Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Rawang

For one person, living is cheaper in Rawang: $735 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Rawang
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Rawang Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Rawang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$735

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Rawang

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $735 in Rawang, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Rawang $735

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,173 in Rawang, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Rawang $1,173

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,611 in Rawang, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Rawang $1,611

Medellin costs about 123% more than Rawang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Rawang is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.72 MYR 15.07

117.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$19.66 MYR 79.7

139.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$4.97 MYR 20.15

91.15%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$3.00 MYR 12.16

0.33%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.82 MYR 3.33

119.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.40 MYR 1.60

252.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$4.23 MYR 17.14

-24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$4.42 MYR 17.92

30.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.79 MYR 7.26

-15.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.04 MYR 4.21

128.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.69 MYR 6.84

4.73%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.14 MYR 8.67

35.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$14.18 MYR 57.5

-28.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.43 MYR 17.95

122.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$10.17 MYR 41.22

37.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.92 MYR 11.82

35.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.82 MYR 7.40

-14.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.64 MYR 10.72

-17.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.43 MYR 5.79

52.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.22 MYR 4.96

60.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.31 MYR 5.31

21.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.12 MYR 4.56

2.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.57 MYR 2.31

117.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.49 MYR 18.22

-11.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$19.06 MYR 77.3

-28.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.85 MYR 11.57

-41.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$4.94 MYR 20.03

-54.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.77 MYR 3.10

51.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$12.26 MYR 49.72

531.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.74 MYR 7.05

-27.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.37 MYR 1.52

454.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$6.83 MYR 27.68

25.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.83 MYR 3.35

62.65%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$43.5K MYR 176.2K

-21.60%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$35.0K MYR 141.9K

-0.97%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$36.97 MYR 150

358.89%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$9.75 MYR 39.51

38.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$28.46 MYR 115

-1.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$37.63 MYR 153

16.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$6.70 MYR 27.17

156.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.87 MYR 19.75

41.89%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$401 MYR 1,625

98.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$10.9K MYR 44.4K

-16.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$60.1 MYR 244

40.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$34.90 MYR 141

66.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$82.4 MYR 334

63.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$71.1 MYR 288

37.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$143 MYR 578

747.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$104 MYR 423

514.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$576 MYR 2,336

251.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$234 MYR 950

331.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,963 MYR 7,958

112.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,197 MYR 4,853

59.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,012 MYR 4,101

-35.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.17

162.35%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Rawang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Rawang

$104 14.2% 83.7% $537

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Rawang

$262 35.6% 11.8% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Rawang

$75 10.2% 64.4% $136

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Rawang

$115 15.7% 31.9% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Rawang

$112 15.2% 33.8% $57

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Rawang

$19 2.6% 79.8% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Rawang

$47 6.4% 17.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $143 in Rawang. 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 54% higher in Rawang, 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 Rawang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $262 – making Rawang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Rawang

🕒 Local time

23:46 11:46 PM

12:46 12:46 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

50,000

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Rawang 18,900 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Rawang

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 Rawang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 123%, 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 $1,103 in Rawang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rawang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $143 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $20 in Rawang. 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 $735 in Rawang. That makes Rawang about 55% cheaper.

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

For expats, Rawang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 55% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.