353

12.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$385 MYR 1,568

213.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$268 MYR 1,090

139.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$693 MYR 2,820

192.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$558 MYR 2,269

81.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$2,178 MYR 8,858

91.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,305 MYR 5,307

46.44%

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 Kuala Lipis: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Kuala Lipis

$268 29.9% 58.2% $374

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Kuala Lipis

$251 28% 15.5% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Kuala Lipis

$85 9.5% 59.6% $126

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Kuala Lipis

$112 12.5% 34% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Kuala Lipis

$111 12.3% 34.5% $58

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Kuala Lipis

$19 2.1% 79.6% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Kuala Lipis

$51 5.7% 11.9% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $385 in Kuala Lipis. 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 $25 in Kuala Lipis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $251 – making Kuala Lipis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Kuala Lipis

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

13:01 1:01 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

20,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Kuala Lipis 18,820 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kuala Lipis

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 Kuala Lipis: 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 $1,345 in Kuala Lipis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuala Lipis, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $385 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

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

Public transport costs about 83% less in Kuala Lipis. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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

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

For expats, Kuala Lipis 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.