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 $431 per month in Dhaka vs $421 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

A couple spends around $738 per month in Dhaka vs $702 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

A family of three spends $1,044 per month in Dhaka vs $982 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Dhaka costs about 2% more 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) 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.39 ৳292

$2.06 ₹196

16.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.72 ৳1,558

$12.66 ₹1,202

0.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 ৳609

$4.28 ₹406

16.12%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.74 ৳581

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 ৳496

Cappuccino

$2.35 ৳288

$1.78 ₹169

32.02%

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

$0.32 ৳39.34

$0.35 ₹33.11

-8.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 ৳23.33

$0.18 ₹17.48

5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 ₹151

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₹285

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 ৳95.7

$0.57 ₹54.4

36.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳73.3

$0.50 ₹47.61

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ৳83.4

$0.69 ₹65.4

-1.45%

Eggs

$1.17 ৳143

$0.83 ₹78.8

40.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 ৳1,125

$6.16 ₹585

49.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 ৳406

$3.30 ₹314

0.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.80 ৳832

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ৳344

$2.88 ₹274

-2.78%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 ৳113

$0.81 ₹77.0

13.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ৳284

$1.38 ₹131

68.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.62 ৳75.9

$0.48 ₹45.47

29.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.23 ৳27.94

$0.47 ₹44.53

-51.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 ৳64.3

$0.38 ₹36.20

36.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.28

$0.48 ₹45.60

-27.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ৳35.51

$0.28 ₹26.59

3.57%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.43 ৳1,523

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 ৳679

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 ৳801

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 ৳409

$5.17 ₹491

-35.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.13 ₹582

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ₹168

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₹266

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

$6.45 ₹612

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ৳48.86

$0.33 ₹31.65

21.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.95 ৳2,811

$10.46 ₹994

119.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 ৳147

$1.03 ₹97.5

16.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ৳52.7

$0.32 ₹30.74

34.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 ৳405

$2.14 ₹203

54.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ৳130

$1.10 ₹104

-3.64%

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

$29.7K ৳3.6M

$15.4K ₹1.5M

92.67%

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

$32.0K ৳3.9M

$20.6K ₹2.0M

55.70%

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

$45.69 ৳5,596

$38.32 ₹3,639

19.23%

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

$4.10 ৳503

$3.98 ₹378

3.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.54 ৳1,413

$8.18 ₹777

41.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.84 ৳2,063

$14.96 ₹1,421

12.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.98 ৳1,835

$6.94 ₹659

115.85%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 ৳489

$2.64 ₹251

51.14%

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

$96.1 ৳11.8K

$94.6 ₹8,987

1.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,694 ৳330.0K

$2,126 ₹201.9K

26.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.09 ৳2,093

$20.99 ₹1,993

-18.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.57 ৳2,397

$16.67 ₹1,583

17.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.3 ৳6,284

$35.34 ₹3,356

45.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.19 ৳4,556

$30.73 ₹2,918

21.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$147 ৳18.1K

$186 ₹17.6K

-20.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.2 ৳8,596

$104 ₹9,867

-32.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 ৳54.0K

$498 ₹47.3K

-11.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 ৳27.0K

$311 ₹29.5K

-29.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,602 ৳196.3K

$1,997 ₹189.6K

-19.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$769 ৳94.1K

$797 ₹75.7K

-3.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$251 ৳30.8K

$681 ₹64.7K

-63.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.44

9.88

5.67%

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

Last update for Dhaka: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chennai (Madras): August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $147 in Dhaka versus $186 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 reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Dhaka versus $13.00 in Chennai (Madras). Groceries tell a different story – $124 in Dhaka vs $113 in Chennai (Madras) – so Chennai (Madras) 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

Dhaka costs about 2% more than Chennai (Madras), 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 $647 per month in Dhaka and $632 in Chennai (Madras). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chennai (Madras), 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 $431 in Dhaka and $421 in Chennai (Madras). The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 119% less in Chennai (Madras). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $431 in Dhaka and $421 in Chennai (Madras), leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chennai (Madras) costs $421 versus $431 in Dhaka. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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