Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kuching Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kuching

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $802 in Kuching.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,218 in Kuching.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,633 in Kuching.

Living in Medellin is roughly 27% more expensive than Kuching, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Kuching 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$2.76 MYR 11.19

115.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$20.32 MYR 82.4

64.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$4.81 MYR 19.51

50.31%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.53 MYR 10.26

-35.57%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.76 MYR 3.07

43.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.29 MYR 1.19

151.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.78 MYR 11.27

-37.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$3.61 MYR 14.63

-10.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.91 MYR 7.76

-45.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.09 MYR 4.44

18.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.06 MYR 4.28

24.53%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.15 MYR 8.73

5.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$9.37 MYR 38.01

-53.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.79 MYR 15.36

55.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$8.01 MYR 32.49

7.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.99 MYR 12.14

-24.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.14 MYR 4.63

-6.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$2.59 MYR 10.48

-41.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.80 MYR 7.31

-21.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.11 MYR 4.50

5.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.24 MYR 5.01

-5.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.69 MYR 6.87

-47.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.53 MYR 2.13

69.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$4.19 MYR 17.00

-46.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$21.36 MYR 86.6

-48.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$3.87 MYR 15.69

-70.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$3.41 MYR 13.82

-30.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.23 MYR 0.93

265.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$11.92 MYR 48.32

251.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.93 MYR 3.76

51.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.11 MYR 4.49

71.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$1.84 MYR 7.45

321.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.50 MYR 2.03

102.00%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$44.6K MYR 180.8K

-60.56%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$37.3K MYR 151.3K

-29.01%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$41.24 MYR 167

102.91%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$8.92 MYR 36.16

5.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$25.42 MYR 103

-5.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$29.51 MYR 120

-14.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$9.77 MYR 39.62

95.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$4.63 MYR 18.77

-11.45%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$141 MYR 572

120.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$6,063 MYR 24.6K

-1.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$65.8 MYR 267

-11.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$31.99 MYR 130

1.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$85.9 MYR 348

15.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$71.5 MYR 290

51.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$285 MYR 1,156

69.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$205 MYR 830

85.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$556 MYR 2,255

50.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$386 MYR 1,566

87.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$2,144 MYR 8,692

32.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,535 MYR 6,224

-20.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$552 MYR 2,239

-2.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.27

214.52%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Kuching: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $285 in Kuching. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuching pays 2% 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 $20.00 in Kuching. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $243, 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 Kuching: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuching is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Kuching earns 2% 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: $482 in Medellin versus $285 in Kuching. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuching – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,017 per month in Medellin versus $802 in Kuching – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $802 in Kuching versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuching but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kuching the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kuching is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Kuching 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 Kuching gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.