Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changsha and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $784 in Changsha, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Changsha
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Changsha Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Changsha

🇨🇳 China

$784

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $784 in Changsha versus $426 in Dhaka.

Changsha $784
Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,263 in Changsha versus $735 in Dhaka.

Changsha $1,263
Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,742 in Changsha versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

Changsha $1,742
Dhaka $1,043

Living in Changsha is roughly 84% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Changsha 42% lower, Dhaka 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 ¥19.80

$2.49 ৳305

18.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.08 ¥148

$13.06 ৳1,604

69.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥33.35

$4.83 ৳594

3.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.94

$2.34 ৳287

46.58%

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

$0.47 ¥3.12

$0.30 ৳37.38

56.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ¥1.66

$0.16 ৳19.96

56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 ¥8.36

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ¥13.15

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ¥13.09

$0.80 ৳98.1

145.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 ¥15.76

$0.65 ৳79.3

263.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.29

$0.71 ৳87.2

32.39%

Eggs

$1.73 ¥11.56

$1.21 ৳149

42.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.84 ¥85.8

$8.67 ৳1,065

48.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.91 ¥26.13

$3.21 ৳395

21.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.63 ¥77.7

$6.70 ৳823

73.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 ¥19.52

$2.73 ৳335

6.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 ¥9.60

$0.88 ৳108

63.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.73

$2.37 ৳291

-19.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.96

$0.65 ৳79.5

198.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.76

$0.24 ৳29.19

320.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 ¥10.51

$0.49 ৳60.6

220.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.33

$0.32 ৳38.87

103.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ¥3.18

$0.30 ৳37.30

60.00%

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 ৳818

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ¥20.22

$3.23 ৳396

-6.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 ¥83.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ¥7.16

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ¥10.29

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ¥2.38

$0.42 ৳52.1

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.89 ¥99.5

$22.54 ৳2,769

-33.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.84

$1.19 ৳147

23.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.40 ৳48.58

-27.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 ¥30.22

$3.35 ৳411

34.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ¥8.60

$1.15 ৳141

12.17%

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

$19.5K ¥130.2K

$30.3K ৳3.7M

-35.70%

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

$17.4K ¥116.2K

$33.0K ৳4.1M

-47.36%

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

$56.9 ¥380

$46.32 ৳5,690

22.73%

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

$8.83 ¥59.0

$4.33 ৳531

103.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.56 ¥90.6

$10.63 ৳1,306

27.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 ¥367

$16.37 ৳2,011

235.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.39 ¥163

$16.14 ৳1,982

51.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.44 ¥43.01

$4.13 ৳508

55.93%

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

$325 ¥2,169

$90.7 ৳11.1K

257.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ¥112.2K

$2,649 ৳325.4K

533.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.8 ¥546

$16.48 ৳2,024

396.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.27 ¥229

$21.00 ৳2,579

63.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 ¥583

$50.3 ৳6,173

73.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.0 ¥395

$36.46 ৳4,478

61.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 ¥1,770

$152 ৳18.6K

74.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ¥1,122

$73.6 ৳9,041

128.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 ¥3,804

$436 ৳53.5K

30.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 ¥2,561

$214 ৳26.3K

79.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,477 ¥16.6K

$1,622 ৳199.2K

52.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,393 ¥9,308

$761 ৳93.5K

82.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,097 ¥7,331

$249 ৳30.6K

340.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

10.48

-66.98%

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

Last update for Changsha: October 4, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Changsha

$235 30.1%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 47.9% $113

Accommodation & Living

Changsha

$168 21.5%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 56.2% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Changsha

$118 15.1%

Dhaka

$56 13% 52.7% $62

Eating Out

Changsha

$93 11.9%

Dhaka

$64 15% 30.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changsha

$79 10.2%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 22.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Changsha

$68 8.7%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 63.7% $43

Getting Around

Changsha

$19 2.5%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 42.6% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $265 in Changsha and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changsha pays 341% 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: $22.00 in Changsha vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Changsha

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

15:10 3:10 PM

13:10 1:10 PM

2 h behind Changsha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,289,000

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 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 CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Changsha Dhaka 2,300 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Changsha
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

Changsha vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changsha and Dhaka differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($784 vs $426 including rent). Dhaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 341% higher in Changsha, 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: $265 in Changsha 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 $22.00 in Changsha. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $784 per month in Changsha versus $426 in Dhaka – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Dhaka gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Changsha. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.