Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kulim Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kulim

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $973 in Kulim, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,404 in Kulim, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,836 in Kulim, rent included.

Medellin costs about 69% more than Kulim, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Kulim is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.37 MYR 13.72

138.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$15.11 MYR 61.5

219.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$5.04 MYR 20.50

86.90%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.77 MYR 11.28

6.14%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.99 MYR 4.01

87.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.35 MYR 1.43

317.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.50 MYR 10.16

28.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.34 MYR 17.65

31.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$2.50 MYR 10.16

-42.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.32 MYR 5.35

81.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.69 MYR 6.89

0.59%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.63 MYR 10.70

9.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$15.98 MYR 65.0

-37.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.94 MYR 20.09

101.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$10.12 MYR 41.17

40.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.34 MYR 9.51

70.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.47 MYR 5.98

7.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.29 MYR 9.32

-6.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.25 MYR 5.10

84.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.95 MYR 3.87

110.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.81 MYR 3.31

86.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.71 MYR 2.87

69.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.69 MYR 2.80

85.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$4.65 MYR 18.93

-17.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$21.75 MYR 88.5

-35.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.41 MYR 9.80

-29.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$3.80 MYR 15.45

-27.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.75 MYR 3.07

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$12.53 MYR 51.0

521.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.22 MYR 4.98

7.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.49 MYR 1.99

342.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$6.63 MYR 26.96

25.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.83 MYR 3.36

63.86%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$42.6K MYR 173.2K

-35.46%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$28.2K MYR 114.6K

29.75%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$50.6 MYR 206

233.37%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$8.30 MYR 33.77

63.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$32.18 MYR 131

-12.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$41.17 MYR 167

11.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$6.48 MYR 26.37

165.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$4.85 MYR 19.71

37.11%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$173 MYR 704

364.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$4,925 MYR 20.0K

86.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$53.6 MYR 218

63.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$35.11 MYR 143

69.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$74.2 MYR 302

87.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$70.7 MYR 287

44.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$430 MYR 1,747

149.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$325 MYR 1,323

100.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$708 MYR 2,880

171.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$489 MYR 1,991

114.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,030 MYR 8,257

103.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,147 MYR 4,665

48.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.43

146.95%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Kulim: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $430 in Kulim. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $15.00 in Kulim. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $273 – making Kulim the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kulim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 69% more than Kulim, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,459 in Kulim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kulim, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $15.00 in Kulim. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kulim, where all-in costs run around $973, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Kulim it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kulim costs $973 versus $1,641 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kulim. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.