Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sarawak Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sarawak

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $935 in Sarawak, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,410 in Sarawak, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,884 in Sarawak, rent included.

Medellin costs about 80% more than Sarawak, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Sarawak is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$3.72 MYR 15.22

115.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$19.42 MYR 79.5

146.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$4.94 MYR 20.23

100.20%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.96 MYR 12.11

5.74%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$0.81 MYR 3.32

135.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.38 MYR 1.56

297.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$3.67 MYR 15.02

-14.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.37 MYR 17.87

31.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$2.02 MYR 8.27

-28.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.23 MYR 5.04

102.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.63 MYR 6.69

8.59%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.10 MYR 8.60

40.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$15.12 MYR 61.9

-33.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$4.02 MYR 16.44

151.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$10.34 MYR 42.32

38.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$3.09 MYR 12.64

33.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.62 MYR 6.64

-0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.11 MYR 8.65

6.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.74 MYR 7.14

29.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.29 MYR 5.29

58.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.32 MYR 5.42

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.18 MYR 4.84

-0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.50 MYR 2.06

162.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.78 MYR 19.55

-18.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$19.91 MYR 81.5

-29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$3.23 MYR 13.24

-46.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$3.83 MYR 15.69

-25.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.64 MYR 2.60

90.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$13.34 MYR 54.6

503.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$1.26 MYR 5.15

3.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.52 MYR 2.13

321.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$6.70 MYR 27.44

30.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$0.72 MYR 2.94

90.28%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$48.2K MYR 197.2K

-42.22%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$31.9K MYR 130.5K

12.18%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$46.34 MYR 190

282.61%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$8.78 MYR 35.92

58.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$28.27 MYR 116

5.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$35.79 MYR 146

25.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$7.01 MYR 28.68

144.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$5.43 MYR 22.24

22.47%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$162 MYR 665

400.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$4,934 MYR 20.2K

86.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$56.2 MYR 230

59.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$35.00 MYR 143

68.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$72.6 MYR 297

90.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$62.7 MYR 256

63.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$478 MYR 1,955

122.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$348 MYR 1,423

90.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$779 MYR 3,189

142.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$464 MYR 1,901

121.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$1,812 MYR 7,415

130.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,158 MYR 4,738

44.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$349 MYR 1,428

94.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.2

160.48%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Sarawak: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $478 in Sarawak. 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 94% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Sarawak. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $267 – making Sarawak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Sarawak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 80%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,403 in Sarawak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sarawak, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $19.00 in Sarawak. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $935 in Sarawak. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sarawak, where all-in costs run around $935, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Sarawak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sarawak. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.