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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $303 in Cox's Bazar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $516 in Cox's Bazar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $729 in Cox's Bazar.

Living in Medellin is roughly 242% more expensive than Cox's Bazar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Cox's Bazar 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$1.61 ৳197

267.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$12.33 ৳1,513

165.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$3.00 ৳368

140.00%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 ৳709

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 ৳298

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.60 ৳196

6.25%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.36 ৳44.14

205.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.12 ৳15.08

500.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.79 ৳96.8

34.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.50 ৳61.5

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$0.48 ৳59.4

189.58%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.05 ৳129

115.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$8.87 ৳1,089

-51.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$1.62 ৳198

260.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$6.97 ৳856

26.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.27 ৳279

-1.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.00 ৳122

8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.63 ৳200

-6.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.31 ৳38.61

341.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.17 ৳20.52

564.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.39 ৳47.49

187.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.40 ৳49.31

112.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.27 ৳33.32

237.04%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$6.44 ৳791

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 ৳308

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ৳413

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$1.89 ৳232

23.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.20 ৳24.49

295.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$10.17 ৳1,248

304.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.28 ৳34.11

414.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.36 ৳43.80

430.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$2.51 ৳308

219.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.04 ৳128

-9.62%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$32.7K ৳4.0M

-45.18%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$33.8K ৳4.1M

-20.74%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$12.14 ৳1,491

591.60%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$2.64 ৳325

263.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$11.27 ৳1,384

114.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$16.16 ৳1,984

60.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$11.71 ৳1,438

62.60%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$2.39 ৳294

64.02%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$24.31 ৳2,984

1160.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$1,376 ৳168.9K

330.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$20.19 ৳2,479

186.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$18.10 ৳2,222

75.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$33.00 ৳4,051

202.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$34.09 ৳4,185

214.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$68.6 ৳8,420

609.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$41.65 ৳5,113

783.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$305 ৳37.4K

170.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$97.6 ৳12.0K

633.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$602 ৳74.0K

385.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$392 ৳48.1K

258.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$288 ৳35.4K

89.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.67

15.08%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cox's Bazar: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $68.6 in Cox's Bazar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 89% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $12.00 in Cox's Bazar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $106 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 242% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $303 including rent). Cox's Bazar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 89% more on average, 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: $487 in Medellin versus $68.6 in Cox's Bazar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cox's Bazar runs roughly 304% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $24.31 in Cox's Bazar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $303 in Cox's Bazar versus $1,034 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 242% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.