Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Bukit Mertajam

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $623 in Bukit Mertajam, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. The total is higher in Bukit Mertajam despite lower rent and utilities.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Bukit Mertajam
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Bukit Mertajam Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Bukit Mertajam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Bukit Mertajam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $623 in Bukit Mertajam.

Dhaka $406
Bukit Mertajam $623

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $979 in Bukit Mertajam.

Dhaka $687
Bukit Mertajam $979

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,335 in Bukit Mertajam.

Dhaka $969
Bukit Mertajam $1,335

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 35% less than in Bukit Mertajam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Bukit Mertajam 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$1.93 MYR 7.87

18.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$20.63 MYR 84.2

-40.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$3.93 MYR 16.03

0.51%

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

$3.14 MYR 12.80

-27.39%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.72 MYR 2.93

-54.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.47 MYR 1.93

-65.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.30 MYR 17.52

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 MYR 24.69

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.74 MYR 7.10

-51.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$1.12 MYR 4.58

-46.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$1.94 MYR 7.91

-64.43%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$2.52 MYR 10.26

-51.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$14.07 MYR 57.4

-37.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$4.34 MYR 17.71

-23.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$9.65 MYR 39.35

-31.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$3.49 MYR 14.24

-18.34%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.79 MYR 7.32

-49.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$2.31 MYR 9.42

1.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$1.53 MYR 6.23

-58.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$1.33 MYR 5.42

-81.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$1.41 MYR 5.76

-67.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$1.12 MYR 4.57

-68.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.67 MYR 2.72

-58.21%

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

$4.32 MYR 17.64

-24.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.48 MYR 79.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.65 MYR 14.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.05 MYR 20.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.19 MYR 4.84

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$1.25 MYR 5.11

-68.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$5.03 MYR 20.50

-34.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$0.87 MYR 3.54

26.44%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$41.2K MYR 168.3K

-28.64%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$34.4K MYR 140.4K

-6.55%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$62.4 MYR 255

-38.69%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$8.54 MYR 34.85

-52.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$26.31 MYR 107

-65.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$5.06 MYR 20.65

-18.77%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$242 MYR 989

-62.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$13.0K MYR 52.9K

-80.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$71.6 MYR 292

-76.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$41.95 MYR 171

-49.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$87.5 MYR 357

-41.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$97.3 MYR 397

-62.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$567 MYR 2,312

-56.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

4.18

150.72%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bukit Mertajam: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Bukit Mertajam

$271 43.5% 119% $147

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Bukit Mertajam

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Bukit Mertajam

$103 16.6% 73.8% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Bukit Mertajam

$134 21.5% 136% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Bukit Mertajam

$97 15.6% 89.3% $46

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Bukit Mertajam

$7.5 * 1.2% 72.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Bukit Mertajam

$10 * 1.6% 53.8% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

Bukit Mertajam pays 130% 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 $21.00 in Bukit Mertajam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $271 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇾 Bukit Mertajam

🕒 Local time

10:44 10:44 AM

12:44 12:44 PM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

212,329

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dhaka Bukit Mertajam 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Bukit Mertajam

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 Bukit Mertajam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka and Bukit Mertajam differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($406 vs $623 including rent). Dhaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 130% lower in Bukit Mertajam. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 119% higher in Bukit Mertajam. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $406 per month in Dhaka versus $623 in Bukit Mertajam – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 Bukit Mertajam 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 54% less than in Bukit Mertajam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.