Comparación del coste de vida entre Medellin y Penang Comparación del coste de vida entre Medellin y Penang

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $862 in Penang, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $1,379 in Penang, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $1,895 in Penang, rent included.

Medellin costs about 20% more than Penang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Penang are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Penang 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.5K

$3.10 MYR 12.24

90.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 119.1K

$21.13 MYR 83.5

54.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.2K

$4.12 MYR 16.27

74.76%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,186

$2.88 MYR 11.36

-40.97%

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

$1.10 COP 3,996

$0.70 MYR 2.75

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,625

$0.33 MYR 1.32

118.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

$4.30 MYR 16.98

-61.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

$4.43 MYR 17.51

-30.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,837

$1.89 MYR 7.48

-43.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,531

$1.03 MYR 4.05

21.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,060

$1.99 MYR 7.86

-30.15%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,229

$2.04 MYR 8.07

10.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.8K

$17.30 MYR 68.4

-74.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.2K

$4.95 MYR 19.54

17.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 32.1K

$15.01 MYR 59.3

-41.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,159

$2.88 MYR 11.38

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,911

$1.51 MYR 5.96

-28.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,563

$2.63 MYR 10.38

-41.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,987

$2.09 MYR 8.24

-34.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,109

$1.18 MYR 4.64

-4.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,067

$1.17 MYR 4.63

-4.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,080

$0.91 MYR 3.59

-6.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,305

$0.48 MYR 1.91

89.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,477

$4.29 MYR 16.94

-45.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

$19.41 MYR 76.7

-42.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

$2.74 MYR 10.82

-56.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

$3.39 MYR 13.39

-30.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,859

$0.46 MYR 1.80

71.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

$17.53 MYR 69.3

134.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,223

$0.74 MYR 2.94

94.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,952

$0.53 MYR 2.10

260.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 29.2K

$6.95 MYR 27.46

15.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,410

$0.46 MYR 1.82

104.35%

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

$17.9K COP 65.2M

$33.5K MYR 132.3K

-46.50%

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

$26.8K COP 97.4M

$27.9K MYR 110.3K

-4.08%

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

$84.0 COP 305.4K

$39.31 MYR 155

113.58%

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

$9.60 COP 34.9K

$10.23 MYR 40.40

-6.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.9K

$31.17 MYR 123

-22.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 94.1K

$33.28 MYR 131

-22.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

$5.39 MYR 21.30

253.25%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.2K

$4.81 MYR 19.01

-18.50%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$240 MYR 947

27.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.5M

$6,163 MYR 24.3K

-3.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 210.6K

$54.4 MYR 215

6.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 115.7K

$29.08 MYR 115

9.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 363.3K

$60.4 MYR 239

65.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 389.7K

$52.6 MYR 208

103.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$381 MYR 1,503

27.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$227 MYR 895

62.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$639 MYR 2,524

29.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$526 MYR 2,077

36.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$2,317 MYR 9,153

26.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,197 MYR 4,729

17.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$968 MYR 3,824

-43.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.16

222.84%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Medellin: April 27, 2026

Última actualización para Penang: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $381 in Penang. 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 77% higher in Penang, 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $21.00 in Penang. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $286 in Penang – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.

Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales

Medellin vs Penang: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 20%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $1,294 in Penang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $21.00 in Penang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,034 in Medellin and $862 in Penang. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Penang, where all-in costs run around $862, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Penang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Penang. 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.