Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shah Alam

For one person, living is cheaper in Shah Alam: $937 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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 Shah Alam
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Shah Alam Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Shah Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$937

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Shah Alam

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $937 in Shah Alam, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Shah Alam $937

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,432 in Shah Alam, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Shah Alam $1,432

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,927 in Shah Alam, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Shah Alam $1,927

Medellin costs about 73% more than Shah Alam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Shah Alam is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$3.69 MYR 15.07

124.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$19.56 MYR 79.8

139.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$4.05 MYR 16.52

128.15%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.98 MYR 12.17

2.35%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.72 MYR 2.95

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.38 MYR 1.57

263.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$3.40 MYR 13.86

-4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$4.34 MYR 17.69

28.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.87 MYR 7.63

-19.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.09 MYR 4.43

117.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.48 MYR 6.05

14.86%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.24 MYR 9.12

32.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$13.92 MYR 56.8

-26.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$4.37 MYR 17.81

122.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$9.48 MYR 38.67

46.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.45 MYR 14.08

19.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.64 MYR 6.71

-6.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.75 MYR 11.20

-19.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.82 MYR 7.40

24.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.21 MYR 4.93

64.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$2.02 MYR 8.26

-17.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.44 MYR 5.86

-18.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.58 MYR 2.35

113.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$4.37 MYR 17.82

-11.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$18.51 MYR 75.5

-25.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.67 MYR 10.90

-37.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$4.45 MYR 18.15

-46.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.75 MYR 3.07

65.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$16.00 MYR 65.3

388.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.24 MYR 5.05

3.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.37 MYR 1.53

481.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$7.23 MYR 29.51

15.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$0.80 MYR 3.26

68.75%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$46.1K MYR 188.3K

-24.67%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$36.2K MYR 147.7K

-4.19%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$37.60 MYR 153

343.22%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$10.01 MYR 40.84

36.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$28.97 MYR 118

0.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$40.53 MYR 165

11.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$5.02 MYR 20.48

242.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$6.41 MYR 26.17

8.74%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$196 MYR 800

303.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$4,644 MYR 18.9K

94.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$58.4 MYR 238

50.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$39.89 MYR 163

45.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$67.8 MYR 276

105.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$68.5 MYR 279

44.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$339 MYR 1,384

203.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$308 MYR 1,258

100.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$569 MYR 2,322

230.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$553 MYR 2,255

82.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,519 MYR 6,197

162.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,170 MYR 4,772

45.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$1,244 MYR 5,076

-46.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.04

170.79%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Shah Alam: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Shah Alam

$308 32.9% 50.2% $311

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Shah Alam

$263 28.1% 11.6% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Shah Alam

$77 8.2% 63.4% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Shah Alam

$106 11.3% 38.9% $67

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Shah Alam

$108 11.5% 37% $63

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Shah Alam

$22 2.4% 76.8% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Shah Alam

$53 5.7% 9.6% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $339 in Shah Alam. 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 88% higher in Shah Alam, 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 $20.00 in Shah Alam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $263 – making Shah Alam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Shah Alam

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

00:12 12:12 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

812,327

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Shah Alam 18,930 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Shah Alam

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 Shah Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,405 in Shah Alam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shah Alam, 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 $20.00 in Shah Alam. 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 $937 in Shah Alam. That's a gap of about 73%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shah Alam, where all-in costs run around $937, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Shah Alam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shah Alam – 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 Shah Alam. 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.