Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Harbin

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $1,156 in Harbin, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Harbin
Learn more

Harbin Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Harbin

🇨🇳 China

$1,156

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Harbin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $1,156 in Harbin.

Dhaka $406
Harbin $1,156

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,617 in Harbin.

Dhaka $687
Harbin $1,617

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $2,077 in Harbin.

Dhaka $969
Harbin $2,077

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 65% less than in Harbin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Harbin 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$2.21 ¥14.77

3.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$22.30 ¥149

-44.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$5.31 ¥35.47

-25.61%

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

$2.81 ¥18.81

-18.86%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.47 ¥3.12

-29.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.26 ¥1.72

-38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 ¥5.73

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.73

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$2.09 ¥14.00

-59.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$1.97 ¥13.18

-69.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$0.97 ¥6.50

-28.87%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.40 ¥9.34

-12.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$8.87 ¥59.3

-0.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$2.61 ¥17.44

27.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$12.13 ¥81.1

-45.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$1.57 ¥10.49

81.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.30 ¥8.70

-30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$1.28 ¥8.55

82.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$0.99 ¥6.60

-36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$0.54 ¥3.59

-55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$1.53 ¥10.22

-69.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$0.46 ¥3.09

-23.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.78 ¥5.20

-64.10%

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

$2.55 ¥17.07

28.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.80 ¥119

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ¥10.58

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.31 ¥2.10

35.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$10.90 ¥72.9

105.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.38 ¥9.21

-13.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.29 ¥1.94

34.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$3.54 ¥23.65

-7.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$1.28 ¥8.58

-14.06%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$19.6K ¥131.0K

50.18%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$15.5K ¥103.9K

107.02%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$77.8 ¥520

-50.78%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$14.58 ¥97.5

-71.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$12.19 ¥81.5

-26.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$85.0 ¥569

-83.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$29.80 ¥199

-65.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$5.85 ¥39.11

-29.74%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$297 ¥1,986

-69.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$10.4K ¥69.4K

-75.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$30.36 ¥203

-43.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$29.31 ¥196

-27.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$71.2 ¥476

-27.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$304 ¥2,035

-87.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$317 ¥2,123

-58.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$456 ¥3,052

-85.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$1,349 ¥9,018

-72.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$533 ¥3,561

-63.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$3,192 ¥21.3K

-49.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$1,326 ¥8,865

-42.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$584 ¥3,903

-57.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

3.92

167.35%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Harbin: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Harbin

$209 18.1% 69.4% $86

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Harbin

$456 39.5% 601% $391

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Harbin

$78 6.7% 30.9% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Harbin

$196 17% 244% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Harbin

$105 9.1% 103% $53

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Harbin

$15 1.3% 45.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Harbin

$97 8.4% 342% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $317 in Harbin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harbin pays 137% 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 $22.00 in Harbin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $209 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇨🇳 Harbin

🕒 Local time

10:40 10:40 AM

12:40 12:40 PM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

10,009,854

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Harbin 4,060 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Harbin

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 Harbin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 185% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 137% lower in Harbin. 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 $317 in Harbin. 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 $1,156 in Harbin – a 185% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 106% less than in Harbin. 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.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 185% less than in Harbin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.