Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Gombak

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $927 in Gombak, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Gombak
Learn more

Gombak Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Gombak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Gombak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $927 in Gombak.

Dhaka $406
Gombak $927

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,429 in Gombak.

Dhaka $687
Gombak $1,429

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,931 in Gombak.

Dhaka $969
Gombak $1,931

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 56% less than in Gombak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Gombak 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$3.71 MYR 15.12

-38.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$24.58 MYR 100

-49.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$4.96 MYR 20.23

-20.36%

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

$2.98 MYR 12.15

-23.49%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.92 MYR 3.74

-64.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.42 MYR 1.69

-61.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MYR 13.16

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 MYR 23.63

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.88 MYR 7.69

-54.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$1.03 MYR 4.19

-41.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$1.42 MYR 5.80

-51.41%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.85 MYR 7.55

-33.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$10.03 MYR 40.93

-12.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$3.27 MYR 13.34

1.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$9.82 MYR 40.06

-32.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$3.52 MYR 14.37

-19.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.91 MYR 7.81

-52.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$2.64 MYR 10.79

-11.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$1.82 MYR 7.44

-65.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$2.08 MYR 8.50

-88.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$1.98 MYR 8.08

-76.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$1.48 MYR 6.04

-76.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.55 MYR 2.24

-49.09%

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

$4.41 MYR 17.97

-25.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.70 MYR 80.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MYR 10.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 MYR 19.04

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.67 MYR 2.73

-37.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$12.05 MYR 49.15

86.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.23 MYR 5.03

-3.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.35 MYR 1.44

11.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$8.72 MYR 35.57

-62.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$0.80 MYR 3.27

37.50%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$42.6K MYR 173.6K

-30.85%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$32.0K MYR 130.6K

0.46%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$49.80 MYR 203

-23.13%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$8.34 MYR 34.02

-50.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$27.39 MYR 112

-67.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$40.60 MYR 166

-66.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$7.17 MYR 29.23

42.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$3.26 MYR 13.29

26.07%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$274 MYR 1,120

-66.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$10.4K MYR 42.3K

-75.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$50.4 MYR 206

-66.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$30.06 MYR 123

-28.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$76.4 MYR 312

-32.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$86.2 MYR 352

-57.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$405 MYR 1,650

-67.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$303 MYR 1,235

-78.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$682 MYR 2,781

-44.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$554 MYR 2,261

-65.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$2,059 MYR 8,400

-21.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$1,053 MYR 4,295

-27.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$538 MYR 2,193

-54.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

4.51

132.37%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Gombak: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Gombak

$252 27.1% 104% $128

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Gombak

$303 32.7% 365% $238

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Gombak

$113 12.2% 90.8% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Gombak

$109 11.8% 91.9% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Gombak

$86 9.2% 66.4% $34

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Gombak

$18 1.9% 35% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Gombak

$47 5.1% 115% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $405 in Gombak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gombak pays 118% 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 $25.00 in Gombak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $252 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇾 Gombak

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

14:06 2:06 PM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

41,699

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

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).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Gombak 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Gombak

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 Gombak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 129% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 118% lower in Gombak. 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: $133 in Dhaka versus $405 in Gombak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $406 per month in Dhaka versus $927 in Gombak – a 129% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 86% less than in Gombak. 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.

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.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Gombak 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 129% less than in Gombak. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.