Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Davao

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $794 in Davao, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Davao
Learn more

Davao Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Davao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Davao

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $794 in Davao.

Dhaka $406
Davao $794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,225 in Davao.

Dhaka $687
Davao $1,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,656 in Davao.

Dhaka $969
Davao $1,656

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 49% less than in Davao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Davao 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$4.81 ₱303

-52.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$26.69 ₱1,681

-53.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$3.94 ₱248

0.25%

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

$2.71 ₱170

-15.87%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$1.04 ₱65.3

-68.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.68 ₱42.97

-76.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 ₱102

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱147

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$2.01 ₱126

-57.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$1.13 ₱71.0

-46.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$0.93 ₱58.4

-25.81%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.88 ₱119

-34.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$6.52 ₱411

34.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$4.85 ₱306

-31.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$9.18 ₱578

-27.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$2.70 ₱170

5.56%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.10 ₱69.3

-18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$2.36 ₱148

-0.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$1.15 ₱72.6

-45.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$2.02 ₱127

-88.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$3.53 ₱222

-86.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$1.21 ₱76.1

-71.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.68 ₱42.61

-58.82%

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

$2.42 ₱152

35.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 ₱489

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 ₱78.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₱106

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.35 ₱21.73

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$13.58 ₱855

65.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$0.81 ₱51.2

46.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.23 ₱14.41

69.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$1.95 ₱123

68.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$1.28 ₱80.5

-14.06%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

39.66%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

70.09%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$106 ₱6,688

-63.96%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$19.39 ₱1,221

-78.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$31.90 ₱2,009

-71.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$33.90 ₱2,135

-59.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$3.61 ₱228

182.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$4.70 ₱296

-12.55%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$107 ₱6,766

-15.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$7,555 ₱475.7K

-65.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$61.2 ₱3,852

-72.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$30.84 ₱1,942

-30.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$71.5 ₱4,502

-28.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$62.5 ₱3,935

-41.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$280 ₱17.6K

-52.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$172 ₱10.8K

-62.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$629 ₱39.6K

-40.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$320 ₱20.1K

-39.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$1,640 ₱103.2K

-1.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$1,429 ₱90.0K

-46.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$214 ₱13.5K

15.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

8.31

26.11%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Davao: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Davao

$200 25.2% 62.1% $77

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Davao

$172 21.6% 164% $107

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Davao

$102 12.9% 72.5% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Davao

$102 12.8% 78.5% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Davao

$158 19.8% 207% $106

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Davao

$17 2.1% 38% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Davao

$43 5.5% 97.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $280 in Davao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhaka pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $12.00 in Dhaka vs $27.00 in Davao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $200 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇵🇭 Davao

🕒 Local time

03:00 3:00 AM

05:00 5:00 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

1,632,991

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Davao 4,190 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Davao

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 Davao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Dhaka, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Dhaka versus $280 in Davao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $27.00 in Davao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $406 per month in Dhaka versus $794 in Davao – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Dhaka gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Dhaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Davao, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Davao 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 96% less than in Davao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.