Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Chennai (Madras) Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Chennai (Madras)

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $416 per month in Dhaka vs $475 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

A couple spends around $705 per month in Dhaka vs $741 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

A family of three spends $995 per month in Dhaka vs $1,007 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Dhaka is about 12% cheaper than Chennai (Madras), driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Dhaka and Chennai (Madras) are more affordable than the global median – Dhaka 69% lower, Chennai (Madras) 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.50 ৳307

$2.30 ₹221

8.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.59 ৳1,544

$11.59 ₹1,116

8.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ৳611

$4.10 ₹395

21.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 ৳488

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 ৳587

Cappuccino

$2.20 ৳270

$2.16 ₹208

1.85%

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

$0.34 ৳42.14

$0.49 ₹47.17

-30.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 ৳23.53

$0.17 ₹16.45

11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 ₹199

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 ₹393

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 ৳101

$0.59 ₹56.4

38.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 ৳86.2

$0.50 ₹47.77

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.8

$0.77 ₹74.6

-15.58%

Eggs

$1.26 ৳154

$0.87 ₹84.1

44.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.97 ৳855

$7.08 ₹681

-1.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 ৳415

$3.57 ₹344

-5.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.44 ৳790

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 ৳348

$2.84 ₹273

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 ৳138

$0.86 ₹82.7

30.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 ৳313

$1.27 ₹122

100.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$0.48 ₹46.34

87.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 ৳52.8

$0.55 ₹53.0

-21.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 ৳102

$0.54 ₹51.7

53.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 ৳40.10

$0.55 ₹52.7

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.26

$0.33 ₹31.48

-9.09%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.03 ৳1,475

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.91 ৳479

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 ৳874

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ৳367

$4.06 ₹391

-26.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.14 ₹688

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₹174

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₹336

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.08 ₹585

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ৳52.5

$0.34 ₹32.57

26.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.18 ৳2,965

$11.59 ₹1,115

108.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ৳148

$1.54 ₹148

-21.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ৳52.6

$0.30 ₹29.18

43.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ৳386

$1.70 ₹164

85.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 ৳127

$1.18 ₹113

-12.71%

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

$29.3K ৳3.6M

$17.3K ₹1.7M

69.73%

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

$28.4K ৳3.5M

$23.8K ₹2.3M

19.60%

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

$32.72 ৳4,012

$47.66 ₹4,589

-31.35%

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

$4.78 ৳586

$4.90 ₹472

-2.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.15 ৳1,613

$9.78 ₹941

34.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.26 ৳2,362

$17.77 ₹1,710

8.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.25 ৳1,748

$7.12 ₹686

100.14%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 ৳490

$2.87 ₹276

39.02%

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

$48.08 ৳5,895

$79.5 ₹7,653

-39.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,996 ৳244.7K

$1,738 ₹167.3K

14.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.81 ৳2,307

$26.12 ₹2,515

-27.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.73 ৳2,910

$23.16 ₹2,230

2.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.25 ৳5,671

$49.19 ₹4,736

-5.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.71 ৳4,501

$36.39 ₹3,504

0.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 ৳14.4K

$195 ₹18.8K

-39.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$63.3 ৳7,760

$115 ₹11.1K

-44.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$309 ৳37.8K

$441 ₹42.4K

-30.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 ৳23.3K

$260 ₹25.0K

-26.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,569 ৳192.3K

$1,817 ₹174.9K

-13.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$764 ৳93.7K

$793 ₹76.3K

-3.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$278 ৳34.1K

$754 ₹72.6K

-63.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.52

9.42

11.68%

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

Last update for Dhaka: July 14, 2026

Last update for Chennai (Madras): July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $118 in Dhaka versus $195 in Chennai (Madras). 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 171% higher in Chennai (Madras), 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 $13.00 in Dhaka versus $12.00 in Chennai (Madras). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $124 vs $122 – making Chennai (Madras) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Chennai (Madras): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chennai (Madras) costs about 14% more than Dhaka, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $623 per month in Dhaka and $712 in Chennai (Madras). 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 $416 in Dhaka and $475 in Chennai (Madras). The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 109% 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 $416 in Dhaka and $475 in Chennai (Madras), leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dhaka costs $416 versus $475 in Chennai (Madras). Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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