Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cox's Bazar Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cox's Bazar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $353 in Cox's Bazar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $567 in Cox's Bazar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $782 in Cox's Bazar.

Living in Medellin is roughly 376% more expensive than in Cox's Bazar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Cox's Bazar is 74% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$1.59 ৳195

404.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$12.20 ৳1,497

292.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$3.00 ৳368

229.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 ৳326

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 ৳308

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.01 ৳247

55.72%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.40 ৳48.49

377.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.12 ৳15.17

1158.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.76 ৳93.0

89.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.47 ৳58.2

429.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.64 ৳78.0

176.56%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.04 ৳128

184.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.23 ৳887

39.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$2.13 ৳262

375.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$7.29 ৳895

96.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.34 ৳287

76.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.83 ৳102

93.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.60 ৳197

40.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.49 ৳59.5

359.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.47 ৳57.7

334.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.54 ৳66.4

185.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.45 ৳54.8

160.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.30 ৳36.30

336.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.98 ৳979

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ৳320

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ৳548

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.84 ৳225

111.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.29 ৳35.73

351.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.36 ৳43.65

508.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$3.96 ৳486

119.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.11 ৳136

23.42%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$32.6K ৳4.0M

-14.60%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$34.4K ৳4.2M

3.95%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$12.27 ৳1,506

1344.99%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$2.59 ৳318

435.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$11.52 ৳1,413

157.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$16.14 ৳1,981

178.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$4.14 ৳508

313.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$2.31 ৳283

187.88%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$24.74 ৳3,036

3185.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$1,440 ৳176.7K

537.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$22.92 ৳2,812

290.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$18.27 ৳2,242

222.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$33.08 ৳4,059

317.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$34.76 ৳4,265

193.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$160 ৳19.7K

562.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$98.2 ৳12.0K

575.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$310 ৳38.0K

509.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$160 ৳19.6K

543.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$352 ৳43.2K

1087.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$259 ৳31.8K

547.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$280 ৳34.4K

141.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.5

-4.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cox's Bazar: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $160 in Cox's Bazar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 142% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $12.00 in Cox's Bazar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $107 per month, with Cox's Bazar cheaper across the board.

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

Medellin vs Cox's Bazar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Cox's Bazar differ by about 376% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $353 including rent). Cox's Bazar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 142% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $160 in Cox's Bazar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 186% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $353 in Cox's Bazar – a 376% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $353 in Cox's Bazar versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cox's Bazar but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cox's Bazar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Cox's Bazar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 376% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.