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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $906 in Skudai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,322 in Skudai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,738 in Skudai, rent included.

Medellin costs about 86% more than Skudai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Skudai is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$3.62 MYR 14.83

121.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$21.46 MYR 87.8

123.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$4.98 MYR 20.37

98.59%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.00 MYR 12.27

4.33%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$0.77 MYR 3.15

148.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.45 MYR 1.82

235.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$3.23 MYR 13.20

-3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$5.94 MYR 24.33

-3.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.74 MYR 7.14

-17.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.04 MYR 4.25

139.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.50 MYR 6.14

18.00%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$1.75 MYR 7.15

69.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$9.92 MYR 40.62

1.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$3.35 MYR 13.71

202.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$9.61 MYR 39.35

48.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$3.45 MYR 14.11

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.68 MYR 6.86

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.73 MYR 11.18

-17.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.69 MYR 6.92

33.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.42 MYR 5.82

43.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.68 MYR 6.89

-8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.31 MYR 5.37

-10.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.54 MYR 2.22

142.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.16 MYR 17.02

-6.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$14.40 MYR 59.0

-2.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$2.75 MYR 11.25

-36.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$3.11 MYR 12.72

-7.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.78 MYR 3.21

56.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$12.11 MYR 49.57

564.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$1.26 MYR 5.18

3.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.38 MYR 1.56

476.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$9.19 MYR 37.61

-5.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$0.77 MYR 3.14

77.92%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$41.1K MYR 168.4K

-32.34%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$32.1K MYR 131.6K

11.30%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$49.87 MYR 204

255.52%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$8.45 MYR 34.58

64.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$27.27 MYR 112

8.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$45.02 MYR 184

-0.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$7.57 MYR 30.98

126.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$4.81 MYR 19.69

38.25%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$162 MYR 664

401.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$4,398 MYR 18.0K

108.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$51.3 MYR 210

74.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$16.77 MYR 68.6

251.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$78.7 MYR 322

75.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$40.23 MYR 165

153.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$371 MYR 1,518

186.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$307 MYR 1,258

115.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$741 MYR 3,031

154.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$444 MYR 1,817

131.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$2,214 MYR 9,062

88.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,218 MYR 4,986

37.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.06

169.46%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Skudai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $371 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $21.00 in Skudai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $231 – making Skudai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 86%, 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 $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,359 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $21.00 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 $1,681 in Medellin and $906 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 $906, than in Medellin at $1,681. 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.