Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Banda Aceh and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Banda Aceh: $320 a month against $428 in Dhaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Banda Aceh
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$320
/mo nomad
Dhaka
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$428
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Banda Aceh 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 Banda Aceh and in Dhaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $320 per month in Banda Aceh vs $428 in Dhaka, rent included.

  • Banda Aceh $320
  • Dhaka $428

A couple spends around $511 per month in Banda Aceh vs $724 in Dhaka, rent included.

  • Banda Aceh $511
  • Dhaka $724

A family of three spends $702 per month in Banda Aceh vs $1,019 in Dhaka, rent included.

  • Banda Aceh $702
  • Dhaka $1,019

Banda Aceh is about 25% cheaper than Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Banda Aceh and Dhaka are more affordable than the global median – Banda Aceh 76% lower, Dhaka 68% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Banda Aceh
Dhaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.16 Rp 38.8K
$2.50 ৳309
-13.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$6.74 Rp 121.3K
$13.26 ৳1,638
-49.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.34 Rp 60.1K
$4.99 ৳616
-33.07%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.87 ৳602
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.14 ৳511
-
Cappuccino
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$2.35 ৳291
-49.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 Rp 6,778
$0.33 ৳41.07
15.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.21 Rp 3,774
$0.16 ৳19.62
31.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.47 Rp 44.5K
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.94 Rp 70.9K
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Banda Aceh
Dhaka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 Rp 29.6K
$0.85 ৳105
92.94%
White Bread (500g)
$0.86 Rp 15.5K
$0.63 ৳77.9
36.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.80 Rp 14.5K
$0.67 ৳83.1
19.40%
Eggs
$1.65 Rp 29.7K
$1.19 ৳147
38.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.49 Rp 152.9K
$8.83 ৳1,092
-3.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 43.6K
$3.30 ৳408
-26.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.59 Rp 118.7K
$6.41 ৳792
2.81%
Apples (1kg)
$2.19 Rp 39.5K
$2.75 ৳340
-20.36%
Banana (1kg)
$0.85 Rp 15.4K
$0.94 ৳116
-9.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.80 Rp 14.4K
$2.37 ৳293
-66.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.85 Rp 15.3K
$0.64 ৳79.1
32.81%
Potato (1kg)
$0.79 Rp 14.2K
$0.26 ৳32.25
203.85%
Onion (1kg)
$3.42 Rp 61.5K
$0.49 ৳60.6
597.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.82 Rp 14.7K
$0.30 ৳37.63
173.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.40 Rp 7,281
$0.30 ৳37.49
33.33%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$12.24 ৳1,512
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$5.43 ৳671
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.53 ৳807
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.02 Rp 54.4K
$3.17 ৳392
-4.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Banda Aceh
Dhaka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.38 ৳47.44
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$23.06 ৳2,849
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$1.17 ৳145
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.38 ৳46.99
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.28 ৳405
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$1.11 ৳137
-25.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$29.1K ৳3.6M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$32.9K ৳4.1M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Banda Aceh
Dhaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$33.38 Rp 600.8K
$46.77 ৳5,779
-28.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
$4.51 ৳557
-49.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.39 Rp 421.0K
$11.22 ৳1,387
108.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Banda Aceh
Dhaka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$9.66 Rp 173.8K
$16.43 ৳2,031
-41.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.06 Rp 235.2K
$14.87 ৳1,838
-12.17%
Cinema Ticket
-
$4.20 ৳519
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Banda Aceh
Dhaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$91.6 ৳11.3K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,931 Rp 34.8M
$2,596 ৳320.8K
-25.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Banda Aceh
Dhaka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$27.16 Rp 488.9K
$16.63 ৳2,055
63.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.04 Rp 396.8K
$19.80 ৳2,447
11.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$43.60 Rp 784.8K
$46.87 ৳5,791
-6.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$27.35 Rp 492.3K
$37.00 ৳4,572
-26.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Banda Aceh
Dhaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$148 ৳18.2K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$70.8 ৳8,743
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$432 ৳53.4K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$213 ৳26.3K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$1,605 ৳198.4K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$751 ৳92.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Banda Aceh
Dhaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$245 ৳30.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
10.67
-

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

Last update for Banda Aceh: October 19, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Banda Aceh
$133 *
Dhaka
$123 7.4% $9.9
Eating Out
Banda Aceh
$64
Dhaka
$65 1.7% $1.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Banda Aceh
$59
Dhaka
$63 5.8% $3.5
Clothing & Footwear
Banda Aceh
$54
Dhaka
$54 0.1% $0.1
Sport & Entertainment
Banda Aceh
$9.7 *
Dhaka
$25 157% $15
Getting Around
Banda Aceh
- *
Dhaka
$28
Accommodation & Living
Banda Aceh
- *
Dhaka
$71

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $7.00 in Banda Aceh versus $13.00 in Dhaka. Groceries tell a different story – $133 in Banda Aceh vs $123 in Dhaka – so Dhaka wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Banda Aceh
🇧🇩 Dhaka
🕒 Local time
10:07 10:07 AM
09:07 9:07 AM
1 h behind Banda Aceh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
223,446
21,741,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Banda Aceh Dhaka 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Banda Aceh
  • 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
Banda Aceh vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dhaka cheaper than Banda Aceh?
Yes – Dhaka is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $480 per month in Banda Aceh and $642 in Dhaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do food prices compare in Banda Aceh and in Dhaka?
Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Dhaka – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is eating out cheaper in Banda Aceh or in Dhaka?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $7.00 in Banda Aceh and $13.00 in Dhaka. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Banda Aceh or Dhaka?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $320 in Banda Aceh and $428 in Dhaka, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Banda Aceh or Dhaka more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Banda Aceh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Banda Aceh or Dhaka?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Banda Aceh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dhaka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Banda Aceh vs other spots: cost of living compared

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