Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Putrajaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Putrajaya: $813 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 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 Putrajaya
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Putrajaya Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Putrajaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Putrajaya

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $813 in Putrajaya, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Putrajaya $813

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,227 in Putrajaya, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Putrajaya $1,227

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,640 in Putrajaya, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Putrajaya $1,640

Medellin costs about 102% more than Putrajaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Putrajaya is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.58 MYR 14.52

125.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$18.03 MYR 73.2

160.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$4.48 MYR 18.18

112.05%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.89 MYR 11.71

4.15%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.82 MYR 3.34

119.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.39 MYR 1.59

261.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$3.69 MYR 14.97

-13.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$4.73 MYR 19.19

21.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.75 MYR 7.09

-13.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$1.09 MYR 4.44

118.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.43 MYR 5.81

23.78%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$1.71 MYR 6.94

69.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$7.72 MYR 31.33

31.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$4.70 MYR 19.08

110.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$9.58 MYR 38.86

46.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.46 MYR 10.00

61.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.49 MYR 6.04

4.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.22 MYR 9.00

-1.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$1.63 MYR 6.62

33.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$1.39 MYR 5.64

41.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$1.43 MYR 5.81

11.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.37 MYR 5.55

-16.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.52 MYR 2.10

138.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.30 MYR 17.43

-7.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$13.35 MYR 54.2

2.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$2.98 MYR 12.10

-44.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$3.01 MYR 12.19

-24.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.69 MYR 2.82

69.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$12.13 MYR 49.19

537.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$0.94 MYR 3.81

35.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.47 MYR 1.93

336.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$9.75 MYR 39.55

-12.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$0.69 MYR 2.80

95.65%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$42.8K MYR 173.6K

-20.37%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$34.4K MYR 139.4K

0.91%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$52.5 MYR 213

223.20%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$11.02 MYR 44.72

22.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$22.68 MYR 92.0

23.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$35.81 MYR 145

22.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$9.28 MYR 37.64

85.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.03 MYR 20.40

37.38%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$243 MYR 984

228.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$4,555 MYR 18.5K

100.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$54.4 MYR 221

55.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$16.78 MYR 68.1

245.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$80.2 MYR 325

68.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$87.0 MYR 353

12.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$345 MYR 1,398

250.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$225 MYR 914

184.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$633 MYR 2,570

220.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$370 MYR 1,501

173.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$2,682 MYR 10.9K

55.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,783 MYR 7,235

7.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,029 MYR 4,176

-36.16%

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 Putrajaya: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Putrajaya

$225 27.7% 64.9% $416

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Putrajaya

$221 27.2% 25.6% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Putrajaya

$86 10.6% 59.2% $125

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Putrajaya

$109 13.5% 35.5% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Putrajaya

$107 13.2% 36.5% $62

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Putrajaya

$18 2.2% 80.5% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Putrajaya

$46 5.6% 20.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $345 in Putrajaya. 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 57% higher in Putrajaya, 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 Putrajaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $221 – making Putrajaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Putrajaya

🕒 Local time

13:04 1:04 PM

02:04 2:04 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

109,202

💱 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 →

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Medellin Putrajaya 18,950 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Putrajaya

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 Putrajaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 102%, 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 $1,220 in Putrajaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Putrajaya, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $345 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $18 in Putrajaya. 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 $813 in Putrajaya. That makes Putrajaya about 50% cheaper.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $813 in Putrajaya. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Putrajaya is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 50% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.