Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Dhaka versus $1,589 in Medellin.

Dhaka $426
Medellin $1,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Dhaka versus $2,364 in Medellin.

Dhaka $735
Medellin $2,364

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,043 in Dhaka versus $3,139 in Medellin.

Dhaka $1,043
Medellin $3,139

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 73% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dhaka is 68% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ৳305

$8.01 COP 25.5K

-68.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.06 ৳1,604

$46.55 COP 148.3K

-71.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ৳594

$9.43 COP 30.1K

-48.78%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.34 ৳287

$2.91 COP 9,277

-19.59%

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

$0.30 ৳37.38

$1.75 COP 5,585

-82.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.96

$1.32 COP 4,218

-87.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ৳98.1

$1.41 COP 4,495

-43.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ৳79.3

$2.44 COP 7,777

-73.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ৳87.2

$1.63 COP 5,191

-56.44%

Eggs

$1.21 ৳149

$2.82 COP 8,990

-57.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

$9.69 COP 30.9K

-10.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

$9.32 COP 29.7K

-65.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳823

$13.46 COP 42.9K

-50.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

$4.00 COP 12.8K

-31.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳108

$1.48 COP 4,719

-40.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

$2.12 COP 6,768

11.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.5

$2.25 COP 7,178

-71.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.19

$1.91 COP 6,092

-87.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

$1.62 COP 5,160

-69.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.87

$1.15 COP 3,658

-72.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.30

$1.26 COP 4,021

-76.19%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.07 ৳1,483

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 ৳677

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳818

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ৳396

$3.82 COP 12.2K

-15.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$1.17 COP 3,731

-64.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,769

$75.0 COP 239.0K

-69.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.27 COP 4,056

-6.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.58

$2.05 COP 6,531

-80.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

$8.20 COP 26.1K

-59.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$1.27 COP 4,046

-9.45%

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

$30.3K ৳3.7M

$26.8K COP 85.3M

13.13%

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

$33.0K ৳4.1M

$34.4K COP 109.6M

-3.99%

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

$46.32 ৳5,690

$162 COP 516.9K

-71.44%

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

$4.33 ৳531

$13.12 COP 41.8K

-67.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

$28.09 COP 89.5K

-62.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.37 ৳2,011

$44.33 COP 141.2K

-63.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,982

$16.33 COP 52.0K

-1.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

$6.09 COP 19.4K

-32.18%

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

$90.7 ৳11.1K

$764 COP 2.4M

-88.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.4K

$8,904 COP 28.4M

-70.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,024

$85.0 COP 270.8K

-80.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,579

$57.5 COP 183.2K

-63.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,173

$132 COP 419.8K

-61.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,478

$95.8 COP 305.1K

-61.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ৳18.6K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-85.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 ৳9,041

$604 COP 1.9M

-87.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.5K

$1,802 COP 5.7M

-75.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ৳26.3K

$993 COP 3.2M

-78.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.2K

$3,921 COP 12.5M

-58.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

$1,639 COP 5.2M

-53.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ৳30.6K

$626 COP 2.0M

-60.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

10.94

-4.20%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.5%

Medellin

$288 18.3% 135% $166

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$74 17.1%

Medellin

$604 38.3% 721% $531

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 159% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Medellin

$203 12.9% 232% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$56 13%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 198% $111

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Medellin

$91 5.8% 233% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.7%

Medellin

$57 3.6% 129% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Dhaka and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 151% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $13.00 in Dhaka vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $288 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:10 8:10 AM

21:10 9:10 PM

11 h behind Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Medellin 16,350 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
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

Dhaka vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 273% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 151% lower in Medellin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $152 in Dhaka versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $426 per month in Dhaka versus $1,589 in Medellin – a 273% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 233% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,589 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dhaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 273% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.