Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Luang Prabang

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,384 in Luang Prabang, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Luang Prabang
Learn more

Luang Prabang Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Luang Prabang

🇱🇦 Laos

$1,384

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Luang Prabang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Dhaka versus $1,384 in Luang Prabang.

Dhaka $426
Luang Prabang $1,384

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Dhaka versus $2,093 in Luang Prabang.

Dhaka $735
Luang Prabang $2,093

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,043 in Dhaka versus $2,802 in Luang Prabang.

Dhaka $1,043
Luang Prabang $2,802

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 69% less than in Luang Prabang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dhaka is 68% below, Luang Prabang is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ৳305

$1.73 LAK 38.6K

43.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.06 ৳1,604

$16.79 LAK 374.3K

-22.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ৳594

$5.40 LAK 120.4K

-10.56%

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

$1.57 LAK 35.0K

49.04%

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

$0.30 ৳37.38

$0.84 LAK 18.8K

-64.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.96

$0.55 LAK 12.2K

-70.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.32 LAK 29.4K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 LAK 24.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ৳98.1

$1.62 LAK 36.1K

-50.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ৳79.3

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ৳87.2

Eggs

$1.21 ৳149

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

$23.85 LAK 531.9K

-63.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳823

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

$1.28 LAK 28.6K

113.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳108

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.5

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.19

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.87

$1.01 LAK 22.5K

-68.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.30

$0.68 LAK 15.1K

-55.88%

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

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 LAK 25.7K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 LAK 15.3K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$0.59 LAK 13.1K

-28.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,769

$57.6 LAK 1.3M

-60.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$0.92 LAK 20.4K

29.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.58

$1.14 LAK 25.5K

-64.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

$4.40 LAK 98.2K

-23.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$1.17 LAK 26.1K

-1.71%

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

$30.3K ৳3.7M

$28.0K LAK 623.7M

8.31%

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

$33.0K ৳4.1M

$28.3K LAK 631.2M

16.71%

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

$46.32 ৳5,690

$81.4 LAK 1.8M

-43.07%

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

$4.33 ৳531

$5.54 LAK 123.5K

-21.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

$6.52 LAK 145.5K

63.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.37 ৳2,011

$82.6 LAK 1.8M

-80.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,982

$7.50 LAK 167.3K

115.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

$2.47 LAK 55.1K

67.21%

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

$90.7 ৳11.1K

$244 LAK 5.4M

-62.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.4K

$8,822 LAK 196.7M

-69.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,024

$69.7 LAK 1.6M

-76.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,579

$59.5 LAK 1.3M

-64.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,173

$71.0 LAK 1.6M

-29.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,478

$51.9 LAK 1.2M

-29.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ৳18.6K

$1,116 LAK 24.9M

-86.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 ৳9,041

$848 LAK 18.9M

-91.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.5K

$1,858 LAK 41.4M

-76.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ৳26.3K

$1,731 LAK 38.6M

-87.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.2K

$2,570 LAK 57.3M

-36.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

$172 LAK 3.8M

343.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ৳30.6K

$202 LAK 4.5M

23.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

10.12

3.56%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Luang Prabang: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.5%

Luang Prabang

$113 * 8.2% 7.4% $9.1

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$74 17.1%

Luang Prabang

$848 61.2% 1053% $775

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15%

Luang Prabang

$63 4.6% 1.7% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Luang Prabang

$93 6.7% 52.5% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$56 13%

Luang Prabang

$113 8.2% 103% $58

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Luang Prabang

$67 4.8% 143% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.7%

Luang Prabang

$88 6.3% 255% $63

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Dhaka and $1,116 in Luang Prabang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhaka pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $13.00 in Dhaka vs $17.00 in Luang Prabang. Groceries flip the comparison at $123 vs $113, with Luang Prabang cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇱🇦 Luang Prabang

🕒 Local time

19:46 7:46 PM

20:46 8:46 PM

1 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

53,792

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Lao Kip LAK ₭

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.27 EUR

100,000 LAK = 4.48 USD

100,000 LAK = 4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LAK, 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 = 7.27 EUR).

Lao Kip exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 22,300 LAK (100,000 LAK = 4.48 USD). 1 EUR = 24,989 LAK (100,000 LAK = 4 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Luang Prabang 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Luang Prabang

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 Luang Prabang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, transport, and leisure. The 225% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $152 in Dhaka versus $1,116 in Luang Prabang. 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 $1,384 in Luang Prabang – a 225% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 155% less than in Luang Prabang. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,384 in Luang Prabang, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Luang Prabang. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Luang Prabang 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 225% less than in Luang Prabang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.