Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Ilsan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $1,444 in Ilsan, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Ilsan
Learn more

Ilsan Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Ilsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,444

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Ilsan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $1,444 in Ilsan.

Dhaka $406
Ilsan $1,444

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $2,297 in Ilsan.

Dhaka $687
Ilsan $2,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $3,151 in Ilsan.

Dhaka $969
Ilsan $3,151

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 72% less than in Ilsan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dhaka is 70% below, Ilsan is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$7.30 ₩9,705

-68.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$67.4 ₩89.6K

-81.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$7.34 ₩9,763

-46.19%

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

$4.01 ₩5,337

-43.14%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$1.61 ₩2,139

-79.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.77 ₩1,017

-79.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.79 ₩5,034

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 ₩8,070

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$2.08 ₩2,764

-59.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$3.16 ₩4,198

-81.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$2.23 ₩2,971

-69.06%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$3.36 ₩4,466

-63.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$15.36 ₩20.4K

-42.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$7.94 ₩10.6K

-58.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$11.21 ₩14.9K

-40.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$7.42 ₩9,860

-61.59%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$3.25 ₩4,324

-72.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$5.75 ₩7,649

-59.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$6.08 ₩8,087

-89.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$3.51 ₩4,666

-93.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$2.37 ₩3,152

-80.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$2.00 ₩2,657

-82.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$1.14 ₩1,520

-75.44%

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

$3.41 ₩4,535

-3.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.73 ₩24.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 ₩2,960

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ₩4,449

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$1.10 ₩1,462

-61.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$49.42 ₩65.7K

-54.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$3.64 ₩4,834

-67.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.63 ₩833

-38.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$9.18 ₩12.2K

-64.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$1.42 ₩1,883

-22.54%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$29.3K ₩39.0M

0.39%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$28.3K ₩37.6M

13.78%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$213 ₩283.4K

-82.04%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$34.95 ₩46.5K

-88.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$20.52 ₩27.3K

-56.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$52.0 ₩69.2K

-73.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$11.82 ₩15.7K

-13.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$11.30 ₩15.0K

-63.63%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$520 ₩691.8K

-82.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$17.6K ₩23.4M

-85.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-70.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$32.76 ₩43.6K

-34.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$69.9 ₩93.0K

-26.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$83.0 ₩110.3K

-55.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$482 ₩640.8K

-72.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$365 ₩485.2K

-82.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$1,166 ₩1.6M

-67.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$738 ₩981.9K

-73.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$7,213 ₩9.6M

-77.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$5,518 ₩7.3M

-86.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$3,453 ₩4.6M

-92.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

4.1

155.61%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ilsan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Ilsan

$396 27.5% 221% $273

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Ilsan

$365 25.3% 461% $300

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Ilsan

$169 11.7% 185% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Ilsan

$109 7.6% 91.6% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Ilsan

$269 18.6% 423% $217

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Ilsan

$61 4.2% 122% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Ilsan

$75 5.2% 241% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $482 in Ilsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilsan pays 1303% 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 $67.0 in Ilsan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $396 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇰🇷 Ilsan

🕒 Local time

04:46 4:46 AM

07:46 7:46 AM

3 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

1,061,752

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dhaka Ilsan 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Ilsan

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 Ilsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 256% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1303% lower in Ilsan. 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 $482 in Ilsan. 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 $1,444 in Ilsan – a 256% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 120% less than in Ilsan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $406 in Dhaka versus $1,444 in Ilsan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Ilsan. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Ilsan 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 256% less than in Ilsan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.