Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sandakan, Sabah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sandakan, Sabah: $968 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Sandakan, Sabah
Learn more

Sandakan, Sabah Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sandakan, Sabah

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $968 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Sandakan, Sabah $968

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,470 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Sandakan, Sabah $1,470

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,971 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Sandakan, Sabah $1,971

Medellin costs about 69% more than Sandakan, Sabah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Sandakan, Sabah is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$3.65 MYR 14.86

121.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$19.26 MYR 78.5

144.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$4.56 MYR 18.57

108.33%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$3.07 MYR 12.53

-1.95%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.73 MYR 2.97

146.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.43 MYR 1.75

227.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$4.24 MYR 17.29

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.93 MYR 16.01

46.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.99 MYR 8.11

-24.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.18 MYR 4.80

101.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.49 MYR 6.08

18.79%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.24 MYR 9.13

29.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$11.79 MYR 48.06

-13.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$4.00 MYR 16.31

146.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$9.55 MYR 38.90

46.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$2.84 MYR 11.55

39.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.63 MYR 6.63

-4.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$2.53 MYR 10.30

-13.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.56 MYR 6.37

39.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.39 MYR 5.66

41.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.38 MYR 5.63

15.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.27 MYR 5.15

-9.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.48 MYR 1.94

158.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$4.04 MYR 16.47

-1.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$21.89 MYR 89.2

-37.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$3.12 MYR 12.73

-46.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$4.29 MYR 17.46

-47.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.79 MYR 3.21

48.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$10.67 MYR 43.47

625.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.32 MYR 5.39

-3.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.63 MYR 2.58

225.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$8.09 MYR 32.98

5.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$0.82 MYR 3.32

64.63%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$46.8K MYR 190.5K

-27.13%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$39.7K MYR 161.6K

-12.61%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$48.86 MYR 199

247.22%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$10.09 MYR 41.11

34.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$28.65 MYR 117

-2.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$36.98 MYR 151

18.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$7.38 MYR 30.07

132.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$5.08 MYR 20.70

36.02%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$242 MYR 987

228.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$7,062 MYR 28.8K

29.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$63.1 MYR 257

34.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$30.35 MYR 124

90.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$91.5 MYR 373

47.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$77.2 MYR 315

26.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$379 MYR 1,545

218.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$326 MYR 1,327

97.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$631 MYR 2,569

221.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$589 MYR 2,399

71.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$2,010 MYR 8,190

107.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,149 MYR 4,682

66.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,210 MYR 4,931

-45.70%

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 Sandakan, Sabah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Sandakan, Sabah

$326 33.6% 49.2% $316

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Sandakan, Sabah

$258 26.7% 13.1% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Sandakan, Sabah

$88 9.1% 58.5% $124

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Sandakan, Sabah

$113 11.7% 33.1% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Sandakan, Sabah

$118 12.2% 30.2% $51

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sandakan, Sabah

$18 1.9% 80.4% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Sandakan, Sabah

$47 4.9% 18.1% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $379 in Sandakan, Sabah. 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 84% higher in Sandakan, Sabah, 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 $19 in Sandakan, Sabah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $258 – making Sandakan, Sabah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Sandakan, Sabah

🕒 Local time

11:09 11:09 AM

00:09 12:09 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

439,050

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Sandakan, Sabah 17,980 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sandakan, Sabah

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 Sandakan, Sabah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 69%, 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 $1,453 in Sandakan, Sabah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sandakan, Sabah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $379 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $19 in Sandakan, Sabah. 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 $968 in Sandakan, Sabah. That’s a gap of about 69%.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Sandakan, Sabah, where all-in costs run around $968, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Sandakan, Sabah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Sandakan, Sabah is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 69% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.