Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Gili Air

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $428 a month against $812 in Gili Air, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Gili Air
Learn more

Gili Air Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$428

/mo nomad

Gili Air

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$812

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Gili Air

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $428 in Dhaka versus $812 in Gili Air.

Dhaka $428
Gili Air $812

Estimated couple costs with rent: $724 in Dhaka versus $1,337 in Gili Air.

Dhaka $724
Gili Air $1,337

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,019 in Dhaka versus $1,861 in Gili Air.

Dhaka $1,019
Gili Air $1,861

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 47% less than in Gili Air, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Gili Air 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.50 ৳309

$1.84 Rp 33.2K

35.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.26 ৳1,638

$19.34 Rp 348.1K

-31.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ৳616

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

66.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 ৳602

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 ৳511

Cappuccino

$2.35 ৳291

$1.43 Rp 25.7K

64.34%

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

$0.33 ৳41.07

$0.87 Rp 15.7K

-62.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.62

$0.44 Rp 7,928

-63.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 Rp 43.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳105

$1.13 Rp 20.4K

-24.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ৳77.9

$1.60 Rp 28.7K

-60.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.67 ৳83.1

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-17.28%

Eggs

$1.19 ৳147

$1.47 Rp 26.4K

-19.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 ৳1,092

$12.29 Rp 221.3K

-28.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ৳408

$2.82 Rp 50.7K

17.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 ৳792

$8.56 Rp 154.0K

-25.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ৳340

$2.49 Rp 44.9K

10.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 ৳116

$1.14 Rp 20.5K

-17.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳293

$1.68 Rp 30.2K

41.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 ৳79.1

$1.37 Rp 24.7K

-53.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.26 ৳32.25

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

-80.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

-71.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ৳37.63

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

-58.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.49

$0.38 Rp 6,869

-21.05%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.24 ৳1,512

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.43 ৳671

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 ৳807

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 ৳392

$1.59 Rp 28.7K

99.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.78 Rp 284.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 Rp 30.5K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Rp 37.2K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ৳47.44

$0.18 Rp 3,182

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.06 ৳2,849

$6.64 Rp 119.6K

247.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ৳145

$0.38 Rp 6,851

207.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ৳46.99

$0.34 Rp 6,206

11.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳405

$5.04 Rp 90.6K

-34.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ৳137

$0.71 Rp 12.8K

56.34%

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

$29.1K ৳3.6M

$19.0K Rp 342.1M

53.20%

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

$32.9K ৳4.1M

$25.7K Rp 461.8M

28.32%

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

$46.77 ৳5,779

$64.5 Rp 1.2M

-27.45%

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

$4.51 ৳557

$5.21 Rp 93.7K

-13.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.22 ৳1,387

$14.68 Rp 264.3K

-23.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.43 ৳2,031

$32.16 Rp 578.8K

-48.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.87 ৳1,838

$10.43 Rp 187.8K

42.57%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 ৳519

$2.51 Rp 45.1K

67.33%

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

$91.6 ৳11.3K

$336 Rp 6.0M

-72.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,596 ৳320.8K

$3,931 Rp 70.8M

-33.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.63 ৳2,055

$37.54 Rp 675.7K

-55.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.80 ৳2,447

$28.70 Rp 516.5K

-31.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.87 ৳5,791

$63.6 Rp 1.1M

-26.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.00 ৳4,572

$63.0 Rp 1.1M

-41.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$148 ৳18.2K

$543 Rp 9.8M

-72.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.8 ৳8,743

$331 Rp 6.0M

-78.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ৳53.4K

$1,705 Rp 30.7M

-74.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$213 ৳26.3K

$807 Rp 14.5M

-73.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,605 ৳198.4K

$1,306 Rp 23.5M

22.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$751 ৳92.8K

$1,074 Rp 19.3M

-30.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$245 ৳30.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

13.78

-22.57%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 19, 2026

Last update for Gili Air: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.8%

Gili Air

$205 25.2% 66.4% $82

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$71 16.5%

Gili Air

$331 40.8% 368% $261

Eating Out

Dhaka

$65 15.2%

Gili Air

$58 7.2% 10.6% $6.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$63 14.6%

Gili Air

$84 10.4% 35% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$54 12.6%

Gili Air

$87 10.7% 60.3% $33

Getting Around

Dhaka

$28 6.5%

Gili Air

$9.5 1.2% 65.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.8%

Gili Air

$37 4.6% 49.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $148 in Dhaka and $543 in Gili Air. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $13.00 in Dhaka vs $19.00 in Gili Air for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $205 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇮🇩 Gili Air

🕒 Local time

23:02 11:02 PM

01:02 1:02 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

1,800

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Gili Air 4,530 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Gili Air

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 Gili Air: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $642 in Dhaka and $1,218 in Gili Air to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $148 in Dhaka versus $543 in Gili Air. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $428 per month in Dhaka versus $812 in Gili Air – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 247% less than in Gili Air. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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 Gili Air, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Gili Air 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 90% less than in Gili Air. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.