Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Selangor

For one person, living is cheaper in Selangor: $1,145 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Selangor
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Selangor Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,145

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Selangor

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,145 in Selangor, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Selangor $1,145

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,656 in Selangor, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Selangor $1,656

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,168 in Selangor, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Selangor $2,168

Medellin costs about 43% more than Selangor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Selangor is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$4.23 MYR 17.14

91.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$19.90 MYR 80.7

136.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$3.87 MYR 15.67

145.48%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.20 MYR 8.91

36.82%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.88 MYR 3.58

104.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.47 MYR 1.91

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$4.51 MYR 18.29

-29.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$5.12 MYR 20.75

12.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.83 MYR 7.43

-17.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.05 MYR 4.25

126.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.48 MYR 6.02

19.59%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.88 MYR 7.64

53.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$23.03 MYR 93.4

-55.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.96 MYR 20.11

98.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$10.94 MYR 44.35

27.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.13 MYR 16.73

-3.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.77 MYR 7.16

-12.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$3.45 MYR 14.01

-36.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$2.68 MYR 10.86

-18.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.75 MYR 7.09

12.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.07 MYR 4.34

48.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.11 MYR 4.50

3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.57 MYR 2.33

117.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.28 MYR 17.36

-7.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$31.12 MYR 126

-56.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$4.60 MYR 18.64

-63.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$5.64 MYR 22.86

-59.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.76 MYR 3.09

53.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$12.37 MYR 50.2

525.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.19 MYR 4.84

6.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$1.25 MYR 5.06

64.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$4.37 MYR 17.70

95.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.75 MYR 3.03

80.00%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$46.2K MYR 187.4K

-26.32%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$36.0K MYR 145.9K

-3.68%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$76.2 MYR 309

122.67%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$10.68 MYR 43.31

26.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$30.89 MYR 125

-9.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$39.74 MYR 161

9.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$7.00 MYR 28.39

145.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.92 MYR 24.00

16.72%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$121 MYR 489

561.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$7,093 MYR 28.8K

28.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$116 MYR 469

-26.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$65.8 MYR 267

-11.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$78.7 MYR 319

71.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$82.0 MYR 332

19.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$510 MYR 2,067

136.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$346 MYR 1,402

85.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$894 MYR 3,625

126.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$485 MYR 1,966

108.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,787 MYR 7,245

133.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,015 MYR 4,113

88.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,048 MYR 4,250

-37.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.96

176.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Selangor: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Selangor

$346 30.2% 46.1% $296

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Selangor

$343 29.9% 15.4% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Selangor

$118 10.3% 44.3% $94

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Selangor

$110 9.6% 35.1% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Selangor

$154 13.5% 8.9% $15

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Selangor

$23 2% 75.6% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Selangor

$52 4.5% 10.4% $6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $510 in Selangor. 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 60% higher in Selangor, 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 Selangor. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $343 in Selangor – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Selangor

🕒 Local time

08:51 8:51 AM

21:51 9:51 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

281,717

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 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 = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.05 MYR (1 MYR = 0.247 USD). 1 EUR = 4.52 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Selangor 18,890 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Selangor

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 Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 43%, 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 $1,717 in Selangor. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Selangor, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $510 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $20 in Selangor. 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 $1,145 in Selangor. That makes Selangor about 30% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,145 in Selangor, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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