Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chittagong and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chittagong: $373 a month against $2,889 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $30,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chittagong, Bangladesh
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Chittagong
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$373
/mo nomad
Dubai
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
$2,889
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chittagong and in Dubai

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 Dubai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $373 per month in Chittagong vs $2,889 in Dubai, rent included.

  • Chittagong $373
  • Dubai $2,889

A couple spends around $629 per month in Chittagong vs $4,444 in Dubai, rent included.

  • Chittagong $629
  • Dubai $4,444

A family of three spends $885 per month in Chittagong vs $5,999 in Dubai, rent included.

  • Chittagong $885
  • Dubai $5,999

Chittagong is about 87% cheaper than Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chittagong sits 72% below the global median, while Dubai is 114% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chittagong
Dubai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.02 ৳253
$12.94 AED 47.54
-84.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.17 ৳1,519
$83.2 AED 306
-85.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.21 ৳650
$9.35 AED 34.32
-44.28%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.59 ৳324
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.99 ৳498
-
-
Cappuccino
$1.99 ৳248
$5.88 AED 21.60
-66.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 ৳48.02
$1.57 AED 5.77
-75.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.12 ৳15.05
$0.94 AED 3.47
-87.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$13.44 AED 49.38
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$13.57 AED 49.84
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chittagong
Dubai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.75 ৳93.9
$1.86 AED 6.83
-59.68%
White Bread (500g)
$0.56 ৳69.4
$1.56 AED 5.73
-64.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.62 ৳77.8
$2.64 AED 9.68
-76.52%
Eggs
$1.10 ৳137
$3.53 AED 12.96
-68.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.52 ৳938
$12.97 AED 47.62
-42.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.06 ৳257
$9.94 AED 36.51
-79.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.43 ৳927
$12.92 AED 47.45
-42.49%
Apples (1kg)
$2.24 ৳279
$2.55 AED 9.36
-12.16%
Banana (1kg)
$0.83 ৳103
$2.05 AED 7.54
-59.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 ৳248
$1.84 AED 6.77
8.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.79 ৳99.0
$1.54 AED 5.64
-48.70%
Potato (1kg)
$0.44 ৳54.8
$1.17 AED 4.31
-62.39%
Onion (1kg)
$0.77 ৳96.3
$1.02 AED 3.76
-24.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.46 ৳57.0
$1.57 AED 5.75
-70.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.30 ৳37.18
$0.67 AED 2.46
-55.22%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$4.25 ৳530
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 ৳102
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 ৳176
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.87 ৳358
$6.31 AED 23.17
-54.52%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$16.16 AED 59.4
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.58 AED 9.48
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.89 AED 10.60
-
🚌 Getting Around
Chittagong
Dubai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.09 ৳11.12
$1.40 AED 5.15
-93.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$4.90 ৳611
$82.4 AED 303
-94.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ৳96.0
$3.29 AED 12.07
-76.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.58 ৳72.2
$0.65 AED 2.40
-10.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 ৳498
$8.13 AED 29.84
-50.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.14 ৳143
$1.00 AED 3.68
14.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.9K ৳4.0M
$26.3K AED 96.6K
21.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.6K ৳5.6M
$22.0K AED 81.0K
102.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chittagong
Dubai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$29.26 ৳3,652
$239 AED 877
-87.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.54 ৳691
$56.9 AED 209
-90.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.38 ৳1,545
$93.9 AED 345
-86.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chittagong
Dubai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$19.93 ৳2,488
$90.8 AED 334
-78.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.91 ৳1,737
$46.38 AED 170
-70.01%
Cinema Ticket
$3.67 ৳458
$16.24 AED 59.6
-77.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chittagong
Dubai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$34.56 ৳4,314
$934 AED 3,429
-96.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,446 ৳180.5K
$20.9K AED 76.8K
-93.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chittagong
Dubai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$22.57 ৳2,817
$70.7 AED 260
-68.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.67 ৳2,455
$61.3 AED 225
-67.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$56.0 ৳6,994
$103 AED 377
-45.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$34.80 ৳4,343
$116 AED 426
-70.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chittagong
Dubai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$123 ৳15.4K
$2,487 AED 9,134
-95.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$60.6 ৳7,567
$1,520 AED 5,581
-96.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$306 ৳38.2K
$5,234 AED 19.2K
-94.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$163 ৳20.4K
$3,028 AED 11.1K
-94.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$782 ৳97.7K
$6,982 AED 25.6K
-88.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$469 ৳58.5K
$4,433 AED 16.3K
-89.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chittagong
Dubai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$273 ৳34.1K
$3,553 AED 13.0K
-92.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.5
4.57
151.64%

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

Last update for Chittagong: October 31, 2026

Last update for Dubai: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Chittagong
$111
Dubai
$297 167% $186
Accommodation & Living
Chittagong
$61
Dubai
$1.5K 2406% $1.5K
Clothing & Footwear
Chittagong
$60
Dubai
$158 164% $98
Eating Out
Chittagong
$58
Dubai
$307 431% $249
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chittagong
$47
Dubai
$390 726% $342
Sport & Entertainment
Chittagong
$27
Dubai
$123 352% $96
Getting Around
Chittagong
$8.9
Dubai
$95 962% $86

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $123 in Chittagong versus $2,487 in Dubai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Dubai are about 13 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Chittagong versus $83 in Dubai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $111 vs $297 – making Chittagong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇩 Chittagong
🇦🇪 Dubai
🕒 Local time
02:50 2:50 AM
00:50 12:50 AM
2 h behind Chittagong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,592,439
3,790,000
💱 Currency
UAE Dirham AED د.إ
Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 125 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.01 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.17 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.1 AED (1 AED = 0.244 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chittagong Dubai 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chittagong
  • Dubai

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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Chittagong and in Dubai compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $373 in Chittagong, $2,889 in Dubai – Chittagong comes out roughly 87% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Chittagong compared to Dubai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $559 per month in Chittagong and $4,333 in Dubai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Chittagong and Dubai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chittagong, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $123 there versus $2,487 in Dubai.
Which city is more expensive overall: Chittagong or Dubai?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $373 in Chittagong and $2,889 in Dubai. That makes Chittagong about 87% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Chittagong and in Dubai?
Public transport costs about 94% less in Chittagong. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Chittagong, where all-in costs run around $373, than in Dubai at $2,889. In Chittagong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Chittagong or Dubai?
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.
How do I decide between Chittagong and Dubai?
If budget matters most, go with Chittagong. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dubai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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