Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Bataan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $498 in Bataan, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Bataan despite lower rent and utilities.

Dhaka
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$406
/mo nomad
Bataan
🇵🇭 Philippines
$498
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Bataan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $498 in Bataan.

  • Dhaka $406
  • Bataan $498

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $831 in Bataan.

  • Dhaka $687
  • Bataan $831

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,165 in Bataan.

  • Dhaka $969
  • Bataan $1,165

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 19% less than in Bataan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Bataan 63% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dhaka
Bataan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.28 ৳282
$1.39 ₱87.5
64.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.33 ৳1,523
$16.77 ₱1,056
-26.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.95 ৳488
$2.79 ₱175
41.58%
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
$1.37 ₱86.0
66.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ৳40.88
$0.60 ₱37.61
-45.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.16 ৳19.86
$0.25 ₱15.77
-36.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.98 ₱61.6
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.56 ₱98.3
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
Bataan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.85 ৳104
$1.62 ₱102
-47.53%
White Bread (500g)
$0.60 ৳74.5
$1.17 ₱73.7
-48.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.69 ৳85.4
$1.01 ₱63.6
-31.68%
Eggs
$1.23 ৳152
$1.81 ₱114
-32.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.80 ৳1,087
$5.08 ₱320
73.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.33 ৳412
$3.00 ₱189
11.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.63 ৳819
$8.10 ₱510
-18.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ৳352
$2.21 ₱139
28.96%
Banana (1kg)
$0.90 ৳111
$1.54 ₱97.2
-41.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.34 ৳289
$2.41 ₱152
-2.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.63 ৳78.4
$1.03 ₱64.8
-38.83%
Potato (1kg)
$0.24 ৳29.59
$1.74 ₱110
-86.21%
Onion (1kg)
$0.46 ৳57.3
$1.78 ₱112
-74.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.35 ৳42.79
$0.61 ₱38.47
-42.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.28 ৳34.24
$0.49 ₱30.93
-42.86%
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
$2.26 ₱142
45.13%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$8.80 ₱554
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.98 ₱61.7
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.98 ₱125
-
🚌 Getting Around
Dhaka
Bataan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.42 ৳52.3
$0.24 ₱15.03
75.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.43 ৳2,772
$12.00 ₱756
86.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.19 ৳147
$0.82 ₱51.6
45.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.39 ৳48.71
$0.23 ₱14.46
69.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.28 ৳406
$1.94 ₱122
69.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 ৳136
$1.01 ₱63.4
8.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.4K ৳3.6M
$21.2K ₱1.3M
38.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.2K ৳4.0M
$19.3K ₱1.2M
66.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
Bataan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$38.28 ৳4,729
$47.67 ₱3,002
-19.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.09 ৳506
$17.68 ₱1,113
-76.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.02 ৳1,114
$23.57 ₱1,484
-61.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
Bataan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$13.66 ৳1,688
$32.18 ₱2,026
-57.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.21 ৳1,261
$4.71 ₱297
116.77%
Cinema Ticket
$4.11 ৳508
$5.03 ₱316
-18.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dhaka
Bataan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$90.7 ৳11.2K
$67.7 ₱4,259
34.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,591 ৳320.2K
$10.9K ₱687.3K
-76.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
Bataan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.06 ৳2,108
$28.69 ₱1,807
-40.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.38 ৳2,641
$19.47 ₱1,226
9.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$51.4 ৳6,355
$71.9 ₱4,528
-28.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$36.78 ৳4,545
$56.7 ₱3,572
-35.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
Bataan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$133 ৳16.4K
$167 ₱10.5K
-20.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$65.1 ৳8,041
$52.8 ₱3,324
23.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$377 ৳46.6K
$274 ₱17.2K
37.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$192 ৳23.8K
$186 ₱11.7K
3.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,621 ৳200.3K
$2,394 ₱150.7K
-32.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$760 ৳93.9K
$977 ₱61.5K
-22.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dhaka
Bataan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$246 ৳30.4K
$400 ₱25.2K
-38.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.48
6.75
55.26%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bataan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
$124
Bataan
$172 39.4% $49
Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
$65
Bataan
$53 18.9% $12
Eating Out
Dhaka
$59
Bataan
$47 20.4% $12
Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
$57
Bataan
$80 39.6% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
$51
Bataan
$89 73% $38
Getting Around
Dhaka
$27
Bataan
$15 45.3% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
$22
Bataan
$42 92.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $167 in Bataan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bataan pays 62% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $12.00 in Dhaka vs $17.00 in Bataan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $172 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇩 Dhaka
🇵🇭 Bataan
🕒 Local time
00:39 12:39 AM
02:39 2:39 AM
2 h ahead of Dhaka
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
21,741,000 Capital
6,743
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

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 = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dhaka Bataan 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Dhaka
  • Bataan

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 Bataan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bataan cheaper than Dhaka?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Dhaka or Bataan?
On paper, salaries run 62% lower in Bataan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Dhaka and Bataan?
Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Dhaka versus $167 in Bataan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Dhaka and in Bataan?
Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Bataan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Dhaka or in Bataan?
Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $17.00 in Bataan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 enough for either Dhaka or Bataan?
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.
Is it better to live in Dhaka or in Bataan?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Bataan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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