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 $417 per month in Dhaka vs $484 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

A couple spends around $707 per month in Dhaka vs $754 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

A family of three spends $997 per month in Dhaka vs $1,024 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Dhaka is about 14% cheaper than Chennai (Madras), driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.40 ৳295

$2.23 ₹213

7.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.97 ৳1,591

$11.73 ₹1,123

10.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ৳599

$3.96 ₹379

23.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 ৳489

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 ৳614

Cappuccino

$2.27 ৳278

$2.11 ₹202

7.58%

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

$0.32 ৳38.76

$0.49 ₹47.10

-34.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ৳17.91

$0.19 ₹18.36

-21.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 ₹199

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 ₹400

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 ৳101

$0.63 ₹60.1

31.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ৳86.5

$0.50 ₹47.37

42.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.65 ৳80.3

$0.77 ₹73.4

-15.58%

Eggs

$1.29 ৳158

$0.87 ₹83.5

48.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.74 ৳827

$6.99 ₹669

-3.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ৳423

$3.45 ₹330

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.66 ৳817

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 ৳336

$2.94 ₹281

-6.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 ৳140

$0.82 ₹78.1

39.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 ৳327

$1.34 ₹128

99.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.91 ৳111

$0.45 ₹42.92

102.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 ৳53.7

$0.55 ₹52.3

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 ৳96.6

$0.54 ₹51.5

46.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳43.42

$0.55 ₹52.3

-36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.07

$0.33 ₹31.42

-9.09%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.06 ৳1,480

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.89 ৳477

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 ৳850

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ৳372

$4.00 ₹383

-24.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 ₹735

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₹183

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₹334

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

$6.12 ₹585

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ৳48.34

$0.34 ₹32.26

14.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.89 ৳3,054

$11.49 ₹1,100

116.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ৳149

$1.53 ₹147

-20.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ৳52.7

$0.30 ₹28.77

43.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 ৳375

$1.76 ₹169

73.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ৳127

$1.16 ₹111

-10.34%

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

$28.9K ৳3.5M

$17.2K ₹1.6M

67.74%

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

$28.5K ৳3.5M

$24.5K ₹2.3M

16.58%

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

$32.66 ৳4,006

$47.37 ₹4,533

-31.05%

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

$4.75 ৳583

$4.73 ₹453

0.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.98 ৳1,593

$9.77 ₹935

32.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.31 ৳2,369

$17.53 ₹1,677

10.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.78 ৳1,813

$7.26 ₹694

103.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳504

$2.84 ₹272

44.72%

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

$46.92 ৳5,756

$80.3 ₹7,686

-41.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,979 ৳242.8K

$1,756 ₹168.0K

12.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.61 ৳2,283

$25.19 ₹2,410

-26.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.19 ৳2,967

$23.56 ₹2,254

2.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.70 ৳5,728

$49.44 ₹4,731

-5.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.80 ৳4,514

$35.35 ₹3,382

4.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$117 ৳14.3K

$190 ₹18.2K

-38.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$63.5 ৳7,785

$117 ₹11.2K

-45.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$316 ৳38.8K

$435 ₹41.6K

-27.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 ৳22.5K

$263 ₹25.2K

-30.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,493 ৳183.2K

$1,736 ₹166.1K

-13.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$659 ৳80.8K

$724 ₹69.3K

-9.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$286 ৳35.1K

$718 ₹68.7K

-60.19%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chennai (Madras): June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $117 in Dhaka versus $190 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 151% 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). Groceries tell a different story – $124 in Dhaka vs $124 in Chennai (Madras) – so Dhaka wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 16% more than Dhaka, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $625 per month in Dhaka and $726 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 $417 in Dhaka and $484 in Chennai (Madras). The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 117% 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 $417 in Dhaka and $484 in Chennai (Madras), leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dhaka costs $417 versus $484 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.