Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tawau Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tawau

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $951 in Tawau, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,399 in Tawau, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,847 in Tawau, rent included.

Medellin costs about 77% more than Tawau, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Tawau is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$3.11 MYR 12.70

157.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$19.83 MYR 81.0

141.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$4.10 MYR 16.74

141.22%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.07 MYR 12.53

1.95%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.02 MYR 4.16

87.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.38 MYR 1.56

297.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.65 MYR 10.81

17.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$4.36 MYR 17.79

31.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.87 MYR 7.64

-22.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.14 MYR 4.65

118.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.49 MYR 6.10

18.79%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.00 MYR 8.17

48.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$13.78 MYR 56.3

-26.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.49 MYR 18.33

125.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$9.84 MYR 40.18

45.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.92 MYR 11.91

41.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.78 MYR 7.28

-9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.17 MYR 8.85

3.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.86 MYR 7.58

20.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.20 MYR 4.89

70.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.02 MYR 4.16

50.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.33 MYR 5.42

-12.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.56 MYR 2.30

133.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.45 MYR 18.17

-12.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$18.95 MYR 77.4

-26.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$2.90 MYR 11.82

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$3.38 MYR 13.81

-15.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.78 MYR 3.17

56.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$11.45 MYR 46.74

602.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.19 MYR 4.87

10.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.49 MYR 1.98

346.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$8.00 MYR 32.64

8.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.73 MYR 2.97

87.67%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$41.5K MYR 169.5K

-32.94%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$34.2K MYR 139.6K

4.60%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$51.0 MYR 208

247.78%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$10.52 MYR 42.93

31.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$28.28 MYR 115

5.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$42.62 MYR 174

5.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$7.38 MYR 30.12

131.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$3.62 MYR 14.77

83.70%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$181 MYR 740

348.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$5,615 MYR 22.9K

63.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$52.0 MYR 212

72.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$30.14 MYR 123

95.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$92.9 MYR 379

48.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$66.9 MYR 273

52.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$382 MYR 1,558

178.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$286 MYR 1,167

131.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$743 MYR 3,032

154.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$535 MYR 2,184

91.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,277 MYR 9,295

83.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,204 MYR 4,917

39.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$416 MYR 1,697

63.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.2

160.48%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Tawau: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $382 in Tawau. 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 63% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $20.00 in Tawau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $258 – making Tawau 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 Tawau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 77%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. 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 $1,427 in Tawau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tawau, 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 $20.00 in Tawau. 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 $951 in Tawau. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tawau, where all-in costs run around $951, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Tawau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tawau – 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 Tawau. 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.