Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Seri Iskandar

For one person, living is cheaper in Seri Iskandar: $708 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Seri Iskandar
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Seri Iskandar Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Seri Iskandar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$708

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Seri Iskandar

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $708 in Seri Iskandar, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Seri Iskandar $708

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $917 in Seri Iskandar, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Seri Iskandar $917

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,126 in Seri Iskandar, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Seri Iskandar $1,126

Medellin costs about 132% more than Seri Iskandar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Seri Iskandar is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$2.74 MYR 11.18

195.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$29.75 MYR 121

58.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$4.72 MYR 19.24

101.27%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$1.02 MYR 4.15

195.10%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.52 MYR 2.13

246.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.26 MYR 1.06

442.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$2.99 MYR 12.19

6.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.62 MYR 14.73

58.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.58 MYR 6.43

-4.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$0.95 MYR 3.88

150.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$0.51 MYR 2.09

247.06%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.03 MYR 8.25

42.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$5.31 MYR 21.65

91.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$1.94 MYR 7.89

408.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$4.47 MYR 18.21

212.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$2.16 MYR 8.80

83.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.69 MYR 6.88

-8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$1.98 MYR 8.06

10.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.03 MYR 4.19

111.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$0.63 MYR 2.56

211.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$0.95 MYR 3.89

67.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.02 MYR 4.15

12.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.63 MYR 2.56

96.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$4.39 MYR 17.87

-9.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$7.42 MYR 30.21

84.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$2.44 MYR 9.93

-31.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$3.72 MYR 15.15

-39.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$1.08 MYR 4.41

8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$12.26 MYR 49.96

531.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.02 MYR 4.17

24.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.24 MYR 5.03

65.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$4.87 MYR 19.83

75.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$0.61 MYR 2.50

121.31%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$19.4K MYR 78.9K

75.86%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$19.6K MYR 79.8K

76.97%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$62.8 MYR 256

170.27%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$8.98 MYR 36.60

50.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$16.79 MYR 68.4

67.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$13.48 MYR 54.9

224.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$6.76 MYR 27.55

154.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$3.73 MYR 15.21

85.25%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$237 MYR 965

236.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$13.1K MYR 53.4K

-30.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$16.83 MYR 68.6

403.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$8.68 MYR 35.36

567.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$60.4 MYR 246

123.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$37.27 MYR 152

162.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$419 MYR 1,707

188.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$287 MYR 1,169

123.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$779 MYR 3,175

160.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$162 MYR 659

525.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$2,030 MYR 8,271

105.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,168 MYR 4,758

63.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$366 MYR 1,489

79.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

447.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Seri Iskandar: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Seri Iskandar

$287 40.6% 55.3% $355

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Seri Iskandar

$158 22.4% 46.7% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Seri Iskandar

$89 12.5% 58.1% $123

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Seri Iskandar

$74 10.4% 56.6% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Seri Iskandar

$55 7.8% 67.2% $114

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Seri Iskandar

$24 3.4% 74.6% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Seri Iskandar

$21 3% 63.6% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $419 in Seri Iskandar. 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 80% 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 $47 in Medellin versus $30 in Seri Iskandar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $158 – making Seri Iskandar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Seri Iskandar

🕒 Local time

13:21 1:21 PM

02:21 2:21 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

14,827

💱 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 = 0.22 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 = 3,502 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 = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Seri Iskandar 18,770 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Seri Iskandar

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 Seri Iskandar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 132%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,061 in Seri Iskandar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seri Iskandar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $419 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $30 in Seri Iskandar. 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 $708 in Seri Iskandar. That’s a gap of about 132%.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Seri Iskandar, where all-in costs run around $708, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Seri Iskandar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Seri Iskandar – 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 Seri Iskandar. 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.