Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Keelung

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $978 in Keelung, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Dhaka
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$406
/mo nomad
Keelung
🇹🇼 Taiwan
$978
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Keelung

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $978 in Keelung.

  • Dhaka $406
  • Keelung $978

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,717 in Keelung.

  • Dhaka $687
  • Keelung $1,717

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $2,457 in Keelung.

  • Dhaka $969
  • Keelung $2,457

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Keelung 28% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dhaka
Keelung
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.28 ৳281
$4.65 NT$151
-50.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.33 ৳1,518
$31.92 NT$1,035
-61.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.95 ৳487
$4.85 NT$157
-18.56%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.48 ৳552
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.13 ৳508
-
-
Cappuccino
$2.28 ৳280
$2.85 NT$92.4
-20.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ৳40.74
$1.03 NT$33.31
-67.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.16 ৳19.80
$0.73 NT$23.60
-78.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.54 NT$50.1
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.81 NT$91.1
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
Keelung
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.85 ৳104
$3.24 NT$105
-73.77%
White Bread (500g)
$0.60 ৳74.3
$1.39 NT$45.01
-56.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.69 ৳85.1
$1.12 NT$36.44
-38.39%
Eggs
$1.23 ৳152
$2.22 NT$72.1
-44.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.80 ৳1,084
$29.36 NT$952
-70.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.33 ৳411
$5.83 NT$189
-42.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.63 ৳816
$17.08 NT$554
-61.18%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ৳351
$4.35 NT$141
-34.48%
Banana (1kg)
$0.90 ৳111
$1.89 NT$61.4
-52.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.34 ৳288
$3.02 NT$98.0
-22.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.63 ৳78.2
$2.16 NT$70.1
-70.83%
Potato (1kg)
$0.24 ৳29.49
$1.19 NT$38.69
-79.83%
Onion (1kg)
$0.46 ৳57.1
$1.90 NT$61.6
-75.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.35 ৳42.64
$2.42 NT$78.5
-85.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.28 ৳34.12
$0.91 NT$29.60
-69.23%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$12.11 ৳1,491
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.31 ৳654
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.42 ৳791
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.28 ৳404
$3.76 NT$122
-12.77%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$9.24 NT$300
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.09 NT$35.21
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.56 NT$83.0
-
🚌 Getting Around
Dhaka
Keelung
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.42 ৳52.1
$0.64 NT$20.87
-34.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.43 ৳2,762
$63.7 NT$2,064
-64.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.19 ৳147
$2.61 NT$84.7
-54.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.39 ৳48.54
$0.96 NT$31.16
-59.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.28 ৳404
$9.61 NT$311
-65.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 ৳135
$1.03 NT$33.31
6.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.4K ৳3.6M
$33.3K NT$1.1M
-11.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.2K ৳4.0M
$23.0K NT$744.6K
40.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
Keelung
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$38.28 ৳4,713
$41.52 NT$1,346
-7.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.09 ৳504
$15.14 NT$491
-72.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.02 ৳1,110
$11.07 NT$359
-18.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
Keelung
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$13.66 ৳1,682
$34.14 NT$1,107
-59.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.21 ৳1,257
$32.11 NT$1,041
-68.20%
Cinema Ticket
$4.11 ৳506
$7.92 NT$257
-48.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dhaka
Keelung
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$90.7 ৳11.2K
$336 NT$10.9K
-72.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,591 ৳319.1K
$16.9K NT$546.4K
-84.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
Keelung
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.06 ৳2,100
$73.0 NT$2,368
-76.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.38 ৳2,632
$36.15 NT$1,172
-40.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$51.4 ৳6,333
$47.16 NT$1,529
9.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$36.78 ৳4,529
$31.66 NT$1,027
16.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
Keelung
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$133 ৳16.4K
$401 NT$13.0K
-66.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$65.1 ৳8,014
$254 NT$8,247
-74.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$377 ৳46.5K
$978 NT$31.7K
-61.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$192 ৳23.7K
$731 NT$23.7K
-73.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,621 ৳199.7K
$3,385 NT$109.8K
-52.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$760 ৳93.6K
$2,352 NT$76.3K
-67.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dhaka
Keelung
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$246 ৳30.3K
$2,436 NT$79.0K
-89.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.48
2.27
361.67%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Keelung: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
$124
Keelung
$341 176% $218
Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
$65
Keelung
$254 291% $189
Eating Out
Dhaka
$59
Keelung
$106 79% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
$57
Keelung
$85 48.4% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
$51
Keelung
$68 31.8% $16
Getting Around
Dhaka
$27
Keelung
$74 170% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
$22
Keelung
$50 128% $28

Cost Breakdown

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

Keelung pays 890% 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 $32.00 in Keelung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $341 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇩 Dhaka
🇹🇼 Keelung
🕒 Local time
02:01 2:01 AM
04:01 4:01 AM
2 h ahead of Dhaka
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
21,741,000 Capital
372,100
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.12 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.22 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dhaka Keelung 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Dhaka
  • Keelung

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 Keelung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Keelung cheaper than Dhaka?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 141% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Dhaka or Keelung?
On paper, salaries run 890% lower in Keelung. 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 Keelung?
Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Dhaka versus $401 in Keelung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Dhaka and in Keelung?
All in, you'll spend $406 per month in Dhaka versus $978 in Keelung – a 141% 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 184% less than in Keelung. 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 Keelung?
At $406 in Dhaka versus $978 in Keelung, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Keelung. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Dhaka or in Keelung?
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 Keelung?
Safety-wise, Dhaka and Keelung 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 141% less than in Keelung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Dhaka vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?