Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Skudai Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Skudai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $807 in Skudai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,223 in Skudai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $1,639 in Skudai, rent included.

Medellin costs about 26% more than Skudai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Skudai are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Skudai 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$3.53 MYR 14.30

68.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$19.18 MYR 77.8

73.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$4.83 MYR 19.57

49.69%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.97 MYR 12.05

-45.12%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.69 MYR 2.78

57.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.39 MYR 1.59

87.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$3.61 MYR 14.64

-51.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$5.10 MYR 20.69

-36.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.83 MYR 7.41

-42.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.01 MYR 4.10

27.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.25 MYR 5.08

5.60%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.80 MYR 7.29

26.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$10.82 MYR 43.87

-59.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.44 MYR 13.96

70.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$8.31 MYR 33.69

3.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.69 MYR 10.90

-16.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.51 MYR 6.14

-29.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$2.58 MYR 10.44

-41.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.24 MYR 5.04

14.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.18 MYR 4.80

-0.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.37 MYR 5.57

-14.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.94 MYR 3.80

-5.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.52 MYR 2.11

73.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$4.17 MYR 16.89

-46.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$14.43 MYR 58.5

-23.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$2.78 MYR 11.25

-58.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.97 MYR 12.06

-19.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.68 MYR 2.77

23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$11.65 MYR 47.24

260.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.98 MYR 3.98

43.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.98 MYR 3.98

93.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$9.51 MYR 38.57

-18.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.49 MYR 2.01

106.12%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$31.5K MYR 127.9K

-44.26%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$27.8K MYR 112.6K

-4.59%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$41.22 MYR 167

103.01%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$8.87 MYR 35.96

6.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$22.56 MYR 91.5

6.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$36.97 MYR 150

-31.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$5.99 MYR 24.28

219.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$4.88 MYR 19.81

-15.98%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$189 MYR 765

65.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$6,831 MYR 27.7K

-12.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$48.40 MYR 196

19.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$18.80 MYR 76.2

73.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$59.5 MYR 241

67.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$47.35 MYR 192

129.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$387 MYR 1,570

24.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$267 MYR 1,081

42.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$638 MYR 2,589

31.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$470 MYR 1,906

53.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,940 MYR 7,866

46.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,095 MYR 4,440

11.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.07

229.98%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Skudai: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Medellin versus $387 in Skudai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Skudai. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $219 in Skudai – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Skudai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 26%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,525 per month in Medellin and $1,211 in Skudai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skudai, 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $19.00 in Skudai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,017 in Medellin and $807 in Skudai. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Skudai, where all-in costs run around $807, than in Medellin at $1,017. In Skudai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Skudai – 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 Skudai. 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.