Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Malacca

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $612 in Malacca, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. The total is higher in Malacca despite lower rent and utilities.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Malacca
Learn more

Malacca Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Malacca

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$612

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Malacca

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $612 in Malacca.

Dhaka $406
Malacca $612

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $977 in Malacca.

Dhaka $687
Malacca $977

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,343 in Malacca.

Dhaka $969
Malacca $1,343

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 34% less than in Malacca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$3.27 MYR 13.36

-30.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$18.71 MYR 76.3

-34.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$4.80 MYR 19.60

-17.71%

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

$2.83 MYR 11.56

-19.43%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.77 MYR 3.15

-57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.54 MYR 2.21

-70.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 MYR 12.10

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.72 MYR 7.03

-50.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$1.11 MYR 4.52

-45.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$1.42 MYR 5.78

-51.41%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.72 MYR 7.02

-28.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$18.49 MYR 75.4

-52.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$4.59 MYR 18.73

-27.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$10.83 MYR 44.18

-38.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$3.26 MYR 13.29

-12.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.76 MYR 7.18

-48.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$2.38 MYR 9.72

-1.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$1.64 MYR 6.69

-61.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$1.47 MYR 5.99

-83.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$1.74 MYR 7.09

-73.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$1.37 MYR 5.61

-74.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.55 MYR 2.23

-49.09%

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

$4.19 MYR 17.11

-21.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 MYR 56.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 MYR 8.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MYR 12.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.47 MYR 1.92

-10.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$12.40 MYR 50.6

80.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.00 MYR 4.09

19.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.70 MYR 2.85

-44.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$12.03 MYR 49.08

-72.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$0.51 MYR 2.10

115.69%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$41.7K MYR 170.3K

-29.49%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$34.9K MYR 142.4K

-7.84%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$51.7 MYR 211

-25.96%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$11.20 MYR 45.69

-63.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$28.12 MYR 115

-67.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$22.13 MYR 90.3

-38.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$11.76 MYR 47.97

-13.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$5.02 MYR 20.49

-18.13%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$163 MYR 665

-44.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$4,501 MYR 18.4K

-42.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$54.7 MYR 223

-68.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$16.80 MYR 68.5

27.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$82.3 MYR 336

-37.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$97.7 MYR 399

-62.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$192 MYR 784

-30.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$1,191 MYR 4,861

36.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$804 MYR 3,280

-5.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$411 MYR 1,677

-40.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

4.06

158.13%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Malacca: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Malacca

$261 42.7% 111% $138

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Malacca

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Malacca

$95 15.6% 60.7% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Malacca

$113 18.5% 98.6% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Malacca

$91 14.9% 77.1% $40

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Malacca

$19 3.1% 31.2% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Malacca

$32 5.3% 47% $10

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 $133 in Dhaka and $192 in Malacca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malacca pays 67% 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 $19.00 in Malacca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $261 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇾 Malacca

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

07:20 7:20 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

579,000

💱 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 Malacca 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Malacca

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 Malacca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Malacca. 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 $192 in Malacca. 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 $612 in Malacca – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 81% less than in Malacca. 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 Malacca, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Malacca 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 51% less than in Malacca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.