Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Langkawi

For one person, living is cheaper in Langkawi: $531 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Langkawi

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$531

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Langkawi

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $531 in Langkawi, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Langkawi $531

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $764 in Langkawi, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Langkawi $764

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $997 in Langkawi, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Langkawi $997

Medellin costs about 209% more than Langkawi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Langkawi is 61% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.35 MYR 13.57

141.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$19.89 MYR 80.6

136.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$6.34 MYR 25.72

49.84%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$1.59 MYR 6.45

89.31%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.84 MYR 3.42

114.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.57 MYR 2.31

147.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.72 MYR 6.99

84.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.21 MYR 8.98

160.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.73 MYR 7.01

-12.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.32 MYR 5.34

80.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.78 MYR 7.23

62.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$17.15 MYR 69.5

-40.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.00 MYR 8.09

98.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$0.95 MYR 3.84

63.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.76 MYR 7.14

23.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.70 MYR 6.88

28.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.70 MYR 2.82

127.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.74 MYR 15.16

5.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$8.48 MYR 34.36

61.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$0.95 MYR 3.85

74.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.19 MYR 4.83

89.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.87 MYR 3.51

55.17%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$24.7K MYR 100.3K

37.73%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$37.13 MYR 151

356.91%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$24.05 MYR 97.5

81.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$305 MYR 1,237

295.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$240 MYR 975

166.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$361 MYR 1,463

461.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$318 MYR 1,289

218.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,156 MYR 4,686

260.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,233 MYR 4,998

-46.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Langkawi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Langkawi

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Langkawi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Langkawi

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Langkawi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Langkawi

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Langkawi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Langkawi

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $305 in Langkawi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 88% higher in Langkawi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $20 in Langkawi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $146 – making Langkawi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Langkawi

🕒 Local time

00:23 12:23 AM

13:23 1:23 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

30,212

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.05 MYR (1 MYR = 0.247 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Langkawi 18,520 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Langkawi

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 Langkawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $531 in Langkawi – Langkawi comes out roughly 68% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $796 in Langkawi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Langkawi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $305 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $20 in Langkawi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $531 in Langkawi. That makes Langkawi about 68% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Langkawi, where all-in costs run around $531, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Langkawi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $531 in Langkawi to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.