Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kuala Terengganu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Terengganu: $918 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Terengganu
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Kuala Terengganu Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Kuala Terengganu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $918 in Kuala Terengganu.

Medellin $1,692
Kuala Terengganu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $1,412 in Kuala Terengganu.

Medellin $2,471
Kuala Terengganu $1,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $1,907 in Kuala Terengganu.

Medellin $3,249
Kuala Terengganu $1,907

Living in Medellin is roughly 84% more expensive than in Kuala Terengganu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Kuala Terengganu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$2.51 MYR 10.14

232.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$23.19 MYR 93.8

100.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$4.79 MYR 19.35

97.70%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.72 MYR 11.01

15.07%

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

$1.77 COP 5,705

$0.49 MYR 1.99

261.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,601

$0.28 MYR 1.14

407.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$3.98 MYR 16.09

-20.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$4.59 MYR 18.56

24.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,950

$1.71 MYR 6.92

-10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,401

$1.08 MYR 4.38

112.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,282

$1.47 MYR 5.95

31.97%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,905

$2.15 MYR 8.68

42.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$13.52 MYR 54.7

-26.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$4.49 MYR 18.16

132.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$9.94 MYR 40.21

40.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$3.29 MYR 13.29

23.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,937

$1.66 MYR 6.71

-7.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,797

$2.42 MYR 9.80

-13.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,409

$1.51 MYR 6.12

51.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,813

$1.27 MYR 5.13

66.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,521

$1.38 MYR 5.56

23.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,780

$1.12 MYR 4.51

4.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,104

$0.55 MYR 2.23

187.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$4.43 MYR 17.91

-11.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

$18.83 MYR 76.2

-25.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,690

$3.00 MYR 12.11

-41.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,760

$4.44 MYR 17.94

-38.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,811

$0.72 MYR 2.90

63.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

$12.03 MYR 48.65

534.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,836

$1.19 MYR 4.80

52.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,878

$0.56 MYR 2.28

280.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$7.41 MYR 29.98

9.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,119

$0.79 MYR 3.18

62.03%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$44.8K MYR 181.0K

-23.06%

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

$34.1K COP 110.3M

$35.3K MYR 142.6K

-3.19%

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

$178 COP 574.1K

$49.59 MYR 201

258.40%

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

$13.89 COP 44.9K

$9.83 MYR 39.75

41.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

$28.33 MYR 115

8.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.5K

$37.05 MYR 150

13.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

$6.47 MYR 26.16

159.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$4.78 MYR 19.33

56.28%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$235 MYR 952

235.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$6,971 MYR 28.2K

76.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.9K

$56.7 MYR 229

52.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

$34.64 MYR 140

71.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.9K

$79.9 MYR 323

73.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.2K

$75.4 MYR 305

31.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$407 MYR 1,646

229.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$296 MYR 1,198

125.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$716 MYR 2,896

175.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$545 MYR 2,205

89.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$2,017 MYR 8,156

103.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,175 MYR 4,753

65.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.06

169.46%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kuala Terengganu: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Kuala Terengganu

$296 32.3% 55.6% $371

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Kuala Terengganu

$258 28.1% 16% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Kuala Terengganu

$88 9.6% 60.5% $135

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Kuala Terengganu

$99 10.8% 42.5% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Kuala Terengganu

$111 12.1% 35.6% $61

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Kuala Terengganu

$19 2.1% 79.8% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Kuala Terengganu

$47 5.1% 18.1% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $407 in Kuala Terengganu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $23 in Kuala Terengganu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $258 per month, with Kuala Terengganu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Kuala Terengganu

🕒 Local time

23:48 11:48 PM

12:48 12:48 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

375,424

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,626 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.04 MYR (1 MYR = 0.247 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Kuala Terengganu 18,720 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kuala Terengganu

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 Terengganu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $918 in Kuala Terengganu, so Kuala Terengganu is about 46% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,538 in Medellin and $1,377 in Kuala Terengganu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,341 in Medellin versus $407 in Kuala Terengganu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $918 in Kuala Terengganu – Kuala Terengganu is about 46% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Kuala Terengganu runs roughly 84% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $918 in Kuala Terengganu versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kuala Terengganu but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kuala Terengganu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kuala Terengganu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.