Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Bulacan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $638 in Bulacan, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Bulacan
Learn more

Bulacan Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Bulacan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Bulacan

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

A single person spends $406 per month in Dhaka vs $638 in Bulacan, rent included.

Dhaka $406
Bulacan $638

A couple spends around $687 per month in Dhaka vs $927 in Bulacan, rent included.

Dhaka $687
Bulacan $927

A family of three spends $969 per month in Dhaka vs $1,215 in Bulacan, rent included.

Dhaka $969
Bulacan $1,215

Dhaka is about 36% cheaper than Bulacan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Dhaka and Bulacan are more affordable than the global median – Dhaka 70% lower, Bulacan 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳281

$2.00 ₱126

14.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,518

$15.88 ₱1,000

-22.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳487

$2.71 ₱171

45.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳552

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳508

Cappuccino

$2.28 ৳280

$1.79 ₱113

27.37%

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

$0.33 ৳40.74

$0.44 ₱27.73

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.80

$0.26 ₱16.40

-38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 ₱58.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₱101

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.61 ₱102

-47.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.3

$1.16 ₱73.1

-48.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.1

$0.95 ₱60.2

-27.37%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.79 ₱113

-31.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,084

$2.80 ₱176

214.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳411

$3.45 ₱217

-3.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳816

$6.03 ₱380

9.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳351

$2.06 ₱130

38.35%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.56 ₱98.2

-42.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳288

$1.99 ₱125

17.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.2

$1.04 ₱65.4

-39.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.49

$1.61 ₱102

-85.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.1

$1.73 ₱109

-73.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.64

$0.62 ₱39.15

-43.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.12

$0.49 ₱31.09

-42.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.11 ৳1,491

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.31 ৳654

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 ৳791

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 ৳404

$3.04 ₱191

7.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.53 ₱222

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ₱98.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$0.19 ₱11.82

121.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,762

$6.68 ₱421

235.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$0.69 ₱43.22

72.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.54

$0.15 ₱9.68

160.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳404

$1.87 ₱118

75.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳135

$1.06 ₱66.8

3.77%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$21.7K ₱1.4M

35.78%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$16.4K ₱1.0M

96.30%

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

$38.28 ৳4,713

$112 ₱7,034

-65.72%

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

$4.09 ৳504

$17.26 ₱1,087

-76.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,110

$23.39 ₱1,473

-61.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,682

$37.17 ₱2,341

-63.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,257

$0.78 ₱49.17

1208.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳506

$5.09 ₱321

-19.25%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$96.7 ₱6,091

-6.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳319.1K

$941 ₱59.3K

175.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,100

$28.48 ₱1,794

-40.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,632

$19.39 ₱1,221

10.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,333

$75.5 ₱4,758

-31.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,529

$55.5 ₱3,495

-33.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$237 ₱15.0K

-43.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,014

$146 ₱9,228

-55.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.5K

$385 ₱24.3K

-2.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.7K

$215 ₱13.5K

-10.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳199.7K

$1,879 ₱118.4K

-13.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.6K

$1,458 ₱91.8K

-47.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.3K

$290 ₱18.2K

-15.01%

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 Bulacan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Bulacan

$147 23% 18.6% $23

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Bulacan

$146 23% 125% $81

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Bulacan

$56 8.8% 5.3% $3.2

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Bulacan

$81 12.6% 41.3% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Bulacan

$152 23.9% 196% $101

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Bulacan

$8.9 1.4% 67.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Bulacan

$47 7.4% 116% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $133 in Dhaka versus $237 in Bulacan. 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 18% higher in Bulacan, 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 $12.00 in Dhaka versus $16.00 in Bulacan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $124 vs $147 – making Dhaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇵🇭 Bulacan

🕒 Local time

03:28 3:28 AM

05:28 5:28 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

3,700,000

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.12 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.22 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.12 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.22 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Bulacan 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Bulacan

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 Bulacan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bulacan costs about 57% more than Dhaka, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $609 per month in Dhaka and $958 in Bulacan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dhaka, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $406 in Dhaka and $638 in Bulacan. That's a gap of about 57%.

Public transport costs about 236% less in Dhaka. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $406 in Dhaka and $638 in Bulacan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

If budget matters most, go with Dhaka. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bulacan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.