Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Lhasa

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $428 a month against $733 in Lhasa, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Lhasa
Learn more

Lhasa Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$428

/mo nomad

Lhasa

🇨🇳 China

$733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Lhasa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $428 in Dhaka versus $733 in Lhasa.

Dhaka $428
Lhasa $733

Estimated couple costs with rent: $724 in Dhaka versus $1,192 in Lhasa.

Dhaka $724
Lhasa $1,192

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,019 in Dhaka versus $1,651 in Lhasa.

Dhaka $1,019
Lhasa $1,651

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 42% less than in Lhasa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Lhasa 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.50 ৳309

$4.53 ¥30.26

-44.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.26 ৳1,638

$30.37 ¥203

-56.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ৳616

$7.52 ¥50.3

-33.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 ৳602

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 ৳511

Cappuccino

$2.35 ৳291

$2.79 ¥18.69

-15.77%

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

$0.33 ৳41.07

$0.43 ¥2.90

-23.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.62

$0.30 ¥2.04

-46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.89

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.80

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳105

$1.78 ¥11.93

-52.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ৳77.9

$1.65 ¥11.00

-61.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.67 ৳83.1

$0.96 ¥6.39

-30.21%

Eggs

$1.19 ৳147

$1.68 ¥11.26

-29.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 ৳1,092

$7.16 ¥47.89

23.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ৳408

$2.92 ¥19.52

13.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 ৳792

$10.97 ¥73.3

-41.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ৳340

$1.88 ¥12.57

46.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 ৳116

$1.29 ¥8.61

-27.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳293

$1.55 ¥10.37

52.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 ৳79.1

$1.27 ¥8.52

-49.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.26 ৳32.25

$0.70 ¥4.70

-62.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

$0.94 ¥6.26

-47.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ৳37.63

$0.58 ¥3.89

-48.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.49

$0.55 ¥3.70

-45.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.24 ৳1,512

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.43 ৳671

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 ৳807

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 ৳392

$3.77 ¥25.18

-15.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.77 ¥78.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ¥5.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ¥10.42

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ৳47.44

$0.29 ¥1.92

31.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.06 ৳2,849

$17.84 ¥119

29.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ৳145

$1.45 ¥9.72

-19.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ৳46.99

$0.33 ¥2.20

15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳405

$7.00 ¥46.79

-53.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ৳137

$1.25 ¥8.36

-11.20%

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

$29.1K ৳3.6M

$19.5K ¥130.2K

49.47%

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

$32.9K ৳4.1M

$17.2K ¥114.7K

91.95%

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

$46.77 ৳5,779

$57.0 ¥381

-18.00%

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

$4.51 ৳557

$8.51 ¥56.9

-47.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.22 ৳1,387

$11.05 ¥73.9

1.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.43 ৳2,031

$42.14 ¥282

-61.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.87 ৳1,838

$14.97 ¥100

-0.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 ৳519

$6.48 ¥43.33

-35.19%

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

$91.6 ৳11.3K

$413 ¥2,762

-77.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,596 ৳320.8K

$17.6K ¥117.9K

-85.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.63 ৳2,055

$44.14 ¥295

-62.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.80 ৳2,447

$33.10 ¥221

-40.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.87 ৳5,791

$73.9 ¥494

-36.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.00 ৳4,572

$75.9 ¥507

-51.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$148 ৳18.2K

$294 ¥1,965

-49.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.8 ৳8,743

$183 ¥1,223

-61.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ৳53.4K

$624 ¥4,174

-30.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$213 ৳26.3K

$375 ¥2,508

-43.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,605 ৳198.4K

$3,432 ¥22.9K

-53.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$751 ৳92.8K

$1,929 ¥12.9K

-61.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$245 ৳30.3K

$2,127 ¥14.2K

-88.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

3.36

217.56%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lhasa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.8%

Lhasa

$188 25.6% 52.3% $64

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$71 16.5%

Lhasa

$183 24.9% 158% $112

Eating Out

Dhaka

$65 15.2%

Lhasa

$107 14.6% 64% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$63 14.6%

Lhasa

$77 10.5% 22.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$54 12.6%

Lhasa

$102 13.9% 88.6% $48

Getting Around

Dhaka

$28 6.5%

Lhasa

$22 3% 20.2% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.8%

Lhasa

$55 7.5% 122% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $148 in Dhaka and $294 in Lhasa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lhasa pays 769% 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 $30.00 in Lhasa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $188 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇨🇳 Lhasa

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

02:26 2:26 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

867,891

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dhaka Lhasa 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Lhasa

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 Lhasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 769% lower in Lhasa. 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: $148 in Dhaka versus $294 in Lhasa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $428 per month in Dhaka versus $733 in Lhasa – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 29% less than in Lhasa. 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.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Lhasa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.