Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Putra Heights

For one person, living is cheaper in Putra Heights: $927 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Putra Heights
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Putra Heights Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Putra Heights

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Putra Heights

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $927 in Putra Heights, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Putra Heights $927

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,421 in Putra Heights, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Putra Heights $1,421

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,915 in Putra Heights, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Putra Heights $1,915

Medellin costs about 77% more than Putra Heights, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Putra Heights is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.77 MYR 15.35

114.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$18.15 MYR 73.9

159.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$4.90 MYR 19.95

93.88%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$2.83 MYR 11.51

6.36%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.78 MYR 3.18

130.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.42 MYR 1.71

235.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$4.51 MYR 18.34

-29.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$6.23 MYR 25.38

-7.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.67 MYR 6.78

-9.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.07 MYR 4.34

122.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$1.43 MYR 5.84

23.78%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$1.75 MYR 7.12

65.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$14.08 MYR 57.3

-27.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.56 MYR 18.56

116.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$10.18 MYR 41.44

37.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.31 MYR 13.49

19.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.73 MYR 7.06

-10.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$2.31 MYR 9.39

-5.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$1.50 MYR 6.09

45.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$1.23 MYR 5.00

59.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$1.36 MYR 5.53

16.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.13 MYR 4.61

1.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.55 MYR 2.22

125.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.40 MYR 17.93

-10.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$14.20 MYR 57.8

-3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.95 MYR 12.01

-43.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$3.02 MYR 12.30

-25.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.74 MYR 3.02

58.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$12.19 MYR 49.61

534.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.95 MYR 3.86

33.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$0.71 MYR 2.87

188.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$4.99 MYR 20.33

71.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$0.87 MYR 3.54

55.17%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$44.4K MYR 180.9K

-23.35%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$34.7K MYR 141.1K

0.03%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$62.9 MYR 256

169.71%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$8.99 MYR 36.61

50.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$25.85 MYR 105

8.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$37.32 MYR 152

17.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$5.72 MYR 23.29

200.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.01 MYR 20.37

37.92%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$241 MYR 981

230.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$5,302 MYR 21.6K

71.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$54.1 MYR 220

56.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$16.45 MYR 67.0

252.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$79.9 MYR 325

68.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$97.9 MYR 399

-0.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$422 MYR 1,716

186.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$286 MYR 1,164

124.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$707 MYR 2,878

186.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$546 MYR 2,223

85.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,818 MYR 7,400

129.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,236 MYR 5,031

54.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,102 MYR 4,486

-40.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.06

169.46%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Putra Heights: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Putra Heights

$286 30.8% 55.4% $356

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Putra Heights

$246 26.5% 17.2% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Putra Heights

$98 10.5% 53.7% $114

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Putra Heights

$119 12.8% 30.1% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Putra Heights

$112 12.1% 33.9% $57

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Putra Heights

$20 2.1% 79% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Putra Heights

$47 5.1% 17.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $422 in Putra Heights. 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 68% higher in Putra Heights, 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 $18 in Putra Heights. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $246 – making Putra Heights the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Putra Heights

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

00:49 12:49 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

60,000

💱 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 = 0.22 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 = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Putra Heights 18,940 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Putra Heights

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 Putra Heights: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 77%, 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 $1,390 in Putra Heights. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Putra Heights, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $422 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $18 in Putra Heights. 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 $927 in Putra Heights. That makes Putra Heights about 43% cheaper.

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

For expats, Putra Heights is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 43% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.