Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Ha Long

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $759 in Ha Long, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Ha Long
Learn more

Ha Long Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Ha Long

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$759

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Dhaka versus $759 in Ha Long.

Dhaka $426
Ha Long $759

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Dhaka versus $1,223 in Ha Long.

Dhaka $735
Ha Long $1,223

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,043 in Dhaka versus $1,686 in Ha Long.

Dhaka $1,043
Ha Long $1,686

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 44% less than in Ha Long, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Ha Long 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ৳305

$1.83 ₫47.4K

36.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.06 ৳1,604

$18.93 ₫489.8K

-31.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ৳594

$4.36 ₫112.8K

10.78%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.34 ৳287

$1.81 ₫46.8K

29.28%

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

$0.30 ৳37.38

$0.57 ₫14.6K

-47.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.96

$0.30 ₫7,759

-46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.79 ₫20.5K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ৳98.1

$1.68 ₫43.5K

-52.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ৳79.3

$1.04 ₫26.8K

-37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ৳87.2

$1.11 ₫28.7K

-36.04%

Eggs

$1.21 ৳149

$1.66 ₫43.1K

-27.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

$10.56 ₫273.2K

-17.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

$4.12 ₫106.7K

-22.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳823

$8.74 ₫226.3K

-23.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

$2.74 ₫71.0K

-0.36%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳108

$1.15 ₫29.7K

-23.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

$1.13 ₫29.3K

109.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.5

$1.26 ₫32.5K

-48.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.19

$1.06 ₫27.4K

-77.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

$1.14 ₫29.5K

-57.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.87

$0.64 ₫16.4K

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.30

$0.50 ₫13.0K

-40.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.07 ৳1,483

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 ৳677

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳818

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ৳396

$1.52 ₫39.3K

112.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.62 ₫300.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₫23.7K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₫41.9K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$0.31 ₫8,145

35.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,769

$6.09 ₫157.6K

270.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$0.68 ₫17.7K

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.58

$0.58 ₫15.0K

-31.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

$2.14 ₫55.3K

56.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$0.89 ₫23.1K

29.21%

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

$30.3K ৳3.7M

$34.5K ₫892.7M

-12.18%

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

$33.0K ৳4.1M

$31.8K ₫824.1M

3.73%

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

$46.32 ৳5,690

$77.6 ₫2.0M

-40.28%

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

$4.33 ৳531

$5.83 ₫150.9K

-25.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

$7.24 ₫187.4K

46.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.37 ৳2,011

$19.71 ₫510.1K

-16.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,982

$8.29 ₫214.6K

94.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

$2.91 ₫75.3K

41.92%

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

$90.7 ৳11.1K

$165 ₫4.3M

-44.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.4K

$14.1K ₫365.8M

-81.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,024

$51.9 ₫1.3M

-68.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,579

$22.66 ₫586.5K

-7.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,173

$76.0 ₫2.0M

-33.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,478

$71.4 ₫1.8M

-48.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ৳18.6K

$421 ₫10.9M

-63.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 ৳9,041

$278 ₫7.2M

-73.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.5K

$774 ₫20.0M

-43.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ৳26.3K

$674 ₫17.5M

-68.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.2K

$3,212 ₫83.1M

-49.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

$1,170 ₫30.3M

-34.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ৳30.6K

$228 ₫5.9M

9.18%

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 4, 2026

Last update for Ha Long: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.5%

Ha Long

$193 25.5% 57.7% $71

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$74 17.1%

Ha Long

$278 36.7% 277% $204

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15%

Ha Long

$59 7.9% 7.5% $4.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Ha Long

$91 12% 47.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$56 13%

Ha Long

$100 13.2% 78.7% $44

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Ha Long

$11 1.4% 60.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.7%

Ha Long

$26 3.4% 3.6% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Dhaka and $421 in Ha Long. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhaka pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $13.00 in Dhaka vs $19.00 in Ha Long for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $193 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇻🇳 Ha Long

🕒 Local time

08:41 8:41 AM

09:41 9:41 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 = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,003 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Dhaka
Ha Long

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $152 in Dhaka versus $421 in Ha Long. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $426 per month in Dhaka versus $759 in Ha Long – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 270% less than in Ha Long. 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 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 78% less than in Ha Long. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.