Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Dalian

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $895 in Dalian, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Dalian
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Dalian Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Dalian

🇨🇳 China

$895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Dalian

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Dhaka versus $895 in Dalian.

Dhaka $426
Dalian $895

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Dhaka versus $1,433 in Dalian.

Dhaka $735
Dalian $1,433

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,043 in Dhaka versus $1,970 in Dalian.

Dhaka $1,043
Dalian $1,970

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 52% less than in Dalian, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Dalian 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ৳305

$3.63 ¥24.25

-31.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.06 ৳1,604

$24.88 ¥166

-47.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ৳594

$5.12 ¥34.24

-5.66%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.34 ৳287

$3.30 ¥22.04

-29.09%

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

$0.30 ৳37.38

$0.49 ¥3.30

-38.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.96

$0.25 ¥1.67

-36.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ¥10.23

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ৳98.1

$1.59 ¥10.63

-49.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ৳79.3

$1.42 ¥9.52

-54.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ৳87.2

$1.02 ¥6.80

-30.39%

Eggs

$1.21 ৳149

$1.59 ¥10.61

-23.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

$20.36 ¥136

-57.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

$3.46 ¥23.10

-7.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳823

$13.05 ¥87.2

-48.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

$1.31 ¥8.74

108.40%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳108

$1.13 ¥7.52

-22.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

$1.93 ¥12.90

22.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.5

$0.89 ¥5.96

-26.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.19

$0.82 ¥5.50

-70.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

$0.71 ¥4.77

-30.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.87

$1.35 ¥9.00

-76.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.30

$0.62 ¥4.16

-51.61%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.07 ৳1,483

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 ৳677

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳818

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ৳396

$3.75 ¥25.08

-13.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.55 ¥97.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ¥7.32

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ¥12.92

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$0.31 ¥2.10

35.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,769

$30.05 ¥201

-24.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.53 ¥10.23

-22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.58

$0.43 ¥2.87

-6.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

$3.98 ¥26.60

-15.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$1.26 ¥8.43

-8.73%

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

$30.3K ৳3.7M

$19.6K ¥130.8K

54.81%

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

$33.0K ৳4.1M

$17.5K ¥117.0K

88.71%

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

$46.32 ৳5,690

$63.8 ¥426

-27.34%

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

$4.33 ৳531

$9.13 ¥61.0

-52.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

$13.34 ¥89.1

-20.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.37 ৳2,011

$40.35 ¥270

-59.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,982

$36.04 ¥241

-55.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

$6.85 ¥45.75

-39.71%

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

$90.7 ৳11.1K

$393 ¥2,627

-76.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.4K

$20.6K ¥137.9K

-87.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,024

$75.4 ¥504

-78.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,579

$54.9 ¥367

-61.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,173

$114 ¥762

-55.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,478

$117 ¥784

-68.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ৳18.6K

$402 ¥2,684

-62.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 ৳9,041

$244 ¥1,628

-69.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.5K

$702 ¥4,688

-37.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ৳26.3K

$445 ¥2,971

-51.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.2K

$2,684 ¥17.9K

-39.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

$1,585 ¥10.6K

-51.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ৳30.6K

$1,090 ¥7,287

-77.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

3.89

169.41%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Dalian: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.5%

Dalian

$239 26.1% 94.8% $116

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$74 17.1%

Dalian

$244 26.6% 231% $170

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15%

Dalian

$95 10.3% 47.2% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Dalian

$86 9.4% 40.7% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$56 13%

Dalian

$163 17.8% 191% $107

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Dalian

$35 3.8% 27.7% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.7%

Dalian

$54 5.9% 119% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Dhaka and $402 in Dalian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dalian pays 338% 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: $13.00 in Dhaka vs $25.00 in Dalian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $239 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇨🇳 Dalian

🕒 Local time

09:53 9:53 AM

11:53 11:53 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

7,450,785

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dhaka Dalian 3,390 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Dalian

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 Dalian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka and Dalian differ by about 110% in total monthly costs ($426 vs $895 including rent). Dhaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 338% lower in Dalian. 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: $152 in Dhaka versus $402 in Dalian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $90.7 in Dhaka versus $393 in Dalian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Dalian. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $895 in Dalian, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Dalian. 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.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Dalian. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.