Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,067 in Kuala Lumpur, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Kuala Lumpur

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Dhaka versus $1,067 in Kuala Lumpur.

Dhaka $426
Kuala Lumpur $1,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Dhaka versus $1,662 in Kuala Lumpur.

Dhaka $735
Kuala Lumpur $1,662

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,043 in Dhaka versus $2,257 in Kuala Lumpur.

Dhaka $1,043
Kuala Lumpur $2,257

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 60% less than in Kuala Lumpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Kuala Lumpur 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ৳305

$4.80 MYR 19.60

-48.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.06 ৳1,604

$28.82 MYR 118

-54.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ৳594

$5.00 MYR 20.40

-3.40%

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

$3.05 MYR 12.47

-23.28%

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

$0.30 ৳37.38

$0.85 MYR 3.46

-64.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.96

$0.45 MYR 1.84

-64.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 MYR 18.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 MYR 24.50

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ৳98.1

$2.11 MYR 8.63

-62.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ৳79.3

$1.08 MYR 4.40

-39.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ৳87.2

$2.02 MYR 8.24

-64.85%

Eggs

$1.21 ৳149

$2.55 MYR 10.40

-52.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

$13.85 MYR 56.6

-37.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

$4.39 MYR 17.91

-26.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳823

$9.66 MYR 39.46

-30.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

$3.47 MYR 14.16

-21.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳108

$1.77 MYR 7.23

-50.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

$2.25 MYR 9.21

5.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.5

$1.55 MYR 6.34

-58.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.19

$1.33 MYR 5.43

-81.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

$1.38 MYR 5.64

-64.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.87

$1.17 MYR 4.79

-72.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.30

$0.67 MYR 2.73

-55.22%

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

$4.38 MYR 17.87

-26.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.87 MYR 77.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 MYR 14.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 MYR 20.64

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$0.72 MYR 2.92

-41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,769

$12.46 MYR 50.9

80.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.25 MYR 5.11

-4.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.58

$1.24 MYR 5.05

-67.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

$4.82 MYR 19.68

-30.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$0.86 MYR 3.52

33.72%

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

$30.3K ৳3.7M

$41.4K MYR 168.8K

-26.74%

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

$33.0K ৳4.1M

$34.6K MYR 141.1K

-4.41%

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

$46.32 ৳5,690

$61.5 MYR 251

-24.65%

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

$4.33 ৳531

$8.60 MYR 35.12

-49.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

$26.25 MYR 107

-59.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.37 ৳2,011

$49.06 MYR 200

-66.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,982

$7.69 MYR 31.39

109.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

$4.95 MYR 20.23

-16.57%

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

$90.7 ৳11.1K

$295 MYR 1,204

-69.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.4K

$13.2K MYR 54.0K

-79.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,024

$72.6 MYR 296

-77.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,579

$41.57 MYR 170

-49.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,173

$85.7 MYR 350

-41.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,478

$95.2 MYR 389

-61.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ৳18.6K

$625 MYR 2,553

-75.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 ৳9,041

$378 MYR 1,545

-80.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.5K

$1,177 MYR 4,806

-62.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ৳26.3K

$639 MYR 2,608

-66.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.2K

$4,112 MYR 16.8K

-60.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

$1,504 MYR 6,141

-49.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ৳30.6K

$1,491 MYR 6,088

-83.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

4.18

150.72%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.5%

Kuala Lumpur

$273 25% 123% $150

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$74 17.1%

Kuala Lumpur

$378 34.7% 414% $305

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15%

Kuala Lumpur

$130 11.9% 102% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Kuala Lumpur

$96 8.8% 57.2% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$56 13%

Kuala Lumpur

$133 12.2% 138% $77

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1% 17% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.7%

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.4% 139% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Dhaka and $625 in Kuala Lumpur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuala Lumpur pays 499% 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 $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $273 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

09:59 9:59 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

1,982,112 Capital

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

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

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Kuala Lumpur 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Kuala Lumpur

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 Kuala Lumpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 150% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 499% lower in Kuala Lumpur. 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 $625 in Kuala Lumpur. 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 $1,067 in Kuala Lumpur – a 150% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 81% less than in Kuala Lumpur. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,067 in Kuala Lumpur, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Kuala Lumpur. 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 Kuala Lumpur, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur 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 150% less than in Kuala Lumpur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.