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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $889 in Kuching.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,371 in Kuching.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,852 in Kuching.

Living in Medellin is roughly 85% more expensive than in Kuching, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Kuching is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.53 MYR 14.35

127.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$25.07 MYR 102

92.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$4.93 MYR 20.05

91.08%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.35 MYR 13.64

-12.24%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.80 MYR 3.24

132.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.39 MYR 1.57

274.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$4.63 MYR 18.84

-30.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$6.06 MYR 24.67

-5.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$2.33 MYR 9.47

-38.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.20 MYR 4.88

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.22 MYR 4.95

39.34%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.56 MYR 10.40

12.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$11.49 MYR 46.74

-12.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.44 MYR 18.04

124.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$9.68 MYR 39.38

46.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.36 MYR 13.69

18.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.33 MYR 5.43

18.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.45 MYR 9.96

-12.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.86 MYR 7.58

23.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.57 MYR 6.37

27.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.15 MYR 4.69

31.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.59 MYR 6.46

-24.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.55 MYR 2.25

132.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$4.80 MYR 19.53

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$21.20 MYR 86.2

-33.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$4.07 MYR 16.56

-57.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$5.07 MYR 20.63

-45.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.63 MYR 2.58

98.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$12.58 MYR 51.2

519.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.96 MYR 3.90

36.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.26 MYR 5.13

72.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$8.85 MYR 36.00

-6.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.85 MYR 3.47

60.00%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$42.5K MYR 172.8K

-35.31%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$36.7K MYR 149.4K

-0.53%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$35.37 MYR 144

377.01%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$10.29 MYR 41.88

31.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$24.25 MYR 98.7

16.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$30.72 MYR 125

48.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$12.25 MYR 49.84

40.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$4.91 MYR 19.96

35.44%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$135 MYR 551

493.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$7,205 MYR 29.3K

27.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$63.4 MYR 258

37.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$37.96 MYR 154

56.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$90.7 MYR 369

53.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$66.9 MYR 272

52.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$371 MYR 1,510

188.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$240 MYR 977

171.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$648 MYR 2,635

197.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$454 MYR 1,845

130.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,112 MYR 8,593

95.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,552 MYR 6,313

9.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$548 MYR 2,229

19.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.37

150.34%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Kuching: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $371 in Kuching. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 20% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $25.00 in Kuching for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $273 per month, with Kuching cheaper across the board.

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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $371 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 $25.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $889 in Kuching – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $889 in Kuching versus $1,641 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 85% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.