Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Khon Kaen

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $613 in Khon Kaen, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Khon Kaen
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Khon Kaen Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Khon Kaen

🇹🇭 Thailand

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Khon Kaen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $613 in Khon Kaen.

Dhaka $406
Khon Kaen $613

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,029 in Khon Kaen.

Dhaka $687
Khon Kaen $1,029

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,444 in Khon Kaen.

Dhaka $969
Khon Kaen $1,444

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 34% less than in Khon Kaen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Khon Kaen 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$2.98 ฿99.7

-23.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$29.88 ฿999

-58.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$6.03 ฿202

-34.49%

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

$1.46 ฿48.84

56.16%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.59 ฿19.67

-44.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.27 ฿8.92

-40.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 ฿58.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 ฿226

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$0.88 ฿29.38

-21.59%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$2.47 ฿82.6

-50.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$0.92 ฿30.82

-2.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$1.46 ฿48.83

60.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$1.50 ฿50.1

-69.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$0.61 ฿20.51

-42.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.49 ฿16.41

-42.86%

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

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿56.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$1.21 ฿40.47

-67.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$1.34 ฿44.66

-17.91%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$45.1K ฿1.5M

-34.74%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$26.8K ฿895.5K

20.03%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$94.1 ฿3,146

-59.34%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$17.76 ฿594

-76.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$29.78 ฿995

-69.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$60.5 ฿2,022

-77.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$6.08 ฿203

-32.40%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$8,748 ฿292.3K

-70.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$29.67 ฿992

-42.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$35.23 ฿1,177

-39.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$75.1 ฿2,510

-31.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$87.7 ฿2,931

-58.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$278 ฿9,297

-52.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$161 ฿5,366

-59.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$757 ฿25.3K

-50.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$484 ฿16.2K

-60.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Khon Kaen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Khon Kaen

$45 * 7.3% 64% $79

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Khon Kaen

$161 26.2% 147% $95

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Khon Kaen

$85 13.9% 43.4% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Khon Kaen

$102 16.7% 79.8% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Khon Kaen

$142 23.1% 176% $90

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Khon Kaen

$6.1 * 1% 77.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Khon Kaen

$73 11.9% 232% $51

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $278 in Khon Kaen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12.00 in Dhaka vs $30.00 in Khon Kaen. Groceries flip the comparison at $124 vs $45.00, with Khon Kaen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇹🇭 Khon Kaen

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

01:01 1:01 AM

1 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

114,459

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Khon Kaen 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Khon Kaen

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 Khon Kaen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $609 in Dhaka and $920 in Khon Kaen 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 $278 in Khon Kaen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Khon Kaen pay roughly 177% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $30.00 in Khon Kaen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Khon Kaen 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 51% less than in Khon Kaen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.