Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Miri and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Miri: $805 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.

39

Cost of Living Index in Miri
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Miri Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Miri

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$805

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Miri and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Miri and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $805 per month in Miri vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Miri $805
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,224 per month in Miri vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Miri $1,224
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,644 per month in Miri vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Miri $1,644
Medellin $3,186

Miri is about 51% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.55 MYR 14.40

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-56.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.12 MYR 49.15

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-74.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.42 MYR 17.91

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-53.47%

Cappuccino

$2.26 MYR 9.15

$3.01 COP 9,735

-24.92%

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

$0.80 MYR 3.24

$1.80 COP 5,809

-55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.22

$1.41 COP 4,561

-78.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 MYR 11.77

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-8.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 MYR 15.65

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-32.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MYR 5.69

$1.51 COP 4,876

-7.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 MYR 7.29

$2.38 COP 7,678

-24.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 MYR 4.02

$1.77 COP 5,720

-44.07%

Eggs

$3.43 MYR 13.89

$2.89 COP 9,333

18.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 MYR 19.80

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-50.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 MYR 60.8

$13.99 COP 45.2K

7.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MYR 7.95

$1.55 COP 5,012

26.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.57

$1.24 COP 4,014

-68.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MYR 17.39

$3.96 COP 12.8K

8.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.71 MYR 79.9

$13.68 COP 44.2K

44.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.15

$1.66 COP 5,359

80.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 MYR 9.46

$2.26 COP 7,291

3.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MYR 1.92

$1.17 COP 3,771

-59.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.01 MYR 56.8

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-81.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MYR 5.05

$1.27 COP 4,094

-1.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 MYR 2.38

$2.05 COP 6,612

-71.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MYR 24.24

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-30.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 MYR 2.61

$1.35 COP 4,349

-52.59%

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

$49.6K MYR 201.0K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

45.55%

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

$32.5K MYR 131.8K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-6.23%

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

$49.18 MYR 199

$170 COP 547.8K

-71.01%

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

$9.92 MYR 40.21

$13.55 COP 43.8K

-26.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.44 MYR 136

$28.07 COP 90.6K

19.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.19 MYR 118

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-33.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.25 MYR 25.35

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-63.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.33 MYR 17.57

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-37.34%

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

$99.5 MYR 403

$797 COP 2.6M

-87.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,535 MYR 26.5K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-28.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.80 MYR 182

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-47.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.11 MYR 93.7

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-60.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.3 MYR 224

$135 COP 435.8K

-59.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.17 MYR 175

$97.9 COP 316.0K

-55.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 MYR 1,409

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-71.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 MYR 1,173

$642 COP 2.1M

-54.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 MYR 2,388

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-70.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 MYR 2,343

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-42.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,201 MYR 4,868

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-71.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$680 MYR 2,756

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-64.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$688 MYR 2,789

$657 COP 2.1M

4.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

10.94

-62.34%

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

Last update for Miri: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Miri

$289 36%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 122% $352

Groceries & Markets

Miri

$195 * 24.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 52.6% $102

Eating Out

Miri

$95 11.9%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 77.8% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Miri

$93 11.5%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 128% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Miri

$75 9.3%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 126% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Miri

$38 4.7%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 52% $20

Getting Around

Miri

$20 2.5%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 366% $73

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $348 in Miri versus $1,208 in Medellin. 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 5% higher in Miri, 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 $12 in Miri versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $297 – making Miri the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Miri

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

20:53 8:53 PM

07:53 7:53 AM

13 h behind Miri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,877

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.05 MYR (1 MYR = 0.247 USD). 1 EUR = 4.52 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Miri Medellin 18,420 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Miri
Medellin

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

Miri vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,207 per month in Miri and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Miri, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $348 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Miri and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $805 in Miri and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Miri about 51% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Miri, where all-in costs run around $805, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Miri it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Miri is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 51% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.