Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dhaka

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.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Dhaka

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Dhaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Medellin $1,589
Dhaka $426

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

Medellin $2,364
Dhaka $735

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

Medellin $3,139
Dhaka $1,043

Living in Medellin is roughly 273% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.8K

$2.49 ৳306

221.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 149.9K

$13.06 ৳1,605

256.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.4K

$4.83 ৳594

95.24%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,374

$2.34 ৳287

24.36%

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

$1.75 COP 5,643

$0.30 ৳37.39

483.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,263

$0.16 ৳19.96

725.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,542

$0.80 ৳98.1

76.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,858

$0.65 ৳79.3

275.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,245

$0.71 ৳87.3

129.58%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,084

$1.21 ৳149

133.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.2K

$8.67 ৳1,065

11.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 30.0K

$3.21 ৳395

190.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.3K

$6.70 ৳823

100.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.9K

$2.73 ৳335

46.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,768

$0.88 ৳109

68.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,839

$2.37 ৳291

-10.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,253

$0.65 ৳79.6

246.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,155

$0.24 ৳29.20

695.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,214

$0.49 ৳60.7

230.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$0.32 ৳38.88

259.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,063

$0.30 ৳37.31

320.00%

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 ৳819

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.3K

$3.23 ৳396

18.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,136

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,263

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.42 ৳52.1

178.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 241.5K

$22.54 ৳2,770

232.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,098

$1.19 ৳147

6.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,600

$0.40 ৳48.60

412.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.4K

$3.35 ৳411

144.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,088

$1.15 ৳141

10.43%

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

$26.8K COP 86.2M

$30.3K ৳3.7M

-11.61%

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

$34.4K COP 110.8M

$33.0K ৳4.1M

4.15%

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

$162 COP 522.3K

$46.32 ৳5,692

250.19%

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

$13.12 COP 42.3K

$4.33 ৳532

203.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 90.5K

$10.63 ৳1,306

164.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 142.7K

$16.37 ৳2,012

170.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.6K

$16.14 ৳1,983

1.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.6K

$4.13 ৳508

47.46%

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

$764 COP 2.5M

$90.7 ৳11.1K

742.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.7M

$2,649 ৳325.5K

236.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 273.6K

$16.48 ৳2,025

415.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 185.1K

$21.00 ৳2,580

173.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 424.2K

$50.3 ৳6,175

162.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 308.3K

$36.46 ৳4,480

162.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$152 ৳18.6K

577.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$73.6 ৳9,044

721.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$436 ৳53.6K

313.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$214 ৳26.3K

364.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.6M

$1,622 ৳199.3K

141.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.3M

$761 ৳93.5K

115.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$249 ৳30.6K

151.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.48

4.39%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 87.8% $531

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 57.5% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 69.9% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Dhaka

$56 13% 66.4% $111

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Dhaka

$64 15% 61.4% $102

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 70% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 56.4% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $152 in Dhaka. 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: $47.00 in Medellin vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

01:42 1:42 AM

12:42 12:42 PM

11 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

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).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Dhaka 16,350 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Dhaka

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

Medellin vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 151% 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,589 per month in Medellin versus $426 in Dhaka – 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.