Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandakan, Sabah and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Sandakan, Sabah: $968 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Sandakan, Sabah
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Sandakan, Sabah Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$968

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $968 per month in Sandakan, Sabah vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Sandakan, Sabah $968
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,470 per month in Sandakan, Sabah vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Sandakan, Sabah $1,470
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,971 per month in Sandakan, Sabah vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Sandakan, Sabah $1,971
Medellin $3,186

Sandakan, Sabah is about 41% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Sandakan, Sabah sits 29% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.65 MYR 14.91

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-54.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.26 MYR 78.7

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-59.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 MYR 18.63

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-52.00%

Cappuccino

$3.07 MYR 12.56

$3.01 COP 9,485

1.99%

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

$0.73 MYR 2.98

$1.80 COP 5,660

-59.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MYR 1.75

$1.41 COP 4,443

-69.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 MYR 17.35

$3.18 COP 9,990

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 MYR 16.06

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-31.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 MYR 8.13

$1.51 COP 4,751

31.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 MYR 4.81

$2.38 COP 7,480

-50.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.10

$1.77 COP 5,573

-15.82%

Eggs

$2.24 MYR 9.16

$2.89 COP 9,093

-22.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.79 MYR 48.20

$10.19 COP 32.1K

15.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.00 MYR 16.36

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-59.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.55 MYR 39.02

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-31.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 MYR 11.59

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-28.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.65

$1.55 COP 4,883

5.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 MYR 10.34

$2.18 COP 6,867

16.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MYR 6.39

$2.18 COP 6,870

-28.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.68

$1.96 COP 6,174

-29.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.65

$1.59 COP 5,000

-13.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 MYR 5.17

$1.15 COP 3,604

10.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.94

$1.24 COP 3,911

-61.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 MYR 16.52

$3.96 COP 12.5K

2.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.89 MYR 89.5

$13.68 COP 43.0K

60.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 MYR 12.77

$1.66 COP 5,222

87.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 MYR 17.51

$2.26 COP 7,104

89.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MYR 3.22

$1.17 COP 3,674

-32.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.67 MYR 43.60

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-86.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 MYR 5.41

$1.27 COP 3,989

3.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 MYR 2.58

$2.05 COP 6,442

-69.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 MYR 33.08

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-5.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.33

$1.35 COP 4,237

-39.26%

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

$46.8K MYR 191.1K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

37.23%

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

$39.7K MYR 162.1K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

14.43%

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

$48.86 MYR 200

$170 COP 533.7K

-71.20%

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

$10.09 MYR 41.24

$13.55 COP 42.6K

-25.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.65 MYR 117

$28.07 COP 88.3K

2.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.98 MYR 151

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-15.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.38 MYR 30.16

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-57.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 MYR 20.77

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-26.48%

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

$242 MYR 990

$797 COP 2.5M

-69.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,062 MYR 28.9K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-22.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 MYR 258

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-25.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.35 MYR 124

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-47.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 MYR 374

$135 COP 424.6K

-32.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 MYR 316

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-21.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 MYR 1,549

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-68.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 MYR 1,331

$642 COP 2.0M

-49.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$631 MYR 2,577

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-68.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 MYR 2,406

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-41.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,010 MYR 8,215

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-51.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,149 MYR 4,696

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-39.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,210 MYR 4,946

$657 COP 2.1M

84.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

10.94

-62.89%

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

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sandakan, Sabah

$326 33.6%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 97% $316

Groceries & Markets

Sandakan, Sabah

$258 26.7%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 15% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Sandakan, Sabah

$118 12.2%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 43.2% $51

Eating Out

Sandakan, Sabah

$113 11.7%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 49.5% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sandakan, Sabah

$88 9.1%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 141% $124

Sport & Entertainment

Sandakan, Sabah

$47 4.9%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 22% $10

Getting Around

Sandakan, Sabah

$18 1.9%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 411% $75

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $379 in Sandakan, Sabah 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 84% higher in Sandakan, Sabah, 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 $19 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $297 – making Sandakan, Sabah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sandakan, Sabah

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

20:01 8:01 PM

07:01 7:01 AM

13 h behind Sandakan, Sabah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

439,050

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.55 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

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).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sandakan, Sabah Medellin 17,980 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Sandakan, Sabah
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

Sandakan, Sabah vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,453 per month in Sandakan, Sabah 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 Sandakan, Sabah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $379 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Sandakan, Sabah 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 $968 in Sandakan, Sabah and $1,639 in Medellin. That’s a gap of about 69%.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Sandakan, Sabah, where all-in costs run around $968, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Sandakan, Sabah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Sandakan, Sabah is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 69% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.