Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Chiayi

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $1,067 in Chiayi, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Chiayi
Learn more

Chiayi Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Chiayi

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Chiayi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $1,067 in Chiayi.

Dhaka $406
Chiayi $1,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,503 in Chiayi.

Dhaka $687
Chiayi $1,503

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,940 in Chiayi.

Dhaka $969
Chiayi $1,940

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 62% less than in Chiayi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Chiayi 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$4.83 NT$157

-52.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$46.84 NT$1,519

-73.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$5.70 NT$185

-30.70%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$2.28 ৳281

$3.36 NT$109

-32.14%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.88 NT$28.58

-62.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.67 NT$21.68

-76.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 NT$92.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 NT$123

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$3.10 NT$101

-72.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$2.06 NT$66.8

-70.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$3.04 NT$98.6

-77.30%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$2.66 NT$86.3

-53.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$19.77 NT$641

-55.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$9.75 NT$316

-65.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$20.98 NT$680

-68.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$4.87 NT$158

-41.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$3.22 NT$104

-72.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$2.99 NT$97.0

-21.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$4.55 NT$148

-86.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$2.80 NT$90.9

-91.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$2.35 NT$76.3

-80.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$1.68 NT$54.3

-79.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$1.14 NT$37.04

-75.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.11 ৳1,496

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.31 ৳656

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 ৳794

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 ৳405

$4.01 NT$130

-18.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.66 NT$151

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$53.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NT$70.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$12.43 NT$403

80.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$2.64 NT$85.5

-54.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.46 NT$14.94

-15.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$9.66 NT$313

-66.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$1.06 NT$34.43

3.77%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$32.9K NT$1.1M

-10.41%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$24.5K NT$795.8K

31.05%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$66.7 NT$2,164

-42.64%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$17.52 NT$568

-76.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$26.93 NT$873

-66.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$31.82 NT$1,032

-57.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$9.84 NT$319

-58.23%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$660 NT$21.4K

-86.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$16.8K NT$543.4K

-84.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$62.3 NT$2,020

-72.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$39.44 NT$1,279

-45.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$85.2 NT$2,763

-39.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$104 NT$3,383

-64.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$369 NT$12.0K

-63.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$253 NT$8,194

-74.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$3,179 NT$103.1K

-49.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$1,910 NT$61.9K

-60.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$2,110 NT$68.4K

-88.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

2.4

336.67%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Chiayi

$379 35.5% 207% $256

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Chiayi

$253 23.7% 288% $188

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Chiayi

$124 11.6% 109% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Chiayi

$131 12.3% 130% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Chiayi

$111 10.4% 116% $60

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Chiayi

$17 * 1.6% 36.4% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Chiayi

$51 4.8% 135% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $369 in Chiayi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 757% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $12.00 in Dhaka vs $47.00 in Chiayi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $379 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇹🇼 Chiayi

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

13:27 1:27 PM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

269,874

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Chiayi 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Chiayi

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 Chiayi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka wins on cost – living expenses run 163% lower than in Chiayi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dhaka the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 757% lower in Chiayi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Dhaka versus $369 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $406 per month in Dhaka versus $1,067 in Chiayi – a 163% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 80% less than in Chiayi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $406 in Dhaka versus $1,067 in Chiayi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Chiayi. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Chiayi 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 163% less than in Chiayi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.