Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Chittagong Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Chittagong

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $417 per month in Dhaka vs $358 in Chittagong, rent included.

A couple spends around $707 per month in Dhaka vs $601 in Chittagong, rent included.

A family of three spends $997 per month in Dhaka vs $844 in Chittagong, rent included.

Dhaka costs about 16% more than Chittagong, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Dhaka and Chittagong are more affordable than the global median – Dhaka 69% lower, Chittagong 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.40 ৳295

$1.65 ৳203

45.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.97 ৳1,591

$14.96 ৳1,835

-13.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ৳599

$7.20 ৳883

-32.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 ৳489

$5.88 ৳722

-32.14%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 ৳614

$4.18 ৳512

19.86%

Cappuccino

$2.27 ৳278

$1.63 ৳200

39.26%

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

$0.32 ৳38.76

$0.36 ৳44.03

-11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ৳17.91

$0.14 ৳16.60

7.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 ৳101

$0.78 ৳95.7

6.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ৳86.5

$0.57 ৳70.4

24.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.65 ৳80.3

$0.65 ৳79.2

Eggs

$1.29 ৳158

$1.22 ৳149

5.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.74 ৳827

$9.28 ৳1,139

-27.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ৳423

$1.60 ৳197

115.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.66 ৳817

$7.25 ৳889

-8.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 ৳336

$2.24 ৳275

22.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 ৳140

$0.96 ৳118

18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 ৳327

$2.10 ৳258

27.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.91 ৳111

$0.80 ৳97.7

13.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 ৳53.7

$0.45 ৳54.9

-2.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 ৳96.6

$0.89 ৳109

-11.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳43.42

$0.41 ৳49.79

-14.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.07

$0.25 ৳30.41

20.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.06 ৳1,480

$8.59 ৳1,053

40.40%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.89 ৳477

$0.83 ৳102

368.67%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 ৳850

$1.46 ৳179

374.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ৳372

$2.89 ৳354

4.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ৳48.34

$0.16 ৳20.03

143.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.89 ৳3,054

$4.12 ৳505

504.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ৳149

$0.79 ৳97.1

54.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ৳52.7

$0.43 ৳52.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 ৳375

$2.50 ৳306

22.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ৳127

$1.01 ৳123

2.97%

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

$28.9K ৳3.5M

$33.1K ৳4.1M

-12.64%

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

$28.5K ৳3.5M

$34.3K ৳4.2M

-16.85%

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

$32.66 ৳4,006

$22.78 ৳2,794

43.37%

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

$4.75 ৳583

$5.77 ৳708

-17.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.98 ৳1,593

$13.20 ৳1,619

-1.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.31 ৳2,369

$15.43 ৳1,892

25.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.78 ৳1,813

$11.26 ৳1,381

31.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳504

$3.35 ৳410

22.69%

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

$46.92 ৳5,756

$29.33 ৳3,597

59.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,979 ৳242.8K

$1,343 ৳164.7K

47.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.61 ৳2,283

$20.49 ৳2,513

-9.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.19 ৳2,967

$18.22 ৳2,235

32.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.70 ৳5,728

$52.0 ৳6,382

-10.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.80 ৳4,514

$33.34 ৳4,089

10.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$117 ৳14.3K

$131 ৳16.0K

-10.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$63.5 ৳7,785

$59.5 ৳7,294

6.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$316 ৳38.8K

$243 ৳29.8K

30.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 ৳22.5K

$148 ৳18.2K

24.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,493 ৳183.2K

$805 ৳98.8K

85.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$659 ৳80.8K

$462 ৳56.7K

42.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$286 ৳35.1K

$264 ৳32.4K

8.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.52

11.67

-9.85%

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

Last update for Dhaka: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chittagong: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $117 in Dhaka versus $131 in Chittagong. 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 8% higher in Dhaka, 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 $15.00 in Chittagong. Groceries tell a different story – $124 in Dhaka vs $116 in Chittagong – so Chittagong 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 Chittagong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $417 in Dhaka, $358 in Chittagong – roughly 16% apart. Dhaka costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $625 per month in Dhaka and $537 in Chittagong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chittagong, 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 $358 in Chittagong. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 504% less in Chittagong. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $417 in Dhaka and $358 in Chittagong, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Chittagong – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Chittagong. 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.