Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bulacan and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $638 in Bulacan, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bulacan
🇵🇭 Philippines
$638
/mo nomad
Dhaka
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$406
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $638 per month in Bulacan vs $406 in Dhaka, rent included.

  • Bulacan $638
  • Dhaka $406

A couple spends around $927 per month in Bulacan vs $687 in Dhaka, rent included.

  • Bulacan $927
  • Dhaka $687

A family of three spends $1,215 per month in Bulacan vs $969 in Dhaka, rent included.

  • Bulacan $1,215
  • Dhaka $969

Bulacan costs about 57% more than Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Bulacan and Dhaka are more affordable than the global median – Bulacan 53% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bulacan
Dhaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.00 ₱126
$2.28 ৳282
-12.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.88 ₱1,000
$12.33 ৳1,523
28.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.71 ₱171
$3.95 ৳488
-31.39%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.48 ৳554
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.13 ৳510
-
Cappuccino
$1.79 ₱112
$2.28 ৳281
-21.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.44 ₱27.72
$0.33 ৳40.88
33.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 ₱16.39
$0.16 ৳19.86
62.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.93 ₱58.4
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 ₱101
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bulacan
Dhaka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.61 ₱102
$0.85 ৳104
89.41%
White Bread (500g)
$1.16 ₱73.1
$0.60 ৳74.5
93.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.95 ₱60.1
$0.69 ৳85.4
37.68%
Eggs
$1.79 ₱113
$1.23 ৳152
45.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$2.80 ₱176
$8.80 ৳1,087
-68.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.45 ₱217
$3.33 ৳412
3.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.03 ₱380
$6.63 ৳819
-9.05%
Apples (1kg)
$2.06 ₱130
$2.85 ৳352
-27.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.56 ₱98.2
$0.90 ৳111
73.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 ₱125
$2.34 ৳289
-14.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.04 ₱65.4
$0.63 ৳78.4
65.08%
Potato (1kg)
$1.61 ₱101
$0.24 ৳29.59
570.83%
Onion (1kg)
$1.73 ₱109
$0.46 ৳57.3
276.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.62 ₱39.14
$0.35 ৳42.79
77.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ₱31.07
$0.28 ৳34.24
75.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$12.11 ৳1,496
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$5.31 ৳656
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.42 ৳794
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.04 ₱191
$3.28 ৳405
-7.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.53 ₱222
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 ₱56.3
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 ₱98.1
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Bulacan
Dhaka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.19 ₱11.81
$0.42 ৳52.3
-54.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.68 ₱421
$22.43 ৳2,772
-70.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.69 ₱43.19
$1.19 ৳147
-42.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.15 ₱9.67
$0.39 ৳48.71
-61.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.87 ₱118
$3.28 ৳406
-42.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.06 ₱66.7
$1.10 ৳136
-3.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.7K ₱1.4M
$29.4K ৳3.6M
-26.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.4K ₱1.0M
$32.2K ৳4.0M
-49.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bulacan
Dhaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$112 ₱7,031
$38.28 ৳4,729
191.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.26 ₱1,087
$4.09 ৳506
322.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.39 ₱1,472
$9.02 ৳1,114
159.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bulacan
Dhaka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.17 ₱2,340
$13.66 ৳1,688
172.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$0.78 ₱49.15
$10.21 ৳1,261
-92.36%
Cinema Ticket
$5.09 ₱320
$4.11 ৳508
23.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bulacan
Dhaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$96.7 ₱6,088
$90.7 ৳11.2K
6.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$941 ₱59.3K
$2,591 ৳320.2K
-63.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bulacan
Dhaka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.48 ₱1,793
$17.06 ৳2,108
66.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.39 ₱1,221
$21.38 ৳2,641
-9.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.5 ₱4,756
$51.4 ৳6,355
46.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$55.5 ₱3,493
$36.78 ৳4,545
50.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bulacan
Dhaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$237 ₱14.9K
$133 ৳16.4K
78.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$146 ₱9,223
$65.1 ৳8,041
125.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$385 ₱24.2K
$377 ৳46.6K
2.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$215 ₱13.5K
$192 ৳23.8K
11.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,879 ₱118.3K
$1,621 ৳200.3K
15.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,458 ₱91.8K
$760 ৳93.9K
91.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bulacan
Dhaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$290 ₱18.2K
$246 ৳30.4K
17.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
10.48
-35.59%

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

Last update for Bulacan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bulacan
$152
Dhaka
$51 66.3% $101
Groceries & Markets
Bulacan
$147
Dhaka
$124 15.7% $23
Accommodation & Living
Bulacan
$146
Dhaka
$65 55.6% $81
Clothing & Footwear
Bulacan
$81
Dhaka
$57 29.2% $24
Eating Out
Bulacan
$56
Dhaka
$59 5.6% $3.2
Sport & Entertainment
Bulacan
$47
Dhaka
$22 53.8% $25
Getting Around
Bulacan
$8.9
Dhaka
$27 207% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $237 in Bulacan versus $133 in Dhaka. 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 18% higher in Bulacan, 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 $16.00 in Bulacan versus $12.00 in Dhaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $147 vs $124 – making Dhaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Bulacan
🇧🇩 Dhaka
🕒 Local time
02:44 2:44 AM
00:44 12:44 AM
2 h behind Bulacan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,700,000
21,741,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 17, 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
  • Bulacan Dhaka 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bulacan
  • 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
Bulacan vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bulacan or Dhaka?
Bulacan costs about 57% more than Dhaka, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Bulacan and in Dhaka?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $958 per month in Bulacan and $609 in Dhaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Bulacan or Dhaka?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Dhaka, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Bulacan compared to Dhaka?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $638 in Bulacan and $406 in Dhaka. That's a gap of about 57%.
How expensive is transport in Bulacan compared to Dhaka?
Public transport costs about 236% less in Dhaka. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Bulacan or in Dhaka?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $638 in Bulacan and $406 in Dhaka, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Dhaka – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Bulacan or to Dhaka?
If budget matters most, go with Dhaka. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bulacan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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