Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sarawak

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarawak: $954 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 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 Sarawak
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Sarawak Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Sarawak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$954

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sarawak

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $954 in Sarawak, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Sarawak $954

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,408 in Sarawak, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Sarawak $1,408

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,862 in Sarawak, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Sarawak $1,862

Medellin costs about 72% more than Sarawak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Sarawak is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.58 MYR 14.58

125.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$19.96 MYR 81.2

135.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$4.70 MYR 19.15

102.13%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$2.96 MYR 12.05

1.69%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.77 MYR 3.12

133.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.39 MYR 1.59

261.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$3.95 MYR 16.07

-19.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$4.57 MYR 18.61

25.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.75 MYR 7.12

-13.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.22 MYR 4.97

95.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$1.36 MYR 5.52

30.15%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$2.26 MYR 9.19

27.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$14.46 MYR 58.9

-29.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.07 MYR 16.57

142.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$9.85 MYR 40.09

42.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.90 MYR 11.80

36.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.45 MYR 5.88

6.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$2.38 MYR 9.71

-8.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$1.31 MYR 5.33

66.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$1.23 MYR 5.02

59.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$1.24 MYR 5.06

28.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.11 MYR 4.50

3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.46 MYR 1.89

169.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.27 MYR 17.39

-7.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$16.86 MYR 68.6

-18.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.93 MYR 11.93

-43.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$4.03 MYR 16.39

-43.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.75 MYR 3.04

56.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$10.56 MYR 43.00

632.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.12 MYR 4.55

13.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$0.51 MYR 2.08

301.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$6.93 MYR 28.19

23.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$0.77 MYR 3.15

75.32%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$50.4K MYR 205.0K

-32.37%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$39.9K MYR 162.3K

-13.05%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$52.9 MYR 215

220.52%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$10.66 MYR 43.39

27.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$29.13 MYR 119

-3.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$40.05 MYR 163

9.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$7.22 MYR 29.40

138.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.60 MYR 22.81

23.39%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$241 MYR 980

230.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$6,956 MYR 28.3K

30.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$58.1 MYR 236

45.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$29.97 MYR 122

93.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$87.0 MYR 354

55.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$75.9 MYR 309

28.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$410 MYR 1,668

194.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$318 MYR 1,296

101.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$704 MYR 2,867

187.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$491 MYR 1,998

106.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$2,170 MYR 8,832

92.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,323 MYR 5,387

44.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$349 MYR 1,419

88.52%

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 Sarawak: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Sarawak

$318 33.4% 50.4% $323

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Sarawak

$249 26.1% 16.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Sarawak

$93 9.7% 56.1% $119

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Sarawak

$112 11.7% 34.1% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Sarawak

$113 11.8% 33.2% $56

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sarawak

$17 1.8% 81.6% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Sarawak

$51 5.4% 10.9% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $410 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 89% higher in Medellin. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $20 in Sarawak. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $249 – making Sarawak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Sarawak

🕒 Local time

16:01 4:01 PM

05:01 5:01 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 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 = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Sarawak 18,920 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sarawak

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 Sarawak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 72%, 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 $1,430 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $410 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $20 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 $1,639 in Medellin and $954 in Sarawak. That makes Sarawak about 42% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Sarawak, where all-in costs run around $954, than in Medellin at $1,639. 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.

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