Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Kedah

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $422 a month against $877 in Kedah, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Kedah
Learn more

Kedah Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$422

/mo nomad

Kedah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Kedah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $422 in Dhaka versus $877 in Kedah.

Dhaka $422
Kedah $877

Estimated couple costs with rent: $728 in Dhaka versus $1,399 in Kedah.

Dhaka $728
Kedah $1,399

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,033 in Dhaka versus $1,920 in Kedah.

Dhaka $1,033
Kedah $1,920

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 52% less than in Kedah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 69% lower, Kedah 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.40 ৳297

$3.72 MYR 15.19

-35.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.93 ৳1,599

$12.32 MYR 50.4

4.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ৳591

$4.56 MYR 18.65

4.82%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 ৳608

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 ৳489

Cappuccino

$2.38 ৳294

$2.91 MYR 11.90

-18.21%

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

$0.30 ৳36.99

$0.77 MYR 3.15

-61.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ৳21.25

$0.39 MYR 1.60

-56.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 MYR 17.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 MYR 17.80

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 ৳97.2

$1.88 MYR 7.68

-57.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ৳78.1

$1.06 MYR 4.33

-40.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.72 ৳88.8

$1.72 MYR 7.01

-58.14%

Eggs

$1.18 ৳146

$2.19 MYR 8.94

-46.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 ৳1,080

$13.55 MYR 55.4

-35.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ৳407

$4.34 MYR 17.75

-23.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.64 ৳822

$8.84 MYR 36.13

-24.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ৳346

$2.94 MYR 12.02

-4.76%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 ৳107

$1.63 MYR 6.67

-47.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ৳287

$2.75 MYR 11.24

-15.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 ৳75.5

$1.45 MYR 5.94

-57.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.23 ৳28.22

$1.10 MYR 4.50

-79.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 ৳59.8

$1.09 MYR 4.45

-55.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 ৳41.12

$1.13 MYR 4.63

-70.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.46

$0.57 MYR 2.34

-47.37%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.23 ৳1,512

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.23 ৳647

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.51 ৳805

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ৳407

$4.62 MYR 18.89

-28.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.76 MYR 76.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 MYR 12.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 MYR 21.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ৳51.1

$0.76 MYR 3.11

-46.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.27 ৳2,630

$12.85 MYR 52.5

65.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ৳146

$1.66 MYR 6.78

-28.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ৳47.04

$0.38 MYR 1.54

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 ৳404

$7.29 MYR 29.79

-55.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ৳143

$0.60 MYR 2.47

93.33%

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

$29.9K ৳3.7M

$45.6K MYR 186.5K

-34.47%

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

$32.5K ৳4.0M

$35.8K MYR 146.5K

-9.31%

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

$46.86 ৳5,795

$36.47 MYR 149

28.49%

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

$4.31 ৳534

$9.66 MYR 39.47

-55.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.09 ৳1,371

$29.48 MYR 120

-62.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.52 ৳2,166

$34.63 MYR 142

-49.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.67 ৳2,185

$6.85 MYR 28.01

157.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.31 ৳533

$4.79 MYR 19.59

-10.02%

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

$139 ৳17.2K

$388 MYR 1,584

-64.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,570 ৳317.8K

$10.7K MYR 43.6K

-75.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.32 ৳2,018

$58.9 MYR 241

-72.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.36 ৳2,394

$34.76 MYR 142

-44.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.97 ৳5,684

$81.6 MYR 334

-43.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.74 ৳4,543

$70.7 MYR 289

-48.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$145 ৳17.9K

$358 MYR 1,462

-59.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.1 ৳8,423

$258 MYR 1,054

-73.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 ৳57.0K

$712 MYR 2,911

-35.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ৳28.7K

$607 MYR 2,479

-61.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,575 ৳194.8K

$1,930 MYR 7,889

-18.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$789 ৳97.6K

$1,258 MYR 5,140

-37.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$245 ৳30.3K

$1,339 MYR 5,473

-81.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

4.04

164.11%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kedah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$122 29%

Kedah

$257 29.3% 110% $134

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$68 16.1%

Kedah

$258 29.4% 279% $190

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15.2%

Kedah

$113 12.9% 76.5% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$62 14.8%

Kedah

$76 8.6% 21.4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$53 12.6%

Kedah

$111 12.6% 108% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$26 6.2%

Kedah

$44 5% 69.2% $18

Getting Around

Dhaka

$26 6.2%

Kedah

$19 2.2% 25.3% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $145 in Dhaka and $358 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays about 5.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $13 in Dhaka vs $12 in Kedah. Groceries flip the comparison at $122 vs $257, with Dhaka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇾 Kedah

🕒 Local time

23:34 11:34 PM

01:34 1:34 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

417,800

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.55 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Kedah 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Kedah

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 Kedah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 82% lower in Dhaka. 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: $145 in Dhaka versus $358 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $422 per month in Dhaka versus $877 in Kedah – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kedah runs roughly 40% less than in Dhaka. 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.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Dhaka wins on affordability, Kedah on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.