Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Bago

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $696 in Bago, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Bago
Learn more

Bago Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Bago

🇵🇭 Philippines

$696

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Bago

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dhaka and in Bago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $696 in Bago.

Dhaka $406
Bago $696

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,085 in Bago.

Dhaka $687
Bago $1,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,475 in Bago.

Dhaka $969
Bago $1,475

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 42% less than in Bago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Bago 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$3.77 ₱237

-39.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$15.36 ₱967

-19.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$3.13 ₱197

26.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$2.28 ৳281

$2.06 ₱130

10.68%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.71 ₱44.84

-53.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.31 ₱19.26

-48.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₱66.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₱132

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.45 ₱91.5

-41.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$1.05 ₱65.8

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$0.89 ₱56.0

-22.47%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.70 ₱107

-27.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$5.64 ₱355

56.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$4.68 ₱294

-28.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$7.51 ₱473

-11.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$2.68 ₱169

6.34%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.72 ₱109

-47.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$2.58 ₱163

-9.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$1.29 ₱81.4

-51.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$1.72 ₱109

-86.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$1.86 ₱117

-75.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$1.01 ₱63.3

-65.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.50 ₱31.69

-44.00%

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)

$3.28 ৳405

$3.30 ₱207

-0.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.16 ₱451

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₱56.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₱117

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.21 ₱13.43

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$10.85 ₱683

106.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$0.66 ₱41.31

80.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.23 ₱14.56

69.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$1.93 ₱121

69.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$1.30 ₱81.5

-15.38%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$24.5K ₱1.5M

20.20%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

71.28%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$109 ₱6,893

-65.03%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$13.03 ₱821

-68.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$26.14 ₱1,646

-65.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$29.61 ₱1,864

-53.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$5.30 ₱333

92.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$4.97 ₱313

-17.30%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$130 ₱8,157

-29.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$8,189 ₱515.6K

-68.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$36.58 ₱2,303

-53.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$21.81 ₱1,373

-1.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$76.6 ₱4,823

-32.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$63.2 ₱3,977

-41.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$294 ₱18.5K

-54.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$147 ₱9,268

-55.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$455 ₱28.6K

-17.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$347 ₱21.9K

-44.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$2,607 ₱164.2K

-37.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$876 ₱55.1K

-13.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

6.79

54.34%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Bago

$180 25.9% 45.8% $57

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Bago

$147 21.2% 126% $82

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Bago

$78 11.2% 31.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Bago

$89 12.8% 56.5% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Bago

$149 21.4% 189% $97

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Bago

$14 1.9% 50.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Bago

$40 5.7% 80.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $294 in Bago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12.00 in Dhaka vs $15.00 in Bago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $180 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇵🇭 Bago

🕒 Local time

05:04 5:04 AM

07:04 7:04 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

191,210

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Bago 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Bago

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

Dhaka vs Bago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $609 in Dhaka and $1,044 in Bago to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Dhaka versus $294 in Bago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $90.7 in Dhaka versus $130 in Bago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Bago. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 72% less than in Bago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.