Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Penang

For one person, living is cheaper in Penang: $913 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Penang

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $913 in Penang, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Penang $913

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,403 in Penang, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Penang $1,403

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,894 in Penang, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Penang $1,894

Medellin costs about 80% more than Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Penang is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.73 MYR 15.11

116.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$19.91 MYR 80.7

136.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$4.78 MYR 19.38

98.74%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.98 MYR 12.08

1.01%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.75 MYR 3.05

140.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.37 MYR 1.49

281.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$4.06 MYR 16.46

-21.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$4.38 MYR 17.74

31.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.86 MYR 7.56

-18.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.08 MYR 4.39

120.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.76 MYR 7.16

0.57%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.22 MYR 9.00

30.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$13.46 MYR 54.6

-24.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.45 MYR 18.04

121.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$8.70 MYR 35.27

60.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.92 MYR 11.83

35.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.65 MYR 6.68

-6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.61 MYR 10.58

-16.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.40 MYR 5.67

55.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.05 MYR 4.26

86.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.12 MYR 4.53

41.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.10 MYR 4.45

4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.59 MYR 2.38

110.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.69 MYR 18.99

-15.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$19.31 MYR 78.3

-29.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$3.00 MYR 12.18

-44.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$5.41 MYR 21.92

-58.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.50 MYR 2.03

134.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$12.03 MYR 48.76

543.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.66 MYR 6.74

-23.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.38 MYR 1.53

439.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$7.47 MYR 30.28

14.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.95 MYR 3.83

42.11%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$44.2K MYR 179.2K

-22.91%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$35.8K MYR 145.0K

-3.05%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$36.68 MYR 149

362.51%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$9.56 MYR 38.74

41.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$29.49 MYR 120

-4.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$39.20 MYR 159

11.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$4.85 MYR 19.68

254.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.78 MYR 19.37

44.56%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$398 MYR 1,612

100.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$10.6K MYR 43.0K

-14.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$60.9 MYR 247

39.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$35.45 MYR 144

63.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$83.6 MYR 339

61.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$70.2 MYR 284

39.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$408 MYR 1,654

196.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$287 MYR 1,164

123.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$698 MYR 2,828

190.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$534 MYR 2,165

89.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$2,117 MYR 8,580

97.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,261 MYR 5,111

51.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$931 MYR 3,776

-29.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.04

170.79%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Penang

$287 31.5% 55.2% $354

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Penang

$257 28.2% 13.3% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Penang

$76 8.3% 64.2% $136

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Penang

$113 12.4% 33.1% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Penang

$113 12.3% 33.4% $56

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Penang

$18 1.9% 81.2% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Penang

$49 5.3% 15.2% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $408 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 42% 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 $47 in Medellin versus $20 in Penang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $257 – making Penang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

19:06 7:06 PM

08:06 8:06 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

158,336

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Penang 18,640 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Penang

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 Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 80%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,369 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $408 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $20 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 $1,639 in Medellin and $913 in Penang. That makes Penang about 44% cheaper.

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.

For expats, Penang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 44% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.