Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chittagong and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Chittagong: $371 a month against $406 in Dhaka, rent and utilities included – about $420 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

18

Cost of Living Index in Chittagong
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Chittagong Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

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Chittagong

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$371

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $371 per month in Chittagong vs $406 in Dhaka, rent included.

Chittagong $371
Dhaka $406

A couple spends around $626 per month in Chittagong vs $687 in Dhaka, rent included.

Chittagong $626
Dhaka $687

A family of three spends $881 per month in Chittagong vs $969 in Dhaka, rent included.

Chittagong $881
Dhaka $969

Chittagong is about 9% cheaper than Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chittagong and Dhaka are more affordable than the global median – Chittagong 73% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ৳257

$2.28 ৳282

-8.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.17 ৳1,503

$12.33 ৳1,523

-1.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ৳664

$3.95 ৳488

35.95%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ৳323

$4.48 ৳554

-41.52%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 ৳516

$4.13 ৳510

1.21%

Cappuccino

$1.94 ৳239

$2.28 ৳281

-14.91%

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

$0.40 ৳48.92

$0.33 ৳40.88

21.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 ৳13.77

$0.16 ৳19.86

-31.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 ৳93.0

$0.85 ৳104

-11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳73.9

$0.60 ৳74.5

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ৳77.6

$0.69 ৳85.4

-8.70%

Eggs

$1.16 ৳144

$1.23 ৳152

-5.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 ৳891

$8.80 ৳1,087

-18.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.03 ৳251

$3.33 ৳412

-39.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.22 ৳892

$6.63 ৳819

8.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ৳291

$2.85 ৳352

-17.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 ৳104

$0.90 ৳111

-6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 ৳255

$2.34 ৳289

-11.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 ৳106

$0.63 ৳78.4

36.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 ৳54.3

$0.24 ৳29.59

83.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 ৳96.9

$0.46 ৳57.3

69.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 ৳60.7

$0.35 ৳42.79

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ৳39.89

$0.28 ৳34.24

14.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.38 ৳541

$12.11 ৳1,496

-63.83%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ৳104

$5.31 ৳656

-84.18%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ৳183

$6.42 ৳794

-76.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ৳376

$3.28 ৳405

-7.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ৳25.83

$0.42 ৳52.3

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ৳98.7

$1.19 ৳147

-32.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ৳72.1

$0.39 ৳48.71

48.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 ৳487

$3.28 ৳406

20.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳142

$1.10 ৳136

4.55%

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

$32.0K ৳4.0M

$29.4K ৳3.6M

8.84%

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

$45.5K ৳5.6M

$32.2K ৳4.0M

41.41%

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

$30.32 ৳3,746

$38.28 ৳4,729

-20.79%

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

$5.57 ৳689

$4.09 ৳506

36.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.57 ৳1,553

$9.02 ৳1,114

39.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.87 ৳2,455

$13.66 ৳1,688

45.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.88 ৳1,714

$10.21 ৳1,261

35.95%

Cinema Ticket

$3.68 ৳455

$4.11 ৳508

-10.46%

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

$36.24 ৳4,478

$90.7 ৳11.2K

-60.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,444 ৳178.4K

$2,591 ৳320.2K

-44.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.22 ৳2,869

$17.06 ৳2,108

36.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.79 ৳2,445

$21.38 ৳2,641

-7.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.1 ৳7,053

$51.4 ৳6,355

10.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.68 ৳4,285

$36.78 ৳4,545

-5.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$124 ৳15.3K

$133 ৳16.4K

-6.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$60.0 ৳7,418

$65.1 ৳8,041

-7.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 ৳33.1K

$377 ৳46.6K

-28.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ৳20.1K

$192 ৳23.8K

-15.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$782 ৳96.7K

$1,621 ৳200.3K

-51.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$462 ৳57.1K

$760 ৳93.9K

-39.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$281 ৳34.7K

$246 ৳30.4K

14.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

10.48

9.73%

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

Last update for Chittagong: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chittagong

$112 30.2%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 10.2% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Chittagong

$61 16.3%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 6% $3.6

Accommodation & Living

Chittagong

$60 16.2%

Dhaka

$65 16% 8.4% $5

Eating Out

Chittagong

$58 15.6%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 2.4% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chittagong

$48 13.1%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 6% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Chittagong

$27 7.3%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 19.6% $5.3

Getting Around

Chittagong

$4.6 * 1.2%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 500% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $124 in Chittagong 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 14% higher in Chittagong, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Chittagong versus $12.00 in Dhaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $112 vs $124 – making Chittagong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Chittagong

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

20:02 8:02 PM

Same time as Chittagong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,592,439

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Chittagong Dhaka 220 km

From you

Chittagong
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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

Chittagong vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $371 in Chittagong, $406 in Dhaka – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $557 per month in Chittagong and $609 in Dhaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chittagong, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Chittagong and $12.00 in Dhaka. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Dhaka, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $371 in Chittagong and $406 in Dhaka, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Chittagong – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Chittagong. 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.