---
title: "Dhaka vs Sylhet for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/dhaka-vs-sylhet
description: "Under balanced weights Sylhet edges it, 42 to 40, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Dhaka is stronger on nothing outright; Sylhet on air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Dhaka vs Sylhet for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Sylhet edges it, 42 to 40, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Dhaka is stronger on nothing outright; Sylhet on air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Air quality.** Sylhet leads on air quality, 21 to 0, against Dhaka. PM2.5: 89.8 µg/m³ vs 40.5 µg/m³.
- **Getting there & around.** Dhaka leads on getting there & around, 14 to 7, against Sylhet. Non-stop airport destinations: 30 vs 11.
- **Internet.** Sylhet leads on internet, 44 to 38, against Dhaka. Measured download: 5.5 Mbps vs 8.3 Mbps.

Where they are close: within five points on cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, climate, quality of life.

**Pick Dhaka if you want** no clear edge over Sylhet in the data.

**Pick Sylhet if you want** faster internet (8.3 Mbps measured); cleaner air.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Dhaka | Sylhet | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 77 | 77 | tie |
| Safety | 55 | 55 | tie |
| Healthcare | 57 | 57 | tie |
| Internet | 38 | 44 | Sylhet |
| Visa ease | 34 | 34 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 14 | 7 | Dhaka |
| Climate | 42 | 42 | tie |
| Air quality | 0 | 21 | Sylhet |
| Quality of life | 43 | 43 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Dhaka | Sylhet | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $950 | $950 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Dhaka | Sylhet | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 1.76 | 1.76 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 49.1 | 49.1 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 54 | 54 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 72.7 yrs | 72.7 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Dhaka | Sylhet | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 5.5 Mbps | 8.3 Mbps | Sylhet |
| Upload | 8.3 Mbps | 7.7 Mbps | Dhaka |

## Visa

| Metric | Dhaka | Sylhet | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Dhaka | Sylhet | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 30 | 11 | Dhaka |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 1 | Dhaka |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Dhaka | Sylhet | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 5 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 89.8 µg/m³ | 40.5 µg/m³ | Sylhet |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Dhaka or Sylhet?

Dhaka and Sylhet cost about the same: roughly $950 per month for one person.

### Is Dhaka or Sylhet safer?

Dhaka and Sylhet score the same on safety (55), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Dhaka or Sylhet?

Sylhet: a measured median of 8.3 Mbps versus 5.5 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Dhaka](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/dhaka) · [Sylhet](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/sylhet). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/dhaka-vs-sylhet