Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sungai Petani

For one person, living is cheaper in Sungai Petani: $804 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Sungai Petani
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Sungai Petani Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Sungai Petani

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sungai Petani

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 Sungai Petani actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $804 in Sungai Petani, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Sungai Petani $804

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,203 in Sungai Petani, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Sungai Petani $1,203

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,602 in Sungai Petani, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Sungai Petani $1,602

Medellin costs about 104% more than Sungai Petani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Sungai Petani is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$2.51 MYR 10.19

222.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$17.12 MYR 69.5

174.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$4.49 MYR 18.23

111.58%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.47 MYR 10.03

21.86%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.75 MYR 3.06

140.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.39 MYR 1.56

261.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$3.53 MYR 14.30

-9.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$4.44 MYR 18.03

29.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.79 MYR 7.28

-15.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$1.10 MYR 4.47

116.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.69 MYR 6.85

4.73%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$2.26 MYR 9.18

27.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$9.98 MYR 40.49

2.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$4.52 MYR 18.34

118.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$8.89 MYR 36.06

57.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.02 MYR 12.24

31.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.62 MYR 6.56

-4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.71 MYR 11.01

-19.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$1.40 MYR 5.68

55.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$1.09 MYR 4.44

79.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$1.07 MYR 4.35

48.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.13 MYR 4.60

1.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.59 MYR 2.38

110.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.31 MYR 17.48

-8.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$19.25 MYR 78.1

-28.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$2.86 MYR 11.61

-41.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$5.15 MYR 20.90

-56.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.70 MYR 2.84

67.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$12.26 MYR 49.74

531.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$1.75 MYR 7.08

-27.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.38 MYR 1.53

439.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$7.49 MYR 30.38

14.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$0.48 MYR 1.97

181.25%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$44.6K MYR 181.1K

-23.67%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$35.0K MYR 141.9K

-0.89%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$36.69 MYR 149

362.39%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$9.93 MYR 40.28

36.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$19.96 MYR 81.0

40.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$24.41 MYR 99.0

79.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$14.42 MYR 58.5

19.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$2.86 MYR 11.62

141.61%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$397 MYR 1,609

100.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$10.6K MYR 42.8K

-13.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$59.4 MYR 241

42.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$34.60 MYR 140

67.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$74.4 MYR 302

81.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$69.8 MYR 283

40.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$180 MYR 731

570.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$241 MYR 976

166.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$480 MYR 1,947

322.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$365 MYR 1,481

177.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$1,202 MYR 4,877

246.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$480 MYR 1,948

297.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$490 MYR 1,986

34.21%

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 Sungai Petani: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Sungai Petani

$241 29.9% 62.5% $401

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Sungai Petani

$247 30.7% 16.9% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Sungai Petani

$67 8.3% 68.5% $145

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Sungai Petani

$94 11.7% 44.4% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Sungai Petani

$107 13.3% 36.6% $62

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sungai Petani

$19 2.3% 80% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Sungai Petani

$30 3.8% 47.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $180 in Sungai Petani. 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 34% 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 $17 in Sungai Petani. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $247 – making Sungai Petani the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇾 Sungai Petani

🕒 Local time

18:25 6:25 PM

07:25 7:25 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

545,053

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4.06 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Sungai Petani 18,620 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sungai Petani

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 Sungai Petani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 104%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,206 in Sungai Petani. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sungai Petani, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $180 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $17 in Sungai Petani. 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 $804 in Sungai Petani. That makes Sungai Petani about 51% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Sungai Petani, where all-in costs run around $804, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Sungai Petani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sungai Petani – 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 Sungai Petani. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.