Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Bayan Lepas

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $737 in Bayan Lepas, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Bayan Lepas
Learn more

Bayan Lepas Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Bayan Lepas

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Bayan Lepas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Dhaka versus $737 in Bayan Lepas.

Dhaka $426
Bayan Lepas $737

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Dhaka versus $1,228 in Bayan Lepas.

Dhaka $735
Bayan Lepas $1,228

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,043 in Dhaka versus $1,718 in Bayan Lepas.

Dhaka $1,043
Bayan Lepas $1,718

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Bayan Lepas 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ৳305

$3.11 MYR 12.69

-19.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.06 ৳1,604

$17.08 MYR 69.7

-23.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ৳594

$4.07 MYR 16.61

18.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.34 ৳287

$2.82 MYR 11.53

-17.02%

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

$0.30 ৳37.38

$0.85 MYR 3.46

-64.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.96

$0.59 MYR 2.42

-72.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.76 MYR 19.42

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 MYR 19.53

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ৳98.1

$2.50 MYR 10.20

-68.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ৳79.3

$0.95 MYR 3.86

-31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ৳87.2

$0.90 MYR 3.67

-21.11%

Eggs

$1.21 ৳149

$2.03 MYR 8.28

-40.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

$3.41 MYR 13.94

-5.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳823

$6.75 MYR 27.57

-0.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

$3.08 MYR 12.57

-11.36%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳108

$1.60 MYR 6.52

-45.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

$3.15 MYR 12.86

-24.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.5

$1.19 MYR 4.87

-45.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.19

$1.32 MYR 5.38

-81.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

$1.21 MYR 4.93

-59.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.87

$0.71 MYR 2.89

-54.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.30

$0.67 MYR 2.74

-55.22%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.07 ৳1,483

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 ৳677

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳818

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ৳396

$5.08 MYR 20.73

-36.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.89 MYR 81.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$0.67 MYR 2.74

-37.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,769

$14.74 MYR 60.2

52.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.61 MYR 6.57

-26.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$0.74 MYR 3.03

55.41%

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

$30.3K ৳3.7M

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

$33.0K ৳4.1M

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

$46.32 ৳5,690

$24.26 MYR 99.1

90.93%

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

$4.33 ৳531

$11.88 MYR 48.49

-63.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

$30.77 MYR 126

-65.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.37 ৳2,011

$29.52 MYR 121

-44.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,982

$7.26 MYR 29.64

122.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

$4.87 MYR 19.87

-15.20%

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

$90.7 ৳11.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,024

$39.73 MYR 162

-58.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,579

$26.50 MYR 108

-20.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,173

$65.2 MYR 266

-22.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,478

$82.3 MYR 336

-55.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ৳18.6K

$194 MYR 791

-21.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 ৳9,041

$222 MYR 907

-66.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.5K

$499 MYR 2,036

-12.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ৳26.3K

$575 MYR 2,347

-62.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ৳30.6K

$970 MYR 3,960

-74.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

3.5

199.43%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bayan Lepas: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.5%

Bayan Lepas

$184 * 25% 50.2% $61

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$74 17.1%

Bayan Lepas

$222 30.1% 202% $148

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15%

Bayan Lepas

$110 14.9% 71.2% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Bayan Lepas

$67 9.1% 9.2% $5.6

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$56 13%

Bayan Lepas

$96 13% 72.2% $40

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Bayan Lepas

$19 * 2.6% 30.6% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.7%

Bayan Lepas

$39 5.3% 59.3% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Dhaka and $194 in Bayan Lepas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bayan Lepas pays 290% 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: $13.00 in Dhaka vs $17.00 in Bayan Lepas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $184 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇾 Bayan Lepas

🕒 Local time

16:25 4:25 PM

18:25 6:25 PM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

217,600

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.27 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.27 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Bayan Lepas 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Bayan Lepas

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 Bayan Lepas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka and Bayan Lepas differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($426 vs $737 including rent). Dhaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 290% lower in Bayan Lepas. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $152 in Dhaka versus $194 in Bayan Lepas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $17.00 in Bayan Lepas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 53% less than in Bayan Lepas. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Bayan Lepas are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Bayan Lepas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.