Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Kemaman

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $877 in Kemaman, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Kemaman
Learn more

Kemaman Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Kemaman

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Kemaman

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $877 in Kemaman.

Dhaka $406
Kemaman $877

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,352 in Kemaman.

Dhaka $687
Kemaman $1,352

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,827 in Kemaman.

Dhaka $969
Kemaman $1,827

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 54% less than in Kemaman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Kemaman 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$2.62 MYR 10.70

-12.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$14.65 MYR 59.8

-15.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$4.38 MYR 17.89

-9.82%

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

$3.01 MYR 12.29

-24.25%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.51 MYR 2.08

-35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.35 MYR 1.44

-54.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MYR 13.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 MYR 23.61

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.89 MYR 7.70

-55.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$1.01 MYR 4.14

-40.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$0.96 MYR 3.92

-28.13%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.14 MYR 4.64

7.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$9.82 MYR 40.04

-10.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$3.28 MYR 13.39

1.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$9.63 MYR 39.27

-31.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$3.53 MYR 14.41

-19.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.88 MYR 7.66

-52.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$2.66 MYR 10.86

-12.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$1.73 MYR 7.05

-63.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$2.15 MYR 8.78

-88.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$2.02 MYR 8.23

-77.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$1.43 MYR 5.82

-75.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.48 MYR 1.95

-41.67%

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

$4.66 MYR 18.99

-29.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.79 MYR 80.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 MYR 11.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.73 MYR 2.98

-42.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$12.09 MYR 49.32

85.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.23 MYR 5.02

-3.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.38 MYR 1.56

2.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$8.88 MYR 36.22

-63.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$0.52 MYR 2.14

111.54%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$42.1K MYR 171.6K

-30.04%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$32.9K MYR 134.4K

-2.39%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$48.98 MYR 200

-21.85%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$8.30 MYR 33.87

-50.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$27.03 MYR 110

-66.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$41.79 MYR 170

-67.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$7.05 MYR 28.75

44.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$4.87 MYR 19.88

-15.61%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$124 MYR 507

-26.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$10.4K MYR 42.5K

-75.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$51.5 MYR 210

-66.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$30.07 MYR 123

-28.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$76.7 MYR 313

-32.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$85.5 MYR 349

-56.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$450 MYR 1,837

-70.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$267 MYR 1,090

-75.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$772 MYR 3,148

-51.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$532 MYR 2,169

-63.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$1,748 MYR 7,129

-7.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$1,220 MYR 4,978

-37.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

4.51

132.37%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kemaman: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Kemaman

$245 27.9% 97.9% $121

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Kemaman

$267 30.5% 311% $202

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Kemaman

$101 11.6% 70.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Kemaman

$110 12.5% 92.4% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Kemaman

$84 9.6% 64.1% $33

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Kemaman

$18 2.1% 33.5% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Kemaman

$52 5.9% 135% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $450 in Kemaman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12.00 in Dhaka vs $15.00 in Kemaman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $245 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇾 Kemaman

🕒 Local time

10:01 10:01 AM

12:01 12:01 PM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

215,582

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Kemaman 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Kemaman

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 Kemaman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 116% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $609 in Dhaka and $1,315 in Kemaman 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Dhaka versus $450 in Kemaman. 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 $877 in Kemaman – a 116% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 86% less than in Kemaman. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $406 in Dhaka versus $877 in Kemaman, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Kemaman. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Kemaman 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 116% less than in Kemaman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.