Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Ipoh

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $922 in Ipoh, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Ipoh
Learn more

Ipoh Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Ipoh

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Ipoh

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $922 in Ipoh.

Dhaka $406
Ipoh $922

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,372 in Ipoh.

Dhaka $687
Ipoh $1,372

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,821 in Ipoh.

Dhaka $969
Ipoh $1,821

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 56% less than in Ipoh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Ipoh 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$3.26 MYR 13.29

-30.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$19.29 MYR 78.7

-36.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$4.51 MYR 18.38

-12.42%

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

$2.80 MYR 11.41

-18.57%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.70 MYR 2.87

-52.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.44 MYR 1.81

-63.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.34 MYR 17.70

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 MYR 18.42

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.97 MYR 8.05

-56.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$1.05 MYR 4.29

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$1.36 MYR 5.56

-49.26%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$2.21 MYR 9.03

-44.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$13.65 MYR 55.7

-35.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$4.56 MYR 18.62

-26.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$7.64 MYR 31.16

-13.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$3.01 MYR 12.27

-5.32%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.77 MYR 7.21

-49.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$2.22 MYR 9.05

5.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$1.56 MYR 6.34

-59.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$1.28 MYR 5.22

-81.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$1.34 MYR 5.48

-65.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$1.13 MYR 4.62

-69.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.45 MYR 1.82

-37.78%

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

$4.32 MYR 17.63

-24.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.98 MYR 69.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 MYR 14.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 MYR 18.64

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.62 MYR 2.54

-32.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$11.56 MYR 47.14

94.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.24 MYR 5.07

-4.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$1.23 MYR 5.04

-68.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$5.04 MYR 20.56

-34.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$0.52 MYR 2.11

111.54%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$41.3K MYR 168.7K

-28.81%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$34.7K MYR 141.4K

-7.21%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$61.9 MYR 253

-38.20%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$8.92 MYR 36.37

-54.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$26.24 MYR 107

-65.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$40.16 MYR 164

-65.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$6.93 MYR 28.26

47.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$3.33 MYR 13.59

23.42%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$305 MYR 1,242

-70.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$13.3K MYR 54.2K

-80.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$61.5 MYR 251

-72.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$36.00 MYR 147

-40.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$61.8 MYR 252

-16.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$62.0 MYR 253

-40.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$401 MYR 1,635

-66.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$298 MYR 1,217

-78.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$679 MYR 2,770

-44.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$490 MYR 2,001

-60.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$2,059 MYR 8,400

-21.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$1,093 MYR 4,458

-30.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$973 MYR 3,968

-74.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

3.99

162.66%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ipoh: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Ipoh

$250 27.2% 103% $127

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Ipoh

$298 32.4% 359% $233

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Ipoh

$108 11.8% 82.6% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Ipoh

$100 10.8% 74.7% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Ipoh

$97 10.5% 88.9% $46

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Ipoh

$21 2.3% 21.3% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Ipoh

$47 5.1% 114% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $401 in Ipoh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ipoh pays 295% 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 $19.00 in Ipoh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $250 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇾 Ipoh

🕒 Local time

05:04 5:04 AM

07:04 7:04 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

759,952

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, 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).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Ipoh 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Ipoh

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 Ipoh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 127% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 295% lower in Ipoh. 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 $401 in Ipoh. 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 $922 in Ipoh – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 94% less than in Ipoh. 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.

For families, Dhaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ipoh, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Ipoh 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 127% less than in Ipoh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.