Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Koh Samui

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,183 in Koh Samui, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Koh Samui
Learn more

Koh Samui Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Koh Samui

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Dhaka versus $1,183 in Koh Samui.

Dhaka $426
Koh Samui $1,183

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Dhaka versus $1,939 in Koh Samui.

Dhaka $735
Koh Samui $1,939

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,043 in Dhaka versus $2,694 in Koh Samui.

Dhaka $1,043
Koh Samui $2,694

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 64% less than in Koh Samui, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Koh Samui 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ৳305

$4.36 ฿146

-42.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.06 ৳1,604

$32.80 ฿1,098

-60.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ৳594

$8.50 ฿285

-43.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.34 ৳287

$2.73 ฿91.3

-14.29%

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

$0.30 ৳37.38

$0.94 ฿31.60

-68.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.96

$0.50 ฿16.59

-68.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 ฿84.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ৳98.1

$1.74 ฿58.2

-54.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ৳79.3

$1.46 ฿48.79

-55.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ৳87.2

$1.56 ฿52.2

-54.49%

Eggs

$1.21 ৳149

$2.10 ฿70.3

-42.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

$19.60 ฿656

-55.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

$3.27 ฿110

-1.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳823

$10.94 ฿366

-38.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

$2.96 ฿99.0

-7.77%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳108

$1.69 ฿56.5

-47.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

$2.22 ฿74.2

6.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.5

$2.10 ฿70.3

-69.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.19

$1.46 ฿48.79

-83.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

$1.33 ฿44.53

-63.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.87

$1.11 ฿37.27

-71.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.30

$0.51 ฿16.97

-41.18%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.07 ৳1,483

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 ৳677

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳818

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ৳396

$4.23 ฿142

-23.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿611

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$2.46 ฿82.5

-82.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,769

$45.15 ฿1,512

-50.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$3.08 ฿103

-61.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.58

$1.06 ฿35.62

-62.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

$3.89 ฿130

-13.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$1.50 ฿50.3

-23.33%

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

$30.3K ৳3.7M

$28.2K ฿944.4K

7.39%

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

$33.0K ৳4.1M

$27.7K ฿925.9K

19.44%

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

$46.32 ৳5,690

$102 ฿3,405

-54.45%

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

$4.33 ৳531

$11.78 ฿394

-63.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

$17.76 ฿595

-40.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.37 ৳2,011

$54.1 ฿1,812

-69.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,982

$11.53 ฿386

39.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

$7.73 ฿259

-46.57%

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

$90.7 ৳11.1K

$615 ฿20.6K

-85.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.4K

$12.4K ฿415.9K

-78.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,024

$61.9 ฿2,073

-73.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,579

$28.96 ฿969

-27.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,173

$94.6 ฿3,167

-46.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,478

$88.2 ฿2,951

-58.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ৳18.6K

$619 ฿20.7K

-75.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 ৳9,041

$389 ฿13.0K

-81.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.5K

$1,761 ฿59.0K

-75.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ৳26.3K

$1,025 ฿34.3K

-79.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.2K

$2,971 ฿99.5K

-45.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

$2,176 ฿72.8K

-65.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ৳30.6K

$397 ฿13.3K

-37.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

5.57

88.15%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Koh Samui: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.5%

Koh Samui

$267 23% 118% $145

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$74 17.1%

Koh Samui

$389 33.5% 428% $315

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15%

Koh Samui

$119 10.2% 85.1% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Koh Samui

$131 11.3% 114% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$56 13%

Koh Samui

$123 10.6% 120% $67

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Koh Samui

$63 5.5% 131% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.7%

Koh Samui

$70 6% 182% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Dhaka and $619 in Koh Samui. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Koh Samui pays 59% 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: $13.00 in Dhaka vs $33.00 in Koh Samui for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $267 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇹🇭 Koh Samui

🕒 Local time

11:46 11:46 AM

12:46 12:46 PM

1 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

62,110

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Koh Samui 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Koh Samui

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 Koh Samui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 178% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Koh Samui. 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: $152 in Dhaka versus $619 in Koh Samui. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $426 per month in Dhaka versus $1,183 in Koh Samui – a 178% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 100% less than in Koh Samui. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,183 in Koh Samui, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Koh Samui. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dhaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Koh Samui, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Koh Samui 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 178% less than in Koh Samui. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.