Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarawak and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarawak: $954 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Sarawak
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Sarawak Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Sarawak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$954

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $954 per month in Sarawak vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Sarawak $954
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,408 per month in Sarawak vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Sarawak $1,408
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,862 per month in Sarawak vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Sarawak $1,862
Medellin $3,186

Sarawak is about 42% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Sarawak sits 30% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.64

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-55.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.96 MYR 81.6

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-57.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.70 MYR 19.22

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-50.53%

Cappuccino

$2.96 MYR 12.10

$3.01 COP 9,485

-1.66%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.14

$1.80 COP 5,660

-57.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.60

$1.41 COP 4,443

-72.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.95 MYR 16.13

$3.18 COP 9,990

24.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 MYR 18.69

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-20.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 MYR 7.15

$1.51 COP 4,751

15.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 MYR 4.99

$2.38 COP 7,480

-48.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.55

$1.77 COP 5,573

-23.16%

Eggs

$2.26 MYR 9.22

$2.89 COP 9,093

-21.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.46 MYR 59.1

$10.19 COP 32.1K

41.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 MYR 16.63

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-58.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.85 MYR 40.26

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-29.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MYR 11.85

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-26.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.91

$1.55 COP 4,883

-6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 MYR 9.75

$2.18 COP 6,867

9.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.35

$2.18 COP 6,870

-39.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 5.04

$1.96 COP 6,174

-37.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.08

$1.59 COP 5,000

-22.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 MYR 4.52

$1.15 COP 3,604

-3.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 MYR 1.90

$1.24 COP 3,911

-62.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MYR 17.46

$3.96 COP 12.5K

7.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MYR 68.9

$13.68 COP 43.0K

23.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 MYR 11.97

$1.66 COP 5,222

76.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 MYR 16.45

$2.26 COP 7,104

78.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MYR 3.06

$1.17 COP 3,674

-35.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.56 MYR 43.17

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-86.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MYR 4.57

$1.27 COP 3,989

-11.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$2.05 COP 6,442

-75.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 MYR 28.30

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-18.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 MYR 3.16

$1.35 COP 4,237

-42.96%

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

$50.4K MYR 205.9K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

47.86%

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

$39.9K MYR 163.0K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

15.01%

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

$52.9 MYR 216

$170 COP 533.7K

-68.80%

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

$10.66 MYR 43.56

$13.55 COP 42.6K

-21.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.13 MYR 119

$28.07 COP 88.3K

3.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 MYR 164

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-8.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.22 MYR 29.52

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-58.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 MYR 22.90

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-18.96%

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

$241 MYR 984

$797 COP 2.5M

-69.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,956 MYR 28.4K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-23.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 MYR 237

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-31.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.97 MYR 122

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-48.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 MYR 356

$135 COP 424.6K

-35.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 MYR 310

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-22.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 MYR 1,674

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-66.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 MYR 1,301

$642 COP 2.0M

-50.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 MYR 2,879

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-65.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 MYR 2,006

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-51.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,170 MYR 8,868

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-47.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,323 MYR 5,409

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-30.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$349 MYR 1,425

$657 COP 2.1M

-46.96%

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 Sarawak: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarawak

$318 33.4%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 102% $323

Groceries & Markets

Sarawak

$249 26.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 19.1% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Sarawak

$113 11.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 49.7% $56

Eating Out

Sarawak

$112 11.7%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 51.7% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarawak

$93 9.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 128% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Sarawak

$51 5.4%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 12.2% $6.3

Getting Around

Sarawak

$17 1.8%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 443% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $410 in Sarawak 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 89% higher in Medellin. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Sarawak versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $297 – making Sarawak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sarawak

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

21:45 9:45 PM

08:45 8:45 AM

13 h behind Sarawak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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

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Between locations

Sarawak Medellin 18,920 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Sarawak
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

Sarawak vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,430 per month in Sarawak 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 Sarawak, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $410 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Sarawak 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 $954 in Sarawak and $1,639 in Medellin. That’s a gap of about 72%.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Sarawak, where all-in costs run around $954, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Sarawak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sarawak – 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 Sarawak. 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.