Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Penang: $913 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang 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 Penang and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $913 per month in Penang vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Penang $913
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,403 per month in Penang vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Penang $1,403
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,894 per month in Penang vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Penang $1,894
Medellin $3,186

Penang is about 44% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Penang sits 33% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 MYR 15.12

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-53.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.91 MYR 80.8

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-57.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.39

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-49.68%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.09

$3.01 COP 9,722

-1.00%

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

$0.75 MYR 3.05

$1.80 COP 5,801

-58.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.49

$1.41 COP 4,554

-73.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 MYR 16.47

$3.18 COP 10.2K

27.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 MYR 17.75

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-23.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.56

$1.51 COP 4,869

23.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.39

$2.38 COP 7,667

-54.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.16

$1.77 COP 5,712

-0.56%

Eggs

$2.22 MYR 9.00

$2.89 COP 9,320

-23.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 MYR 54.6

$10.19 COP 32.9K

32.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.06

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-54.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 MYR 35.30

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-37.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MYR 11.84

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-26.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.69

$1.55 COP 5,005

6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.59

$2.18 COP 7,039

19.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.67

$2.18 COP 7,041

-35.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.26

$1.96 COP 6,328

-46.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.53

$1.59 COP 5,125

-29.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.45

$1.15 COP 3,694

-4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.38

$1.24 COP 4,009

-52.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 MYR 19.01

$3.96 COP 12.8K

18.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 MYR 78.4

$13.68 COP 44.1K

41.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.19

$1.66 COP 5,352

80.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 MYR 21.94

$2.26 COP 7,281

139.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MYR 2.03

$1.17 COP 3,766

-57.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.03 MYR 48.79

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-84.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.75

$1.27 COP 4,089

30.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.53

$2.05 COP 6,603

-81.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 MYR 30.31

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-12.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 MYR 3.83

$1.35 COP 4,343

-29.63%

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

$44.2K MYR 179.3K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

29.72%

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

$35.8K MYR 145.1K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

3.14%

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

$36.68 MYR 149

$170 COP 547.0K

-78.38%

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

$9.56 MYR 38.77

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-29.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.49 MYR 120

$28.07 COP 90.5K

5.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 MYR 159

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-10.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.85 MYR 19.69

$17.19 COP 55.4K

-71.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MYR 19.39

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-30.82%

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

$398 MYR 1,613

$797 COP 2.6M

-50.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.0K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

16.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MYR 247

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-28.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 MYR 144

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-38.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 MYR 339

$135 COP 435.2K

-38.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 MYR 285

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-28.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 MYR 1,655

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-66.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 MYR 1,165

$642 COP 2.1M

-55.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,830

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-65.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MYR 2,167

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-47.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,117 MYR 8,587

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-49.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 MYR 5,115

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-34.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 MYR 3,779

$657 COP 2.1M

41.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

10.94

-63.07%

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

Last update for Penang: 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

Penang

$287 31.5%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 123% $354

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$257 28.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 15.4% $40

Eating Out

Penang

$113 12.4%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 49.5% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$113 12.3%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 50.1% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.3%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 179% $136

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.3%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 18% $8.8

Getting Around

Penang

$18 1.9%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 432% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $408 in Penang 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 42% higher in Penang, 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 $20 in Penang versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $297 – making Penang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

20:20 8:20 PM

07:20 7:20 AM

13 h behind Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4.06 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

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).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Penang Medellin 18,640 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Penang
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

Penang vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 80%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,369 per month in Penang 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 Penang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $408 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Penang 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 $913 in Penang and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Penang about 44% cheaper.

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

For expats, Penang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 44% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.