Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Dumaguete

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $791 in Dumaguete, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Dhaka
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$406
/mo nomad
Dumaguete
🇵🇭 Philippines
$791
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Dumaguete

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $791 in Dumaguete.

  • Dhaka $406
  • Dumaguete $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,202 in Dumaguete.

  • Dhaka $687
  • Dumaguete $1,202

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,612 in Dumaguete.

  • Dhaka $969
  • Dumaguete $1,612

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

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dhaka
Dumaguete
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.28 ৳282
$3.85 ₱242
-40.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.33 ৳1,523
$16.19 ₱1,020
-23.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.95 ৳488
$4.17 ₱262
-5.28%
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
$2.27 ₱143
0.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ৳40.88
$0.72 ₱45.42
-54.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.16 ৳19.86
$0.44 ₱27.45
-63.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.34 ₱84.2
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.85 ₱117
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
Dumaguete
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.85 ৳104
$1.61 ₱101
-47.20%
White Bread (500g)
$0.60 ৳74.5
$1.33 ₱83.9
-54.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.69 ৳85.4
$0.95 ₱59.6
-27.37%
Eggs
$1.23 ৳152
$1.75 ₱110
-29.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.80 ৳1,087
$8.39 ₱528
4.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.33 ৳412
$4.40 ₱277
-24.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.63 ৳819
$7.01 ₱441
-5.42%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ৳352
$1.63 ₱103
74.85%
Banana (1kg)
$0.90 ৳111
$1.30 ₱82.0
-30.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.34 ৳289
$3.51 ₱221
-33.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.63 ৳78.4
$1.25 ₱78.7
-49.60%
Potato (1kg)
$0.24 ৳29.59
$2.43 ₱153
-90.12%
Onion (1kg)
$0.46 ৳57.3
$1.57 ₱98.8
-70.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.35 ৳42.79
$0.79 ₱49.58
-55.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.28 ৳34.24
$0.54 ₱34.27
-48.15%
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
$2.32 ₱146
41.38%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$8.84 ₱557
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.20 ₱75.7
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.26 ₱79.1
-
🚌 Getting Around
Dhaka
Dumaguete
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.42 ৳52.3
$0.41 ₱25.84
2.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.43 ৳2,772
$10.09 ₱635
122.30%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.19 ৳147
$0.69 ₱43.64
72.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.39 ৳48.71
$0.17 ₱10.41
129.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.28 ৳406
$2.19 ₱138
49.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 ৳136
$1.06 ₱66.7
3.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.4K ৳3.6M
$20.9K ₱1.3M
40.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.2K ৳4.0M
$24.1K ₱1.5M
33.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
Dumaguete
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$38.28 ৳4,729
$67.1 ₱4,227
-42.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.09 ৳506
$10.05 ₱632
-59.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.02 ৳1,114
$25.78 ₱1,623
-65.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
Dumaguete
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$13.66 ৳1,688
$23.76 ₱1,496
-42.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.21 ৳1,261
$4.06 ₱256
151.48%
Cinema Ticket
$4.11 ৳508
$7.23 ₱455
-43.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dhaka
Dumaguete
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$90.7 ৳11.2K
$57.8 ₱3,639
56.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,591 ৳320.2K
$1,698 ₱106.9K
52.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
Dumaguete
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.06 ৳2,108
$94.4 ₱5,945
-81.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.38 ৳2,641
$32.11 ₱2,022
-33.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$51.4 ৳6,355
$102 ₱6,429
-49.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$36.78 ৳4,545
$112 ₱7,053
-67.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
Dumaguete
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$133 ৳16.4K
$238 ₱15.0K
-44.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$65.1 ৳8,041
$207 ₱13.0K
-68.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$377 ৳46.6K
$429 ₱27.0K
-12.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$192 ৳23.8K
$359 ₱22.6K
-46.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,621 ৳200.3K
$3,082 ₱194.0K
-47.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$760 ৳93.9K
$693 ₱43.7K
9.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dhaka
Dumaguete
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$246 ৳30.4K
$276 ₱17.4K
-10.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.48
7
49.71%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Dumaguete: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
$124
Dumaguete
$191 54.5% $67
Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
$65
Dumaguete
$207 218% $142
Eating Out
Dhaka
$59
Dumaguete
$86 44.1% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
$57
Dumaguete
$153 169% $96
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
$51
Dumaguete
$103 100% $52
Getting Around
Dhaka
$27
Dumaguete
$13 51.4% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
$22
Dumaguete
$38 74.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $238 in Dumaguete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dumaguete pays 12% 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 $16.00 in Dumaguete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $191 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇩 Dhaka
🇵🇭 Dumaguete
🕒 Local time
11:11 11:11 AM
13:11 1:11 PM
2 h ahead of Dhaka
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
21,741,000 Capital
134,103
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dhaka Dumaguete 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dhaka
  • Dumaguete

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 Dumaguete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dumaguete cheaper than Dhaka?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Dhaka or Dumaguete?
On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Dumaguete. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Dhaka and Dumaguete?
Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Dhaka versus $238 in Dumaguete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Dhaka and in Dumaguete?
All in, you'll spend $406 per month in Dhaka versus $791 in Dumaguete – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 122% less than in Dumaguete. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 enough for either Dhaka or Dumaguete?
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.
Is Dhaka or Dumaguete more family-friendly?
For families, Dhaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dumaguete, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Dhaka or Dumaguete?
Safety-wise, Dhaka and Dumaguete are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Dumaguete. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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