Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skudai and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Skudai: $900 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Skudai, Malaysia
Medellin, Colombia
Skudai
🇲🇾 Malaysia
$900
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $900 per month in Skudai vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Skudai $900
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,370 per month in Skudai vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Skudai $1,370
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,840 per month in Skudai vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Skudai $1,840
  • Medellin $3,186

Skudai is about 45% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Skudai
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.63 MYR 14.77
$8.09 COP 26.1K
-55.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.25 MYR 74.3
$47.05 COP 151.9K
-61.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.90 MYR 19.96
$9.50 COP 30.7K
-48.42%
Cappuccino
$2.87 MYR 11.68
$3.01 COP 9,734
-4.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MYR 3.38
$1.80 COP 5,809
-53.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.45 MYR 1.82
$1.41 COP 4,560
-68.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.33 MYR 13.56
$3.18 COP 10.3K
4.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.62 MYR 22.87
$5.75 COP 18.6K
-2.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Skudai
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 MYR 7.08
$1.51 COP 4,875
15.23%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 MYR 4.17
$2.38 COP 7,677
-57.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 MYR 6.04
$1.77 COP 5,719
-16.38%
Eggs
$1.66 MYR 6.75
$2.89 COP 9,332
-42.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.64 MYR 39.26
$10.19 COP 32.9K
-5.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.20 MYR 13.03
$9.87 COP 31.9K
-67.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.61 MYR 39.11
$13.99 COP 45.2K
-31.31%
Apples (1kg)
$3.42 MYR 13.91
$3.97 COP 12.8K
-13.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 MYR 6.91
$1.55 COP 5,011
9.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.61 MYR 10.64
$2.18 COP 7,047
19.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.64 MYR 6.66
$2.18 COP 7,050
-24.77%
Potato (1kg)
$1.41 MYR 5.72
$1.96 COP 6,336
-28.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.73 MYR 7.05
$1.59 COP 5,131
8.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 MYR 5.57
$1.15 COP 3,698
19.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 MYR 2.09
$1.24 COP 4,014
-58.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.28 MYR 17.42
$3.96 COP 12.8K
8.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.83 MYR 56.3
$13.68 COP 44.2K
1.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.74 MYR 11.14
$1.66 COP 5,359
65.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 MYR 12.16
$2.26 COP 7,290
32.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Skudai
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.83 MYR 3.39
$1.17 COP 3,770
-29.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.95 MYR 44.58
$77.4 COP 249.8K
-85.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.01 MYR 4.11
$1.27 COP 4,094
-20.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.36 MYR 1.45
$2.05 COP 6,611
-82.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.03 MYR 36.76
$8.55 COP 27.6K
5.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.86 MYR 3.49
$1.35 COP 4,348
-36.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.3K MYR 180.2K
$34.1K COP 110.0M
29.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.0K MYR 146.6K
$34.7K COP 111.9M
3.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Skudai
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$48.79 MYR 199
$170 COP 547.7K
-71.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.16 MYR 33.23
$13.55 COP 43.7K
-39.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.88 MYR 109
$28.07 COP 90.6K
-4.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Skudai
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.95 MYR 150
$43.70 COP 141.1K
-15.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.55 MYR 30.73
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-56.08%
Cinema Ticket
$4.93 MYR 20.09
$6.91 COP 22.3K
-28.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Skudai
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$235 MYR 958
$797 COP 2.6M
-70.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,393 MYR 17.9K
$9,112 COP 29.4M
-51.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Skudai
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.5 MYR 206
$84.7 COP 273.5K
-40.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$16.62 MYR 67.7
$58.0 COP 187.1K
-71.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.2 MYR 314
$135 COP 435.7K
-42.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.4 MYR 348
$97.9 COP 316.0K
-12.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Skudai
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$357 MYR 1,455
$1,208 COP 3.9M
-70.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$311 MYR 1,265
$642 COP 2.1M
-51.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$650 MYR 2,647
$2,028 COP 6.5M
-67.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$565 MYR 2,300
$1,012 COP 3.3M
-44.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,956 MYR 7,962
$4,170 COP 13.5M
-53.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,161 MYR 4,725
$1,910 COP 6.2M
-39.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Skudai
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$657 COP 2.1M
-
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 Skudai: 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
Skudai
$311
Medellin
$642 107% $331
Groceries & Markets
Skudai
$226
Medellin
$297 31.1% $70
Eating Out
Skudai
$111
Medellin
$170 52.5% $58
Clothing & Footwear
Skudai
$103
Medellin
$169 63.4% $66
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Skudai
$84
Medellin
$211 152% $127
Sport & Entertainment
Skudai
$47
Medellin
$58 22.9% $11
Getting Around
Skudai
$17
Medellin
$94 448% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $357 in Skudai 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Skudai versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $297 – making Skudai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇾 Skudai
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
04:36 4:36 AM
15:36 3:36 PM
13 h behind Skudai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
159,733
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Skudai Medellin 19,140 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Skudai
  • 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
Skudai vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Skudai cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,349 per month in Skudai and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Skudai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $357 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Skudai or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Skudai and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Skudai and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $900 in Skudai and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Skudai about 45% cheaper.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Skudai or in Medellin?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Skudai, where all-in costs run around $900, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Skudai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Skudai or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Skudai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Skudai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 45% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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