Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Kajang, Selangor

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $988 in Kajang, Selangor, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Dhaka
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$406
/mo nomad
Kajang, Selangor
🇲🇾 Malaysia
$988
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Kajang, Selangor

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $988 in Kajang, Selangor.

  • Dhaka $406
  • Kajang, Selangor $988

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,448 in Kajang, Selangor.

  • Dhaka $687
  • Kajang, Selangor $1,448

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,909 in Kajang, Selangor.

  • Dhaka $969
  • Kajang, Selangor $1,909

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 59% less than in Kajang, Selangor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Kajang, Selangor 27% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dhaka
Kajang, Selangor
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.28 ৳282
$3.76 MYR 15.34
-39.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.33 ৳1,523
$18.63 MYR 76.0
-33.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.95 ৳488
$4.81 MYR 19.62
-17.88%
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
$2.96 MYR 12.09
-22.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ৳40.88
$0.80 MYR 3.26
-58.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.16 ৳19.86
$0.47 MYR 1.92
-65.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.35 MYR 17.76
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.08 MYR 24.81
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
Kajang, Selangor
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.85 ৳104
$1.69 MYR 6.88
-49.70%
White Bread (500g)
$0.60 ৳74.5
$1.05 MYR 4.28
-42.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.69 ৳85.4
$1.43 MYR 5.84
-51.75%
Eggs
$1.23 ৳152
$1.66 MYR 6.78
-25.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.80 ৳1,087
$17.84 MYR 72.8
-50.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.33 ৳412
$4.56 MYR 18.62
-26.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.63 ৳819
$9.80 MYR 39.98
-32.35%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ৳352
$3.41 MYR 13.91
-16.42%
Banana (1kg)
$0.90 ৳111
$1.69 MYR 6.88
-46.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.34 ৳289
$2.32 MYR 9.48
0.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.63 ৳78.4
$1.53 MYR 6.23
-58.82%
Potato (1kg)
$0.24 ৳29.59
$1.34 MYR 5.46
-82.09%
Onion (1kg)
$0.46 ৳57.3
$1.65 MYR 6.73
-72.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.35 ৳42.79
$1.13 MYR 4.60
-69.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.28 ৳34.24
$0.51 MYR 2.09
-45.10%
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
$4.36 MYR 17.79
-24.77%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$13.93 MYR 56.8
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.86 MYR 11.65
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.11 MYR 12.68
-
🚌 Getting Around
Dhaka
Kajang, Selangor
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.42 ৳52.3
$0.76 MYR 3.08
-44.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.43 ৳2,772
$12.29 MYR 50.1
82.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.19 ৳147
$1.21 MYR 4.92
-1.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.39 ৳48.71
$0.71 MYR 2.91
-45.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.28 ৳406
$4.94 MYR 20.16
-33.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 ৳136
$0.82 MYR 3.35
34.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.4K ৳3.6M
$42.3K MYR 172.7K
-30.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.2K ৳4.0M
$35.3K MYR 143.9K
-8.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
Kajang, Selangor
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$38.28 ৳4,729
$52.5 MYR 214
-27.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.09 ৳506
$9.92 MYR 40.45
-58.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.02 ৳1,114
$26.35 MYR 107
-65.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
Kajang, Selangor
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$13.66 ৳1,688
$44.80 MYR 183
-69.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.21 ৳1,261
$7.53 MYR 30.73
35.59%
Cinema Ticket
$4.11 ৳508
$4.91 MYR 20.05
-16.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dhaka
Kajang, Selangor
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$90.7 ৳11.2K
$166 MYR 677
-45.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,591 ৳320.2K
$4,418 MYR 18.0K
-41.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
Kajang, Selangor
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.06 ৳2,108
$54.6 MYR 223
-68.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.38 ৳2,641
$16.33 MYR 66.6
30.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$51.4 ৳6,355
$81.6 MYR 333
-36.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$36.78 ৳4,545
$97.2 MYR 396
-62.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
Kajang, Selangor
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$133 ৳16.4K
$396 MYR 1,615
-66.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$65.1 ৳8,041
$337 MYR 1,375
-80.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$377 ৳46.6K
$744 MYR 3,035
-49.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$192 ৳23.8K
$502 MYR 2,047
-61.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,621 ৳200.3K
$1,919 MYR 7,828
-15.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$760 ৳93.9K
$1,012 MYR 4,129
-24.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dhaka
Kajang, Selangor
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$246 ৳30.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.48
4.06
158.13%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kajang, Selangor: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
$124
Kajang, Selangor
$256 107% $132
Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
$65
Kajang, Selangor
$337 418% $272
Eating Out
Dhaka
$59
Kajang, Selangor
$119 100% $60
Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
$57
Kajang, Selangor
$112 97.1% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
$51
Kajang, Selangor
$89 72.7% $37
Getting Around
Dhaka
$27
Kajang, Selangor
$20 26.4% $7.2
Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
$22
Kajang, Selangor
$55 150% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $396 in Kajang, Selangor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12.00 in Dhaka vs $19.00 in Kajang, Selangor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $256 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇩 Dhaka
🇲🇾 Kajang, Selangor
🕒 Local time
13:02 1:02 PM
15:02 3:02 PM
2 h ahead of Dhaka
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
21,741,000 Capital
1,047,356
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, 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).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dhaka Kajang, Selangor 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Dhaka
  • Kajang, Selangor

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 Kajang, Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kajang, Selangor cheaper than Dhaka?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 143% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $609 in Dhaka and $1,482 in Kajang, Selangor to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Dhaka and Kajang, Selangor?
Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Dhaka versus $396 in Kajang, Selangor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Dhaka and in Kajang, Selangor?
All in, you'll spend $406 per month in Dhaka versus $988 in Kajang, Selangor – a 143% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 83% less than in Kajang, Selangor. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 enough for either Dhaka or Kajang, Selangor?
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 Kajang, Selangor?
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 Kajang, Selangor?
Safety-wise, Dhaka and Kajang, Selangor 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 143% less than in Kajang, Selangor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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