Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Ha Long Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $765 in Ha Long Bay, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Ha Long Bay
Learn more

Ha Long Bay Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Ha Long Bay

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$765

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Ha Long Bay

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 Ha Long Bay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $765 in Ha Long Bay.

Dhaka $406
Ha Long Bay $765

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,234 in Ha Long Bay.

Dhaka $687
Ha Long Bay $1,234

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,702 in Ha Long Bay.

Dhaka $969
Ha Long Bay $1,702

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Ha Long Bay 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳281

$2.07 ₫53.6K

10.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,518

$19.11 ₫494.8K

-35.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳487

$4.26 ₫110.2K

-7.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳552

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳508

Cappuccino

$2.28 ৳280

$1.61 ₫41.6K

41.61%

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

$0.33 ৳40.74

$0.38 ₫9,754

-13.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.80

$0.30 ₫7,887

-46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ₫22.6K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 ₫36.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.53 ₫39.7K

-44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.3

$1.05 ₫27.3K

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.1

$1.02 ₫26.3K

-32.35%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.11 ₫28.8K

10.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,084

$11.26 ₫291.5K

-21.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳411

$3.68 ₫95.3K

-9.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳816

$9.98 ₫258.2K

-33.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳351

$3.07 ₫79.5K

-7.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.11 ₫28.9K

-18.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳288

$1.34 ₫34.7K

74.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.2

$1.25 ₫32.4K

-49.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.49

$1.02 ₫26.4K

-76.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.1

$1.16 ₫30.0K

-60.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.64

$0.66 ₫17.0K

-46.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.12

$0.55 ₫14.1K

-49.09%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.11 ৳1,491

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.31 ৳654

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 ৳791

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 ৳404

$1.43 ₫37.0K

129.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.02 ₫311.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₫21.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₫43.9K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$0.32 ₫8,218

31.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,762

$6.42 ₫166.2K

249.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$0.77 ₫20.0K

54.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.54

$0.57 ₫14.7K

-31.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳404

$2.35 ₫61.0K

39.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳135

$0.95 ₫24.5K

15.79%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$30.6K ₫791.8M

-3.76%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$29.9K ₫775.2M

7.40%

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

$38.28 ৳4,713

$78.1 ₫2.0M

-50.95%

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

$4.09 ৳504

$5.86 ₫151.8K

-30.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,110

$8.47 ₫219.2K

6.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,682

$21.84 ₫565.5K

-37.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,257

$7.64 ₫197.7K

33.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳506

$3.15 ₫81.5K

30.48%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$159 ₫4.1M

-42.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳319.1K

$12.3K ₫317.6M

-78.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,100

$44.55 ₫1.2M

-61.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,632

$26.45 ₫684.9K

-19.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,333

$83.8 ₫2.2M

-38.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,529

$77.0 ₫2.0M

-52.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$405 ₫10.5M

-67.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,014

$274 ₫7.1M

-76.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.5K

$741 ₫19.2M

-49.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.7K

$625 ₫16.2M

-69.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳199.7K

$2,841 ₫73.5M

-42.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.6K

$1,279 ₫33.1M

-40.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

8.46

23.88%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ha Long Bay: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Ha Long Bay

$196 25.7% 58.7% $73

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Ha Long Bay

$274 35.8% 321% $209

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Ha Long Bay

$59 7.7% 1.5% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Ha Long Bay

$104 13.6% 83% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Ha Long Bay

$92 12.1% 79.8% $41

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Ha Long Bay

$11 1.5% 58.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Ha Long Bay

$28 3.7% 28.6% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $12.00 in Dhaka vs $19.00 in Ha Long Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $196 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇻🇳 Ha Long Bay

🕒 Local time

23:34 11:34 PM

00:34 12:34 AM

1 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

270,054

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.12 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.22 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.12 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.22 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Ha Long Bay 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Ha Long Bay

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 Ha Long Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $609 in Dhaka and $1,148 in Ha Long Bay 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: $133 in Dhaka versus $405 in Ha Long Bay. 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 $765 in Ha Long Bay – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 249% less than in Ha Long Bay. 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 Ha Long Bay 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 89% less than in Ha Long Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.