Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Subang Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Subang Jaya: $1,288 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Subang Jaya
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Subang Jaya Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Subang Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,288

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Subang Jaya

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,288 in Subang Jaya, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Subang Jaya $1,288

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,775 in Subang Jaya, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Subang Jaya $1,775

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,262 in Subang Jaya, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Subang Jaya $2,262

Medellin costs about 27% more than Subang Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Subang Jaya is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$3.63 MYR 14.85

122.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$19.42 MYR 79.4

142.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$4.60 MYR 18.80

106.52%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$2.92 MYR 11.94

3.08%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.72 MYR 2.95

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.37 MYR 1.51

281.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$4.06 MYR 16.61

-21.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.43 MYR 18.10

29.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.80 MYR 7.34

-16.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.06 MYR 4.33

124.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.77 MYR 7.22

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.25 MYR 9.21

28.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$13.84 MYR 56.6

-26.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$4.42 MYR 18.06

123.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$8.78 MYR 35.90

59.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$3.08 MYR 12.57

28.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.83 MYR 7.47

-15.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$2.21 MYR 9.05

-1.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.45 MYR 5.94

50.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.07 MYR 4.36

83.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.08 MYR 4.43

47.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.09 MYR 4.45

5.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.54 MYR 2.19

129.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$4.38 MYR 17.89

-9.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$18.79 MYR 76.8

-27.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,222

$2.99 MYR 12.20

-44.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,104

$4.87 MYR 19.90

-53.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.25 MYR 1.03

368.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$24.29 MYR 99.3

218.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.24 MYR 5.08

2.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.40 MYR 1.65

412.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$4.93 MYR 20.17

73.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$0.87 MYR 3.57

55.17%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$44.0K MYR 180.0K

-22.66%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$35.0K MYR 143.2K

-1.08%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$37.37 MYR 153

353.97%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$10.06 MYR 41.12

34.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$28.58 MYR 117

-1.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$31.43 MYR 128

39.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$2.51 MYR 10.26

584.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$4.87 MYR 19.89

41.89%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$396 MYR 1,620

101.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$10.8K MYR 44.3K

-15.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$59.2 MYR 242

43.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$35.42 MYR 145

63.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$84.0 MYR 343

60.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$71.0 MYR 290

37.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$851 MYR 3,480

41.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$663 MYR 2,709

-3.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,068 MYR 4,364

89.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$906 MYR 3,704

11.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$2,344 MYR 9,580

77.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,876 MYR 7,667

1.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$933 MYR 3,811

-29.53%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Subang Jaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Subang Jaya

$663 51.5% 3.3% $21

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Subang Jaya

$255 19.8% 14% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Subang Jaya

$76 5.9% 64% $135

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Subang Jaya

$111 8.7% 34.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Subang Jaya

$112 8.7% 33.5% $57

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Subang Jaya

$29 2.2% 69.5% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Subang Jaya

$41 3.2% 28.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $851 in Subang Jaya. 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 42% higher in Subang Jaya, 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 in Medellin versus $19 in Subang Jaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $255 – making Subang Jaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Subang Jaya

🕒 Local time

11:08 11:08 AM

00:08 12:08 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

902,086

💱 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 = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.55 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Subang Jaya 18,930 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Subang Jaya

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 Subang Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,932 in Subang Jaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Subang Jaya, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $851 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $19 in Subang Jaya. 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 $1,288 in Subang Jaya. That’s a gap of about 27%.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,288 in Subang Jaya. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Subang Jaya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Subang Jaya is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 27% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.