Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Barisal

For one person, living is cheaper in Barisal: $303 a month against $422 in Dhaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Dhaka, Bangladesh
Barisal, Bangladesh
Dhaka
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$422
/mo nomad
Barisal
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$303
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Barisal

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

A single person spends $422 per month in Dhaka vs $303 in Barisal, rent included.

  • Dhaka $422
  • Barisal $303

A couple spends around $724 per month in Dhaka vs $490 in Barisal, rent included.

  • Dhaka $724
  • Barisal $490

A family of three spends $1,026 per month in Dhaka vs $677 in Barisal, rent included.

  • Dhaka $1,026
  • Barisal $677

Dhaka costs about 39% more than Barisal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dhaka and Barisal are more affordable than the global median – Dhaka 69% lower, Barisal 78% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dhaka
Barisal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.46 ৳307
$1.43 ৳178
72.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.95 ৳1,616
$10.54 ৳1,315
22.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.78 ৳597
$4.70 ৳587
1.70%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.86 ৳607
$2.73 ৳341
78.02%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 ৳548
$4.67 ৳583
-6.00%
Cappuccino
$2.32 ৳290
$1.84 ৳229
26.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35 ৳43.11
$0.27 ৳33.22
29.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.18 ৳22.39
$0.14 ৳17.29
28.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
Barisal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.82 ৳102
$0.70 ৳86.8
17.14%
White Bread (500g)
$0.57 ৳71.3
$0.60 ৳74.7
-5.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.67 ৳83.0
$0.52 ৳64.3
28.85%
Eggs
$1.19 ৳148
$1.19 ৳149
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.24 ৳1,154
$6.12 ৳764
50.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.16 ৳395
$2.26 ৳282
39.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.63 ৳828
$6.44 ৳804
2.95%
Apples (1kg)
$2.68 ৳335
$2.30 ৳288
16.52%
Banana (1kg)
$0.92 ৳114
$0.92 ৳115
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.31 ৳288
$1.99 ৳248
16.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.58 ৳72.4
$0.58 ৳72.8
-
Potato (1kg)
$0.22 ৳27.35
$0.29 ৳36.18
-24.14%
Onion (1kg)
$0.46 ৳57.8
$0.43 ৳53.3
6.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.31 ৳38.67
$0.42 ৳51.9
-26.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.29 ৳36.66
$0.27 ৳33.51
7.41%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$11.95 ৳1,492
$6.76 ৳845
76.78%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.15 ৳643
$3.57 ৳446
44.26%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.33 ৳791
$4.55 ৳568
39.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.26 ৳407
$3.19 ৳398
2.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Dhaka
Barisal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.41 ৳51.3
$0.38 ৳47.88
7.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$20.19 ৳2,521
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.23 ৳153
$0.79 ৳98.7
55.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.41 ৳51.7
$0.38 ৳47.69
7.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.24 ৳404
$2.78 ৳348
16.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 ৳147
$1.04 ৳130
13.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.7K ৳3.7M
$29.2K ৳3.6M
1.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.5K ৳3.9M
$32.0K ৳4.0M
-1.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
Barisal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$46.73 ৳5,834
$20.22 ৳2,524
131.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.25 ৳531
$5.20 ৳649
-18.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.74 ৳1,341
$11.23 ৳1,402
-4.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
Barisal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$17.25 ৳2,154
$7.13 ৳890
141.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.24 ৳1,903
$12.31 ৳1,537
23.80%
Cinema Ticket
$4.50 ৳562
$4.81 ৳601
-6.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dhaka
Barisal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$130 ৳16.2K
$13.55 ৳1,691
857.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.5K ৳1.6M
$686 ৳85.7K
1726.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
Barisal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$15.05 ৳1,879
$16.24 ৳2,028
-7.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.10 ৳2,385
$18.40 ৳2,297
3.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$48.34 ৳6,035
$32.62 ৳4,072
48.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$36.23 ৳4,523
$24.39 ৳3,045
48.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
Barisal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$141 ৳17.6K
$71.4 ৳8,915
97.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$69.6 ৳8,683
$52.2 ৳6,512
33.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$437 ৳54.5K
$133 ৳16.6K
229.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$230 ৳28.7K
$85.4 ৳10.7K
169.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,611 ৳201.1K
$683 ৳85.2K
135.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$782 ৳97.6K
$312 ৳39.0K
150.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dhaka
Barisal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$243 ৳30.4K
$183 ৳22.8K
33.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.79
10.67
1.12%

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

Last update for Dhaka: November 2, 2026

Last update for Barisal: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
$122
Barisal
$103 15.5% $19
Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
$70
Barisal
$52 25% $17
Eating Out
Dhaka
$64
Barisal
$49 23.1% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
$62
Barisal
$37 40.6% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
$53
Barisal
$41 22.8% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
$26
Barisal
$17 36.2% $9.5
Getting Around
Dhaka
$25
Barisal
$4.2 * 83.2% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $141 in Dhaka versus $71 in Barisal. 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 33% higher in Dhaka, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Dhaka versus $11 in Barisal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $122 vs $103 – making Barisal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇩 Dhaka
🇧🇩 Barisal
🕒 Local time
01:36 1:36 AM
01:36 1:36 AM
Same time as Dhaka
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
21,741,000 Capital
339,308
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 125 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.01 USD). 1 EUR = 141 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dhaka Barisal 120 km
From you
  • Dhaka
  • Barisal

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 Barisal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Barisal cheaper than Dhaka?
Yes – Dhaka is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $633 per month in Dhaka and $455 in Barisal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Barisal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $71 there versus $141 in Dhaka.
What are total monthly expenses in Dhaka and in Barisal?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $422 in Dhaka and $303 in Barisal. That makes Barisal about 28% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $130 per month in Dhaka and $13.55 in Barisal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Dhaka or Barisal?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $422 in Dhaka and $303 in Barisal, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Dhaka or Barisal more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Barisal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Barisal. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dhaka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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