Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Labuan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Labuan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $976 in Labuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,496 in Labuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,016 in Labuan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 72% more expensive than in Labuan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Labuan is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$5.49 MYR 22.41

46.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$25.04 MYR 102

91.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$6.84 MYR 27.92

44.59%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$3.99 MYR 16.28

-21.55%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$1.07 MYR 4.37

78.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.42 MYR 1.69

259.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$4.11 MYR 16.77

-24.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$3.77 MYR 15.37

52.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.77 MYR 7.23

-18.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.09 MYR 4.45

128.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.43 MYR 5.84

23.78%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$1.91 MYR 7.78

54.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$16.99 MYR 69.3

-40.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$4.54 MYR 18.50

122.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$9.91 MYR 40.43

44.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$3.11 MYR 12.71

33.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.84 MYR 7.49

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$2.38 MYR 9.71

-5.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.39 MYR 5.66

61.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$1.34 MYR 5.48

52.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.22 MYR 4.97

26.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.14 MYR 4.66

2.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.53 MYR 2.15

147.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$4.65 MYR 18.98

-16.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$21.54 MYR 87.9

-34.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$2.53 MYR 10.32

-31.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$3.39 MYR 13.81

-15.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$0.84 MYR 3.45

45.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$13.20 MYR 53.9

509.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$1.41 MYR 5.77

-7.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.50 MYR 2.02

338.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$7.83 MYR 31.96

11.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$0.78 MYR 3.18

75.64%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$43.6K MYR 178.0K

-36.20%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$31.3K MYR 127.5K

14.47%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$50.1 MYR 204

253.75%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$9.61 MYR 39.18

44.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$28.20 MYR 115

5.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$43.96 MYR 179

2.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$6.76 MYR 27.58

153.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$4.46 MYR 18.21

49.10%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$194 MYR 790

319.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$4,758 MYR 19.4K

93.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$60.6 MYR 247

47.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$34.51 MYR 141

70.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$80.3 MYR 328

72.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$72.1 MYR 294

41.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$452 MYR 1,845

134.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$311 MYR 1,270

112.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$701 MYR 2,858

169.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$521 MYR 2,124

97.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$1,900 MYR 7,751

120.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,043 MYR 4,255

60.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

$375 MYR 1,531

80.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.2

160.48%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Labuan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $452 in Labuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 81% 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 Labuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $268 per month, with Labuan 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 Labuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Labuan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 81% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $452 in Labuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $194 in Labuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $976 in Labuan versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Labuan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Labuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Labuan 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 Labuan 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 Labuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.