Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Serdang

For one person, living is cheaper in Serdang: $975 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Serdang
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Serdang Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Serdang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$975

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Serdang

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $975 in Serdang, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Serdang $975

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,441 in Serdang, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Serdang $1,441

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,906 in Serdang, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Serdang $1,906

Medellin costs about 67% more than Serdang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Serdang is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$2.48 MYR 10.13

234.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$16.85 MYR 68.8

178.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$3.76 MYR 15.33

145.74%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$1.94 MYR 7.92

57.22%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.84 MYR 3.43

114.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.47 MYR 1.94

193.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$4.39 MYR 17.92

-26.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$6.21 MYR 25.34

-10.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$2.04 MYR 8.33

-26.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.12 MYR 4.55

111.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-11.92%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.54 MYR 10.37

16.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$13.78 MYR 56.2

-25.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$4.54 MYR 18.50

114.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$9.91 MYR 40.41

40.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.33 MYR 13.57

24.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.86 MYR 7.60

-17.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.25 MYR 9.20

-1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.61 MYR 6.58

40.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.28 MYR 5.24

55.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.34 MYR 5.46

24.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.12 MYR 4.57

5.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.72 MYR 2.95

72.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$4.31 MYR 17.59

-10.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$19.36 MYR 79.0

-28.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$3.47 MYR 14.17

-52.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$4.88 MYR 19.89

-50.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.76 MYR 3.10

63.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$12.22 MYR 49.86

540.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.20 MYR 4.88

6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$1.24 MYR 5.07

73.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$4.77 MYR 19.45

75.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$0.82 MYR 3.36

64.63%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$41.2K MYR 168.1K

-15.62%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$35.2K MYR 143.7K

-1.56%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$63.2 MYR 258

163.64%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$8.89 MYR 36.28

53.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$26.10 MYR 106

11.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$40.33 MYR 165

11.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$7.11 MYR 29.00

141.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$5.09 MYR 20.74

36.94%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$297 MYR 1,210

166.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$13.2K MYR 54.0K

-31.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$72.7 MYR 297

20.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$41.98 MYR 171

38.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$87.4 MYR 356

59.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$96.0 MYR 392

3.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$409 MYR 1,669

151.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$302 MYR 1,231

105.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$682 MYR 2,783

175.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$479 MYR 1,954

110.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$2,055 MYR 8,382

94.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,069 MYR 4,360

59.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$989 MYR 4,035

-32.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.18

161.72%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Serdang: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Serdang

$302 30.9% 51.3% $318

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Serdang

$274 28.1% 8.2% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Serdang

$98 10.1% 53.1% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Serdang

$134 13.8% 22.4% $39

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Serdang

$94 9.7% 44.9% $77

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Serdang

$23 2.3% 76.2% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Serdang

$51 5.2% 14.5% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $409 in Serdang. 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 49% higher in Serdang, 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $17.00 in Serdang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $274 – making Serdang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Serdang

🕒 Local time

02:26 2:26 AM

15:26 3:26 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

130,252

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 25, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Serdang 18,940 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Serdang

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 Serdang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,462 in Serdang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Serdang, 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 $47.00 in Medellin and $17.00 in Serdang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $975 in Serdang. That's a gap of about 67%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Serdang, where all-in costs run around $975, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Serdang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Serdang – 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 Serdang. 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.