Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Butuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $578 in Butuan, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Butuan
Learn more

Butuan Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Butuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$578

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Butuan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $578 in Butuan.

Dhaka $406
Butuan $578

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $913 in Butuan.

Dhaka $687
Butuan $913

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,248 in Butuan.

Dhaka $969
Butuan $1,248

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 30% less than in Butuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Butuan 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳281

$4.67 ₱294

-51.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,518

$26.83 ₱1,690

-54.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳487

$2.41 ₱152

63.90%

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

$2.09 ₱132

9.09%

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

$0.33 ৳40.74

$0.33 ₱21.02

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.80

$0.23 ₱14.47

-30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 ₱98.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₱155

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.95 ₱123

-56.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.3

$1.09 ₱68.9

-44.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.1

$0.87 ₱55.0

-20.69%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.86 ₱117

-33.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,084

$6.21 ₱391

41.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳411

$4.84 ₱305

-31.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳816

$9.32 ₱587

-28.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳351

$2.68 ₱169

6.34%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.11 ₱69.7

-18.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳288

$2.42 ₱152

-3.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.2

$1.20 ₱75.8

-47.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.49

$2.02 ₱127

-88.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.1

$3.51 ₱221

-86.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.64

$1.25 ₱79.0

-72.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.12

$0.67 ₱42.42

-58.21%

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

$2.39 ₱151

37.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.13 ₱512

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₱106

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,762

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$0.78 ₱49.33

52.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.54

$0.25 ₱15.84

56.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳404

$1.96 ₱123

67.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳135

$1.05 ₱66.1

4.76%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

38.62%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

69.01%

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

$38.28 ৳4,713

$107 ₱6,748

-64.27%

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

$4.09 ৳504

$18.89 ₱1,190

-78.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,110

$30.87 ₱1,945

-70.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,682

$23.85 ₱1,503

-42.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,257

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳506

$4.37 ₱275

-5.95%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$108 ₱6,794

-15.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳319.1K

$7,696 ₱484.8K

-66.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,100

$61.7 ₱3,887

-72.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,632

$31.28 ₱1,970

-31.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,333

$71.8 ₱4,525

-28.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,529

$62.2 ₱3,918

-40.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,014

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳199.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

8.31

26.11%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Butuan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Butuan

$200 34.6% 61.8% $76

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Butuan

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Butuan

$85 14.6% 42.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Butuan

$102 17.7% 79.2% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Butuan

$157 27.1% 205% $105

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Butuan

$2 * 0.4% 92.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Butuan

$33 5.6% 48.8% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $12.00 in Dhaka vs $27.00 in Butuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $200 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇵🇭 Butuan

🕒 Local time

02:47 2:47 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

337,063

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Butuan 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Butuan

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 Butuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Butuan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dhaka the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $609 in Dhaka and $867 in Butuan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $90.7 in Dhaka versus $108 in Butuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $27.00 in Butuan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Butuan 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 43% less than in Butuan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.