Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,144 in Bangkok, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Bangkok
Learn more

Bangkok Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

Jump to prices

Bangkok

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,144

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,144 in Bangkok versus $426 in Dhaka.

Bangkok $1,144
Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,806 in Bangkok versus $735 in Dhaka.

Bangkok $1,806
Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,467 in Bangkok versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

Bangkok $2,467
Dhaka $1,043

Living in Bangkok is roughly 169% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangkok 15% lower, Dhaka 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.95 ฿99.1

$2.49 ৳306

18.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.28 ฿1,220

$13.06 ৳1,605

177.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.83 ฿229

$4.83 ৳594

41.41%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.73 ฿91.7

$2.34 ৳287

16.67%

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

$0.63 ฿21.33

$0.30 ৳37.39

110.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿12.23

$0.16 ৳19.96

125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 ฿87.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ฿151

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ฿64.0

$0.80 ৳98.1

137.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 ฿51.0

$0.65 ৳79.3

133.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 ฿47.92

$0.71 ৳87.3

101.41%

Eggs

$2.49 ฿83.6

$1.21 ৳149

105.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.59 ฿591

$8.67 ৳1,065

102.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿122

$3.21 ৳395

13.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 ฿443

$6.70 ৳823

96.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 ฿135

$2.73 ৳335

46.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 ฿59.1

$0.88 ৳109

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.5

$2.37 ৳291

17.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 ฿63.1

$0.65 ৳79.6

189.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ฿58.6

$0.24 ৳29.20

625.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$0.49 ৳60.7

218.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 ฿43.48

$0.32 ৳38.88

303.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.43

$0.30 ৳37.31

73.33%

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)

$4.66 ฿157

$3.23 ৳396

44.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 ฿507

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿62.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ฿37.13

$0.42 ৳52.1

161.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.25 ฿1,185

$22.54 ৳2,770

56.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ฿35.48

$1.19 ৳147

-10.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 ฿40.81

$0.40 ৳48.60

202.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.01 ฿202

$3.35 ৳411

79.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿45.82

$1.15 ৳141

18.26%

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

$31.0K ฿1.0M

$30.3K ৳3.7M

2.42%

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

$26.7K ฿896.2K

$33.0K ৳4.1M

-19.31%

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

$106 ฿3,580

$46.32 ৳5,692

129.90%

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

$14.72 ฿495

$4.33 ৳532

239.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.94 ฿603

$10.63 ৳1,306

68.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 ฿1,944

$16.37 ৳2,012

253.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.80 ฿632

$16.14 ৳1,983

16.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 ฿251

$4.13 ৳508

80.63%

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

$579 ฿19.5K

$90.7 ৳11.1K

537.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K ฿546.9K

$2,649 ৳325.5K

514.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 ฿2,344

$16.48 ৳2,025

323.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.48 ฿1,428

$21.00 ৳2,580

102.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 ฿3,287

$50.3 ৳6,175

94.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ฿3,621

$36.46 ৳4,480

195.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$664 ฿22.3K

$152 ৳18.6K

337.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 ฿11.5K

$73.6 ৳9,044

365.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 ฿66.5K

$436 ৳53.6K

353.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 ฿25.0K

$214 ৳26.3K

247.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,940 ฿199.7K

$1,622 ৳199.3K

266.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,098 ฿104.2K

$761 ৳93.5K

306.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 ฿21.0K

$249 ৳30.6K

151.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

10.48

-49.90%

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

Last update for Bangkok: October 5, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bangkok

$342 30.5%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 78.5% $269

Groceries & Markets

Bangkok

$277 24.7%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 55.8% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Bangkok

$143 12.7%

Dhaka

$56 13% 60.9% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangkok

$139 12.4%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 56% $78

Eating Out

Bangkok

$103 9.1%

Dhaka

$64 15% 37.5% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Bangkok

$73 6.5%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 66.1% $48

Getting Around

Bangkok

$47 4.2%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 41.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $664 in Bangkok and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangkok 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: $36.00 in Bangkok vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Bangkok

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

08:57 8:57 AM

07:57 7:57 AM

1 h behind Bangkok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,666,264 Capital

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.71 THB (100 THB = 2.65 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 THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bangkok Dhaka 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bangkok
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

Bangkok vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bangkok and Dhaka differ by about 169% in total monthly costs ($1,144 vs $426 including rent). Dhaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 151% higher in Bangkok, 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: $664 in Bangkok versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $36.00 in Bangkok. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,144 per month in Bangkok versus $426 in Dhaka – a 169% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,144 in Bangkok, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Bangkok. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bangkok and Dhaka are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 169% less than in Bangkok. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.