Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Kuching

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $887 in Kuching, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
Learn more

Kuching Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Kuching

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Dhaka versus $887 in Kuching.

Dhaka $426
Kuching $887

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Dhaka versus $1,389 in Kuching.

Dhaka $735
Kuching $1,389

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,043 in Dhaka versus $1,892 in Kuching.

Dhaka $1,043
Kuching $1,892

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Kuching 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ৳305

$3.33 MYR 13.60

-25.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.06 ৳1,604

$24.53 MYR 100

-46.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ৳594

$4.87 MYR 19.89

-0.82%

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

$3.17 MYR 12.93

-26.18%

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

$0.30 ৳37.38

$0.74 MYR 3.04

-59.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.96

$0.36 MYR 1.47

-55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 MYR 18.43

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 MYR 25.15

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ৳98.1

$2.31 MYR 9.42

-65.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ৳79.3

$1.26 MYR 5.16

-48.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ৳87.2

$1.15 MYR 4.68

-38.26%

Eggs

$1.21 ৳149

$2.46 MYR 10.03

-50.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

$10.95 MYR 44.72

-20.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

$4.45 MYR 18.17

-27.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳823

$9.90 MYR 40.42

-32.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

$3.17 MYR 12.93

-13.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳108

$1.37 MYR 5.59

-35.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

$2.40 MYR 9.80

-1.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.5

$1.82 MYR 7.42

-64.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.19

$1.41 MYR 5.75

-82.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

$1.19 MYR 4.86

-58.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.87

$1.56 MYR 6.35

-79.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.30

$0.54 MYR 2.22

-44.44%

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

$4.51 MYR 18.41

-28.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.59 MYR 88.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.06 MYR 16.58

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 MYR 21.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$0.58 MYR 2.37

-27.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,769

$12.36 MYR 50.5

82.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.00 MYR 4.09

19.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.58

$1.24 MYR 5.06

-67.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

$8.32 MYR 33.99

-59.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$0.90 MYR 3.68

27.78%

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

$30.3K ৳3.7M

$40.9K MYR 167.2K

-26.02%

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

$33.0K ৳4.1M

$36.1K MYR 147.4K

-8.52%

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

$46.32 ৳5,690

$35.18 MYR 144

31.67%

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

$4.33 ৳531

$9.95 MYR 40.63

-56.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

$25.26 MYR 103

-57.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.37 ৳2,011

$30.24 MYR 123

-45.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,982

$12.38 MYR 50.6

30.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

$4.83 MYR 19.72

-14.49%

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

$90.7 ৳11.1K

$135 MYR 551

-32.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.4K

$7,000 MYR 28.6K

-62.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,024

$63.3 MYR 258

-73.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,579

$37.67 MYR 154

-44.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,173

$90.2 MYR 368

-44.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,478

$65.8 MYR 269

-44.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ৳18.6K

$360 MYR 1,471

-57.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 ৳9,041

$245 MYR 1,001

-69.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.5K

$647 MYR 2,642

-32.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ৳26.3K

$478 MYR 1,953

-55.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.2K

$2,073 MYR 8,464

-21.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

$1,508 MYR 6,157

-49.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ৳30.6K

$530 MYR 2,165

-53.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

4.37

139.82%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Kuching: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.5%

Kuching

$271 30.7% 121% $148

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$74 17.1%

Kuching

$245 27.8% 233% $172

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15%

Kuching

$119 13.4% 84.5% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Kuching

$70 8% 14.8% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$56 13%

Kuching

$116 13.1% 107% $60

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Kuching

$22 2.5% 20.2% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.7%

Kuching

$40 4.5% 61.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Dhaka and $360 in Kuching. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuching pays 113% 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 $25.00 in Kuching for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $271 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇾 Kuching

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

15:28 3:28 PM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

349,147

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Kuching 3,270 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Kuching

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 Kuching: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 113% lower in Kuching. 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 $360 in Kuching. 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 $887 in Kuching – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 82% less than in Kuching. 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.

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

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Kuching 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 108% less than in Kuching. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.