Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Miri

For one person, living is cheaper in Miri: $805 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Miri
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Miri Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Miri

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$805

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Miri

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $805 in Miri, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Miri $805

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,224 in Miri, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Miri $1,224

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,644 in Miri, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Miri $1,644

Medellin costs about 104% more than Miri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Miri is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.55 MYR 14.41

127.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$12.12 MYR 49.18

288.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$4.42 MYR 17.92

114.93%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.26 MYR 9.16

33.19%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.80 MYR 3.24

125.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.30 MYR 1.22

370.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$2.90 MYR 11.78

9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$3.86 MYR 15.66

48.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.40 MYR 5.70

7.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$1.80 MYR 7.29

32.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$0.99 MYR 4.03

78.79%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$3.43 MYR 13.90

-15.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$4.88 MYR 19.81

102.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$14.99 MYR 60.8

-6.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.96 MYR 7.96

-20.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.39 MYR 1.57

217.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.29 MYR 17.40

-7.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$19.71 MYR 80.0

-30.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$3.00 MYR 12.16

-44.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.33 MYR 9.47

-3.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.47 MYR 1.92

148.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$14.01 MYR 56.8

452.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$1.25 MYR 5.05

1.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.59 MYR 2.38

247.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$5.98 MYR 24.26

42.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$0.64 MYR 2.61

110.94%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$49.6K MYR 201.2K

-31.29%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$32.5K MYR 131.9K

6.65%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$49.18 MYR 200

244.96%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$9.92 MYR 40.24

36.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$33.44 MYR 136

-16.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$29.19 MYR 118

49.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$6.25 MYR 25.37

175.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.33 MYR 17.58

59.58%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$99.5 MYR 404

700.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$6,535 MYR 26.5K

39.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$44.80 MYR 182

89.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$23.11 MYR 93.8

150.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$55.3 MYR 224

144.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$43.17 MYR 175

126.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$348 MYR 1,410

247.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$289 MYR 1,174

121.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$589 MYR 2,390

244.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$578 MYR 2,345

75.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$1,201 MYR 4,872

247.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$680 MYR 2,758

180.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$688 MYR 2,791

-4.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.12

165.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Miri: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Miri

$289 36% 54.9% $352

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Miri

$195 * 24.2% 34.5% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Miri

$93 11.5% 56.2% $119

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Miri

$95 11.9% 43.8% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Miri

$75 9.3% 55.7% $94

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Miri

$20 2.5% 78.5% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Miri

$38 4.7% 34.2% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $348 in Miri. 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 5% higher in Miri, 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 $12 in Miri. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $195 – making Miri the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Miri

🕒 Local time

10:45 10:45 AM

23:45 11:45 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

248,877

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4.06 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Miri 18,420 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Miri

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 Miri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 104%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,207 in Miri. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Miri, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $348 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $12 in Miri. 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 $805 in Miri. That makes Miri about 51% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Miri, where all-in costs run around $805, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Miri it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Miri – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Miri is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 51% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.