Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Hat Yai

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $731 in Hat Yai, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Dhaka
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$406
/mo nomad
Hat Yai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$731
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Hat Yai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $731 in Hat Yai.

  • Dhaka $406
  • Hat Yai $731

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,300 in Hat Yai.

  • Dhaka $687
  • Hat Yai $1,300

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,870 in Hat Yai.

  • Dhaka $969
  • Hat Yai $1,870

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Hat Yai 46% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dhaka
Hat Yai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.28 ৳282
$2.90 ฿96.9
-21.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.33 ৳1,523
$43.67 ฿1,460
-71.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.95 ৳488
$3.66 ฿122
7.92%
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
$2.88 ฿96.3
-20.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ৳40.88
$1.33 ฿44.34
-75.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.16 ৳19.86
$0.56 ฿18.60
-71.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.80 ฿60.1
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.46 ฿116
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
Hat Yai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.85 ৳104
$1.45 ฿48.55
-41.38%
White Bread (500g)
$0.60 ৳74.5
$1.25 ฿41.68
-52.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.69 ৳85.4
$1.24 ฿41.28
-44.35%
Eggs
$1.23 ৳152
$2.51 ฿83.9
-51.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.80 ৳1,087
$22.15 ฿740
-60.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.33 ৳412
$2.24 ฿74.7
48.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.63 ৳819
$11.19 ฿374
-40.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ৳352
$2.54 ฿84.8
12.20%
Banana (1kg)
$0.90 ৳111
$1.38 ฿46.10
-34.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.34 ৳289
$1.89 ฿63.3
23.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.63 ৳78.4
$1.80 ฿60.3
-65.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.24 ৳29.59
$1.46 ฿48.94
-83.56%
Onion (1kg)
$0.46 ৳57.3
$1.03 ฿34.38
-55.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.35 ৳42.79
$1.07 ฿35.74
-67.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.28 ৳34.24
$0.41 ฿13.57
-31.71%
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
$4.36 ฿146
-24.77%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$15.03 ฿502
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.77 ฿59.2
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.99 ฿66.4
-
🚌 Getting Around
Dhaka
Hat Yai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.42 ৳52.3
$0.57 ฿18.98
-26.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.43 ৳2,772
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.19 ৳147
$1.25 ฿41.71
-4.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.39 ৳48.71
$1.13 ฿37.78
-65.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.28 ৳406
$4.94 ฿165
-33.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 ৳136
$1.29 ฿43.15
-14.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.4K ৳3.6M
$18.9K ฿630.6K
55.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.2K ৳4.0M
$45.1K ฿1.5M
-28.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
Hat Yai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$38.28 ৳4,729
$84.4 ฿2,819
-54.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.09 ৳506
$11.75 ฿393
-65.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.02 ৳1,114
$9.65 ฿322
-6.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
Hat Yai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$13.66 ৳1,688
$48.45 ฿1,619
-71.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.21 ৳1,261
$14.10 ฿471
-27.59%
Cinema Ticket
$4.11 ৳508
$7.19 ฿240
-42.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dhaka
Hat Yai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$90.7 ৳11.2K
$562 ฿18.8K
-83.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,591 ৳320.2K
$10.7K ฿357.3K
-75.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
Hat Yai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.06 ৳2,108
$37.54 ฿1,255
-54.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.38 ৳2,641
$26.26 ฿878
-18.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$51.4 ৳6,355
$70.9 ฿2,369
-27.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$36.78 ৳4,545
$97.3 ฿3,250
-62.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
Hat Yai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$133 ৳16.4K
$270 ฿9,010
-50.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$65.1 ৳8,041
$107 ฿3,576
-39.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$377 ৳46.6K
$729 ฿24.4K
-48.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$192 ৳23.8K
$397 ฿13.3K
-51.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,621 ৳200.3K
$1,915 ฿64.0K
-15.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$760 ৳93.9K
$1,584 ฿52.9K
-52.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dhaka
Hat Yai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$246 ৳30.4K
$452 ฿15.1K
-45.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.48
6.36
64.78%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Hat Yai: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
$124
Hat Yai
$249 102% $126
Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
$65
Hat Yai
$107 64.4% $42
Eating Out
Dhaka
$59
Hat Yai
$92 55.3% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
$57
Hat Yai
$104 83.1% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
$51
Hat Yai
$106 106% $54
Getting Around
Dhaka
$27
Hat Yai
$9.2 * 66.4% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
$22
Hat Yai
$63 187% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $270 in Hat Yai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hat Yai pays 84% 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 $44.00 in Hat Yai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $249 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇩 Dhaka
🇹🇭 Hat Yai
🕒 Local time
08:01 8:01 AM
09:01 9:01 AM
1 h ahead of Dhaka
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
21,741,000 Capital
156,802
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

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).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dhaka Hat Yai 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Dhaka
  • Hat Yai

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 Hat Yai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hat Yai cheaper than Dhaka?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Dhaka or Hat Yai?
On paper, salaries run 84% lower in Hat Yai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Dhaka and Hat Yai?
Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Dhaka versus $270 in Hat Yai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $90.7 in Dhaka versus $562 in Hat Yai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Dhaka or in Hat Yai?
Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $44.00 in Hat Yai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 enough for either Dhaka or Hat Yai?
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.
Is it better to live in Dhaka or in Hat Yai?
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.
Which city is safer, Dhaka or Hat Yai?
Safety-wise, Dhaka and Hat Yai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Hat Yai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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