Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Kuantan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $839 in Kuantan, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Kuantan
Learn more

Kuantan Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Kuantan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Kuantan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $839 in Kuantan.

Dhaka $406
Kuantan $839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,219 in Kuantan.

Dhaka $687
Kuantan $1,219

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,599 in Kuantan.

Dhaka $969
Kuantan $1,599

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 52% less than in Kuantan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Kuantan 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$2.49 MYR 10.18

-8.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$12.00 MYR 48.96

2.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$3.63 MYR 14.83

8.82%

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

$2.88 MYR 11.73

-20.83%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.71 MYR 2.89

-53.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.45 MYR 1.82

-64.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 MYR 11.43

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 MYR 23.37

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.60 MYR 6.52

-46.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$0.82 MYR 3.35

-26.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$1.47 MYR 5.98

-53.06%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.31 MYR 5.34

-6.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$9.51 MYR 38.79

-7.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$3.28 MYR 13.36

1.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$4.42 MYR 18.04

50.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$3.03 MYR 12.35

-5.94%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-53.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$2.73 MYR 11.12

-14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$1.75 MYR 7.14

-64.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$1.72 MYR 7.03

-86.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$1.94 MYR 7.93

-76.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$0.76 MYR 3.12

-53.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.56 MYR 2.28

-50.00%

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

$4.38 MYR 17.85

-25.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.95 MYR 81.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 MYR 8.13

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 MYR 7.81

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.51 MYR 2.07

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$12.15 MYR 49.55

84.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.13 MYR 4.61

5.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.35 MYR 1.45

11.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$9.05 MYR 36.92

-63.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$0.52 MYR 2.13

111.54%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$34.1K MYR 139.1K

-13.70%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$33.1K MYR 134.9K

-2.78%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$49.82 MYR 203

-23.16%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$8.06 MYR 32.86

-49.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$24.16 MYR 98.6

-62.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$39.79 MYR 162

-65.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$6.83 MYR 27.87

49.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$4.65 MYR 18.98

-11.61%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$280 MYR 1,142

-67.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$10.2K MYR 41.8K

-74.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$52.4 MYR 214

-67.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$30.29 MYR 124

-29.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$49.62 MYR 202

3.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$48.89 MYR 199

-24.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$411 MYR 1,675

-67.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$302 MYR 1,232

-78.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$692 MYR 2,822

-45.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$476 MYR 1,943

-59.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$2,015 MYR 8,220

-19.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$1,090 MYR 4,448

-30.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$975 MYR 3,976

-74.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

4.15

152.53%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kuantan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Kuantan

$212 25.3% 71.8% $89

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Kuantan

$302 36% 364% $237

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Kuantan

$95 11.4% 60.7% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Kuantan

$82 9.7% 43.1% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Kuantan

$82 9.8% 59.6% $31

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Kuantan

$17 2% 37.4% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Kuantan

$49 5.9% 124% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $411 in Kuantan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuantan pays 296% 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 $12.00 in Kuantan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $212 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇾 Kuantan

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

07:20 7:20 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

548,014

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Kuantan 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Kuantan

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 Kuantan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 296% lower in Kuantan. 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: $133 in Dhaka versus $411 in Kuantan. 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 $839 in Kuantan – a 107% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 85% less than in Kuantan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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 Kuantan 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 107% less than in Kuantan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.