Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dhaka Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dhaka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,687 in Medellin versus $433 in Dhaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,535 in Medellin versus $725 in Dhaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Medellin versus $1,017 in Dhaka.

Living in Medellin is roughly 290% more expensive than in Dhaka, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Dhaka is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$2.42 ৳295

226.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$12.25 ৳1,495

263.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$4.97 ৳606

86.92%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 ৳618

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 ৳494

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$2.37 ৳289

22.36%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$0.33 ৳39.66

448.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$0.19 ৳23.71

715.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$0.86 ৳104

60.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$0.57 ৳69.8

329.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$0.63 ৳76.7

139.68%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$1.17 ৳143

137.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$9.11 ৳1,111

-0.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$3.48 ৳424

206.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$6.65 ৳811

120.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$2.79 ৳340

42.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$0.89 ৳108

55.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$2.45 ৳298

-6.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$0.67 ৳81.4

201.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$0.22 ৳26.81

850.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$0.50 ৳61.2

226.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$0.34 ৳41.85

217.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$0.28 ৳33.74

346.43%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.11 ৳1,477

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.62 ৳686

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 ৳817

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$3.34 ৳407

20.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$0.39 ৳48.02

202.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

$24.17 ৳2,950

230.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$1.20 ৳147

34.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$0.43 ৳52.0

395.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$3.35 ৳409

154.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$1.12 ৳136

20.54%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$29.2K ৳3.6M

-3.11%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$32.0K ৳3.9M

11.54%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$46.17 ৳5,633

227.88%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$3.93 ৳479

233.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$12.16 ৳1,484

165.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$17.17 ৳2,095

169.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

$14.64 ৳1,786

17.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$3.99 ৳487

61.15%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$95.1 ৳11.6K

778.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$2,932 ৳357.8K

203.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$16.65 ৳2,031

436.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$21.28 ৳2,597

159.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$50.8 ৳6,198

168.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$37.12 ৳4,530

194.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$144 ৳17.6K

559.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$69.8 ৳8,515

857.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$425 ৳51.9K

375.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$217 ৳26.4K

429.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$1,639 ৳199.9K

125.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$755 ৳92.1K

109.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

$254 ৳31.0K

145.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

10.98

-5.01%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Medellin and $144 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 146% 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: $45.00 in Medellin vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $125 per month, with Dhaka 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 Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 290% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 146% 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: $952 in Medellin versus $144 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,687 per month in Medellin versus $433 in Dhaka – a 290% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 231% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $433 in Dhaka versus $1,687 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 290% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.