Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Banda Aceh

For one person, living is cheaper in Banda Aceh: $320 a month against $428 in Dhaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Banda Aceh
Learn more

Banda Aceh Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$428

/mo nomad

Banda Aceh

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$320

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Banda Aceh

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

A single person spends $428 per month in Dhaka vs $320 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Dhaka $428
Banda Aceh $320

A couple spends around $724 per month in Dhaka vs $511 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Dhaka $724
Banda Aceh $511

A family of three spends $1,019 per month in Dhaka vs $702 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Dhaka $1,019
Banda Aceh $702

Dhaka costs about 34% more than Banda Aceh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dhaka and Banda Aceh are more affordable than the global median – Dhaka 68% lower, Banda Aceh 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.50 ৳309

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

15.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.26 ৳1,638

$6.74 Rp 121.3K

96.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ৳616

$3.34 Rp 60.1K

49.40%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 ৳602

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 ৳511

Cappuccino

$2.35 ৳291

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

99.15%

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

$0.33 ৳41.07

$0.38 Rp 6,778

-13.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.62

$0.21 Rp 3,774

-23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 Rp 44.5K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 70.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳105

$1.64 Rp 29.6K

-48.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ৳77.9

$0.86 Rp 15.5K

-26.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.67 ৳83.1

$0.80 Rp 14.5K

-16.25%

Eggs

$1.19 ৳147

$1.65 Rp 29.7K

-27.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 ৳1,092

$8.49 Rp 152.9K

4.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ৳408

$2.42 Rp 43.6K

36.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 ৳792

$6.59 Rp 118.7K

-2.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ৳340

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

25.57%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 ৳116

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

10.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳293

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

196.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 ৳79.1

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

-24.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.26 ৳32.25

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

-67.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

$3.42 Rp 61.5K

-85.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ৳37.63

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

-63.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.49

$0.40 Rp 7,281

-25.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.24 ৳1,512

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.43 ৳671

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 ৳807

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 ৳392

$3.02 Rp 54.4K

4.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ৳47.44

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.06 ৳2,849

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ৳145

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ৳46.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳405

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ৳137

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

33.73%

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

$29.1K ৳3.6M

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

$32.9K ৳4.1M

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

$46.77 ৳5,779

$33.38 Rp 600.8K

40.11%

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

$4.51 ৳557

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

97.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.22 ৳1,387

$23.39 Rp 421.0K

-52.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.43 ৳2,031

$9.66 Rp 173.8K

70.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.87 ৳1,838

$13.06 Rp 235.2K

13.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 ৳519

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

$91.6 ৳11.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,596 ৳320.8K

$1,931 Rp 34.8M

34.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.63 ৳2,055

$27.16 Rp 488.9K

-38.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.80 ৳2,447

$22.04 Rp 396.8K

-10.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.87 ৳5,791

$43.60 Rp 784.8K

7.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.00 ৳4,572

$27.35 Rp 492.3K

35.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$148 ৳18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.8 ৳8,743

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ৳53.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$213 ৳26.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,605 ৳198.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$751 ৳92.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$245 ৳30.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 19, 2026

Last update for Banda Aceh: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.8%

Banda Aceh

$133 * 41.6% 8% $9.9

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$71 16.5%

Banda Aceh

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Dhaka

$65 15.2%

Banda Aceh

$64 20% 1.7% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$63 14.6%

Banda Aceh

$59 18.5% 5.5% $3.5

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$54 12.6%

Banda Aceh

$54 16.9% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Dhaka

$28 6.5%

Banda Aceh

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.8%

Banda Aceh

$9.7 * 3% 61.1% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Dhaka versus $7.00 in Banda Aceh. Groceries tell a different story – $123 in Dhaka vs $133 in Banda Aceh – so Dhaka wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇮🇩 Banda Aceh

🕒 Local time

09:45 9:45 AM

10:45 10:45 AM

1 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

223,446

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Banda Aceh 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Banda Aceh

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 Banda Aceh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dhaka is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $642 per month in Dhaka and $480 in Banda Aceh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Dhaka – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Dhaka and $7.00 in Banda Aceh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $428 in Dhaka and $320 in Banda Aceh, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Banda Aceh. 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.