Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Lipa

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $607 in Lipa, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Lipa
Learn more

Lipa Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Lipa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Lipa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $607 in Lipa.

Dhaka $406
Lipa $607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $937 in Lipa.

Dhaka $687
Lipa $937

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,268 in Lipa.

Dhaka $969
Lipa $1,268

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 33% less than in Lipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Lipa 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$3.14 ₱198

-27.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$16.01 ₱1,008

-22.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$2.75 ₱173

43.64%

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

$1.80 ₱113

26.67%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.45 ₱28.54

-26.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.30 ₱19.15

-46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ₱64.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₱101

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.47 ₱92.7

-42.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$1.15 ₱72.5

-47.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$0.87 ₱54.8

-20.69%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.68 ₱106

-26.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$4.98 ₱314

76.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$3.39 ₱213

-1.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$7.99 ₱503

-17.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$2.29 ₱144

24.45%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.60 ₱101

-43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$2.34 ₱147

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$1.07 ₱67.6

-41.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$1.66 ₱105

-85.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$1.70 ₱107

-72.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$0.65 ₱41.18

-46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.49 ₱30.96

-42.86%

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

$2.88 ₱181

13.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.96 ₱564

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₱62.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱126

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.25 ₱15.65

68.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$4.81 ₱303

366.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$0.70 ₱43.83

70.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.23 ₱14.48

69.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$1.90 ₱119

72.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$1.11 ₱69.9

-0.90%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

37.93%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$15.9K ₱1.0M

101.89%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$138 ₱8,711

-72.33%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$17.20 ₱1,083

-76.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$23.11 ₱1,455

-60.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$32.15 ₱2,024

-57.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$3.93 ₱247

159.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$4.94 ₱311

-16.80%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$133 ₱8,392

-31.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$10.6K ₱670.2K

-75.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$28.59 ₱1,800

-40.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$19.30 ₱1,215

10.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$71.5 ₱4,504

-28.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$55.5 ₱3,496

-33.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$80.4 ₱5,061

65.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$61.6 ₱3,881

5.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$251 ₱15.8K

50.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$181 ₱11.4K

6.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$225 ₱14.2K

9.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

74.67%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lipa: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Lipa

$172 28.3% 39% $48

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Lipa

$62 10.2% 5.3% $3.4

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Lipa

$66 10.9% 11.7% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Lipa

$79 13% 38.1% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Lipa

$179 29.4% 248% $127

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Lipa

$7.7 1.3% 72% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Lipa

$42 6.9% 92% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $80.4 in Lipa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhaka pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $12.00 in Dhaka vs $16.00 in Lipa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $172 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇵🇭 Lipa

🕒 Local time

05:04 5:04 AM

07:04 7:04 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

332,386

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Lipa 3,410 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Lipa

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 Lipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Dhaka, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Dhaka versus $80.4 in Lipa. 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 $607 in Lipa – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 366% less than in Lipa. 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 Lipa 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 50% less than in Lipa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.