Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Kawagoe

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $1,084 in Kawagoe, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Dhaka
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$406
/mo nomad
Kawagoe
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,084
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Kawagoe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $1,084 in Kawagoe.

  • Dhaka $406
  • Kawagoe $1,084

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,747 in Kawagoe.

  • Dhaka $687
  • Kawagoe $1,747

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $2,409 in Kawagoe.

  • Dhaka $969
  • Kawagoe $2,409

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 63% less than in Kawagoe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Kawagoe 20% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dhaka
Kawagoe
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.28 ৳282
$6.38 ¥1,008
-64.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.33 ৳1,523
$40.89 ¥6,460
-69.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.95 ৳488
$5.02 ¥793
-21.31%
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
$3.41 ¥539
-33.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ৳40.88
$0.93 ¥146
-64.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.16 ৳19.86
$0.49 ¥78.0
-67.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.92 ¥304
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.64 ¥417
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
Kawagoe
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.85 ৳104
$1.16 ¥183
-26.72%
White Bread (500g)
$0.60 ৳74.5
$1.29 ¥203
-53.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.69 ৳85.4
$3.59 ¥566
-80.78%
Eggs
$1.23 ৳152
$2.02 ¥320
-39.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.80 ৳1,087
$6.14 ¥970
43.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.33 ৳412
$6.24 ¥987
-46.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.63 ৳819
$14.67 ¥2,318
-54.81%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ৳352
$5.61 ¥887
-49.20%
Banana (1kg)
$0.90 ৳111
$2.30 ¥364
-60.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.34 ৳289
$2.81 ¥445
-16.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.63 ৳78.4
$3.11 ¥492
-79.74%
Potato (1kg)
$0.24 ৳29.59
$2.55 ¥403
-90.59%
Onion (1kg)
$0.46 ৳57.3
$1.87 ¥296
-75.40%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.35 ৳42.79
$1.30 ¥206
-73.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.28 ৳34.24
$0.74 ¥117
-62.16%
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
$3.86 ¥609
-15.03%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$4.87 ¥770
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.74 ¥275
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.03 ¥320
-
🚌 Getting Around
Dhaka
Kawagoe
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.42 ৳52.3
$2.98 ¥471
-85.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.43 ৳2,772
$53.7 ¥8,488
-58.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.19 ৳147
$3.19 ¥504
-62.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.39 ৳48.71
$2.73 ¥431
-85.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.28 ৳406
$20.42 ¥3,226
-83.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 ৳136
$1.11 ¥175
-0.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.4K ৳3.6M
$15.7K ¥2.5M
87.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.2K ৳4.0M
$12.9K ¥2.0M
149.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
Kawagoe
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$38.28 ৳4,729
$131 ¥20.7K
-70.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.09 ৳506
$22.38 ¥3,536
-81.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.02 ৳1,114
$31.77 ¥5,020
-71.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
Kawagoe
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$13.66 ৳1,688
$43.88 ¥6,932
-68.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.21 ৳1,261
$32.08 ¥5,068
-68.17%
Cinema Ticket
$4.11 ৳508
$11.12 ¥1,757
-63.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dhaka
Kawagoe
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$90.7 ৳11.2K
$315 ¥49.8K
-71.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,591 ৳320.2K
$6,305 ¥996.1K
-58.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
Kawagoe
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.06 ৳2,108
$31.87 ¥5,035
-46.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.38 ৳2,641
$33.30 ¥5,261
-35.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$51.4 ৳6,355
$43.84 ¥6,926
17.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$36.78 ৳4,545
$96.3 ¥15.2K
-61.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
Kawagoe
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$133 ৳16.4K
$417 ¥65.8K
-68.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$65.1 ৳8,041
$273 ¥43.1K
-76.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$377 ৳46.6K
$844 ¥133.4K
-55.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$192 ৳23.8K
$594 ¥93.8K
-67.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,621 ৳200.3K
$2,561 ¥404.5K
-36.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$760 ৳93.9K
$1,760 ¥278.0K
-56.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dhaka
Kawagoe
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$246 ৳30.4K
$1,614 ¥255.0K
-84.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.48
1.6
555.00%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kawagoe: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
$124
Kawagoe
$257 108% $134
Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
$65
Kawagoe
$273 320% $208
Eating Out
Dhaka
$59
Kawagoe
$128 115% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
$57
Kawagoe
$92 62.1% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
$51
Kawagoe
$185 260% $134
Getting Around
Dhaka
$27
Kawagoe
$83 202% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
$22
Kawagoe
$66 202% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $417 in Kawagoe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kawagoe pays 556% 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 $41.00 in Kawagoe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $257 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇩 Dhaka
🇯🇵 Kawagoe
🕒 Local time
08:52 8:52 AM
11:52 11:52 AM
3 h ahead of Dhaka
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
21,741,000 Capital
350,745
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

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).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dhaka Kawagoe 4,870 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dhaka
  • Kawagoe

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 Kawagoe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kawagoe cheaper than Dhaka?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 167% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Dhaka or Kawagoe?
On paper, salaries run 556% lower in Kawagoe. 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 Kawagoe?
Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Dhaka versus $417 in Kawagoe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Dhaka and in Kawagoe?
All in, you'll spend $406 per month in Dhaka versus $1,084 in Kawagoe – a 167% 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 140% less than in Kawagoe. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Dhaka or in Kawagoe?
At $406 in Dhaka versus $1,084 in Kawagoe, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Kawagoe. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Dhaka or Kawagoe more family-friendly?
For families, Dhaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Kawagoe, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Dhaka or Kawagoe?
Safety-wise, Dhaka and Kawagoe 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 167% less than in Kawagoe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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