Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibu and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Sibu: $905 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Sibu
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Sibu Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Sibu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$905

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $905 per month in Sibu vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Sibu $905
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,406 per month in Sibu vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Sibu $1,406
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,906 per month in Sibu vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Sibu $1,906
Medellin $3,186

Sibu is about 45% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sibu sits 34% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 MYR 9.14

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-72.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.22 MYR 77.9

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-59.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.23 MYR 17.14

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-55.47%

Cappuccino

$2.30 MYR 9.31

$3.01 COP 9,735

-23.59%

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

$0.61 MYR 2.48

$1.80 COP 5,809

-66.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 MYR 0.93

$1.41 COP 4,561

-83.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 MYR 11.60

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MYR 18.08

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-22.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MYR 7.14

$1.51 COP 4,876

16.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 MYR 3.54

$2.38 COP 7,678

-63.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.37

$1.77 COP 5,720

-24.86%

Eggs

$2.18 MYR 8.82

$2.89 COP 9,333

-24.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 MYR 54.1

$10.19 COP 32.9K

31.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 MYR 19.88

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-50.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 MYR 40.23

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-29.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MYR 11.60

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-27.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MYR 7.35

$1.55 COP 5,012

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 MYR 9.58

$2.18 COP 7,048

8.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.86

$2.18 COP 7,051

-22.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.59

$1.96 COP 6,337

-29.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.40

$1.59 COP 5,132

-16.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MYR 4.28

$1.15 COP 3,699

-7.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.28

$1.24 COP 4,014

-54.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 MYR 18.18

$3.96 COP 12.8K

13.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.27 MYR 78.1

$13.68 COP 44.2K

40.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 MYR 12.23

$1.66 COP 5,359

81.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.71

$2.26 COP 7,291

103.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MYR 3.21

$1.17 COP 3,771

-32.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.49 MYR 46.59

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-85.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 MYR 4.24

$1.27 COP 4,094

-18.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MYR 2.48

$2.05 COP 6,612

-70.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 MYR 29.47

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-14.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.51

$1.35 COP 4,349

-35.56%

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

$45.5K MYR 184.6K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

33.63%

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

$36.2K MYR 146.6K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

4.27%

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

$48.91 MYR 198

$170 COP 547.8K

-71.17%

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

$7.37 MYR 29.86

$13.55 COP 43.8K

-45.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 MYR 106

$28.07 COP 90.6K

-6.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.13 MYR 110

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-37.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.38 MYR 25.88

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-62.89%

Cinema Ticket

$3.72 MYR 15.10

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-46.16%

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

$243 MYR 984

$797 COP 2.6M

-69.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,876 MYR 27.9K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-24.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 MYR 228

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-33.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 MYR 148

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-37.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 MYR 281

$135 COP 435.8K

-48.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 MYR 317

$97.9 COP 316.0K

-20.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 MYR 1,579

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-67.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 MYR 1,288

$642 COP 2.1M

-50.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,828

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-65.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MYR 2,552

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-37.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,136 MYR 8,660

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-48.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 MYR 4,723

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-39.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$487 MYR 1,974

$657 COP 2.1M

-25.91%

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 Sibu: 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

Sibu

$318 35.1%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 102% $324

Groceries & Markets

Sibu

$258 28.6%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 14.9% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Sibu

$108 11.9%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 56.5% $61

Eating Out

Sibu

$85 9.4%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 99.8% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sibu

$82 9.1%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 156% $129

Sport & Entertainment

Sibu

$35 3.8%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 66.4% $23

Getting Around

Sibu

$19 2.1%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 398% $75

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $390 in Sibu 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 35% 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 $19 in Sibu versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $297 – making Sibu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sibu

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:02 10:02 AM

21:02 9:02 PM

13 h behind Sibu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

198,239

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 = 2.77 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 = 4.53 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 = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sibu Medellin 18,750 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Sibu
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

Sibu vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,357 per month in Sibu 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 Sibu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $390 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Sibu 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 $905 in Sibu and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Sibu about 45% cheaper.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $905 in Sibu and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Sibu – 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 Sibu. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.