Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sylhet Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sylhet

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,028 per month in Medellin vs $352 in Sylhet, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $560 in Sylhet, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,144 per month in Medellin vs $769 in Sylhet, rent included.

Medellin costs about 192% more than Sylhet, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Sylhet are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Sylhet 74% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Sylhet
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.00 COPΒ 20.6K
$2.09 ΰ§³256
187.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.84 COPΒ 112.5K
$10.57 ΰ§³1,295
210.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.42 COPΒ 25.4K
$4.16 ΰ§³510
78.37%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.03 ΰ§³493
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.27 ΰ§³523
-
Cappuccino
$1.65 COPΒ 5,659
$1.80 ΰ§³220
-8.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.07 COPΒ 3,663
$0.32 ΰ§³38.84
234.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 COPΒ 2,607
$0.16 ΰ§³19.79
375.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.72 COPΒ 5,908
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 COPΒ 11.0K
-
-
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Sylhet
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 COPΒ 3,597
$0.75 ΰ§³92.4
40.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.31 COPΒ 4,479
$0.50 ΰ§³61.0
162.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.34 COPΒ 4,591
$0.65 ΰ§³79.4
106.15%
Eggs
$2.19 COPΒ 7,521
$1.21 ΰ§³148
80.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.41 COPΒ 15.1K
$6.80 ΰ§³834
-35.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.69 COPΒ 19.5K
$2.45 ΰ§³300
132.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.52 COPΒ 29.2K
$6.26 ΰ§³768
36.10%
Apples (1kg)
$2.34 COPΒ 8,023
$2.15 ΰ§³264
8.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.11 COPΒ 3,804
$1.00 ΰ§³123
11.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.52 COPΒ 5,210
$2.03 ΰ§³249
-25.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.37 COPΒ 4,680
$0.51 ΰ§³62.0
168.63%
Potato (1kg)
$1.15 COPΒ 3,950
$0.36 ΰ§³43.57
219.44%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 COPΒ 4,043
$0.66 ΰ§³81.1
78.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.84 COPΒ 2,885
$0.35 ΰ§³43.46
140.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.86 COPΒ 2,931
$0.26 ΰ§³31.67
230.77%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$2.79 ΰ§³342
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.22 ΰ§³272
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.37 ΰ§³536
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.26 COPΒ 7,753
$2.63 ΰ§³323
-14.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.60 COPΒ 39.8K
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 COPΒ 4,109
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 COPΒ 8,484
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Sylhet
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.79 COPΒ 2,721
$0.40 ΰ§³48.55
97.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.83 COPΒ 139.9K
$16.48 ΰ§³2,021
147.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.47 COPΒ 5,023
$0.79 ΰ§³97.1
86.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.92 COPΒ 6,568
$0.34 ΰ§³41.93
464.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.77 COPΒ 26.6K
$1.51 ΰ§³185
414.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 COPΒ 3,464
$0.91 ΰ§³112
10.99%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.7K COPΒ 60.5M
$28.7K ΰ§³3.5M
-38.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K COPΒ 90.7M
$25.4K ΰ§³3.1M
4.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Sylhet
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$81.1 COPΒ 277.9K
$29.62 ΰ§³3,630
173.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.43 COPΒ 32.3K
$4.84 ΰ§³593
94.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.86 COPΒ 81.8K
$13.23 ΰ§³1,622
80.35%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Sylhet
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.99 COPΒ 89.1K
$9.68 ΰ§³1,187
168.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.71 COPΒ 64.1K
$8.02 ΰ§³984
133.29%
Cinema Ticket
$4.09 COPΒ 14.0K
$4.03 ΰ§³494
1.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Sylhet
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$315 COPΒ 1.1M
$37.29 ΰ§³4,571
743.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,022 COPΒ 20.6M
$919 ΰ§³112.6K
555.52%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Sylhet
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.7 COPΒ 204.6K
$13.61 ΰ§³1,668
338.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.97 COPΒ 109.6K
$17.21 ΰ§³2,109
85.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 COPΒ 346.9K
$38.22 ΰ§³4,684
164.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 COPΒ 360.3K
$36.33 ΰ§³4,453
189.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Sylhet
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$485 COPΒ 1.7M
$70.8 ΰ§³8,682
585.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$365 COPΒ 1.3M
$58.7 ΰ§³7,196
521.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$827 COPΒ 2.8M
$165 ΰ§³20.2K
402.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$730 COPΒ 2.5M
$111 ΰ§³13.6K
558.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,992 COPΒ 10.3M
$696 ΰ§³85.4K
329.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,314 COPΒ 4.5M
$349 ΰ§³42.8K
276.02%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Sylhet
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$551 COPΒ 1.9M
$226 ΰ§³27.7K
143.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.43
8.83
52.10%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Sylhet: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Medellin versus $70.8 in Sylhet. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 144% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $11.00 in Sylhet. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $106 – making Sylhet the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Sylhet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sylhet cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 192%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,542 per month in Medellin and $528 in Sylhet. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sylhet, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or Sylhet?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $11.00 in Sylhet. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and cafΓ© pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin vs Sylhet?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,028 in Medellin and $352 in Sylhet. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for Medellin or Sylhet?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sylhet, where all-in costs run around $352, than in Medellin at $1,028. In Sylhet it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Sylhet more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Sylhet – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Sylhet. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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