Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Malaybalay

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $756 in Malaybalay, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Malaybalay
Learn more

Malaybalay Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Malaybalay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Malaybalay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $756 in Malaybalay.

Dhaka $406
Malaybalay $756

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,182 in Malaybalay.

Dhaka $687
Malaybalay $1,182

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,607 in Malaybalay.

Dhaka $969
Malaybalay $1,607

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 46% less than in Malaybalay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Malaybalay 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$4.89 ₱308

-53.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$16.45 ₱1,035

-25.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$3.51 ₱221

12.54%

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

$2.18 ₱137

4.59%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.49 ₱31.14

-32.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.33 ₱20.93

-51.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ₱71.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₱121

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$2.02 ₱127

-57.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$1.13 ₱71.2

-46.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$0.88 ₱55.2

-21.59%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.87 ₱118

-34.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$6.41 ₱404

37.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$4.87 ₱307

-31.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$9.06 ₱570

-26.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$2.77 ₱175

2.89%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.07 ₱67.2

-15.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$2.39 ₱150

-2.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$1.14 ₱71.8

-44.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$1.96 ₱123

-87.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$3.39 ₱213

-86.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$1.20 ₱75.3

-70.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.66 ₱41.82

-57.58%

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

$2.47 ₱156

32.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 ₱489

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₱102

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.22 ₱13.60

90.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$10.70 ₱674

109.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$0.84 ₱52.9

41.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.23 ₱14.40

69.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$1.90 ₱119

72.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$1.27 ₱80.2

-13.39%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

36.35%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

69.46%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$109 ₱6,856

-64.85%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$19.33 ₱1,217

-78.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$31.17 ₱1,962

-71.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$30.01 ₱1,890

-54.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$4.18 ₱263

144.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$4.86 ₱306

-15.43%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$106 ₱6,689

-14.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$7,589 ₱477.8K

-65.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$33.02 ₱2,079

-48.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$19.31 ₱1,216

10.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$70.7 ₱4,451

-27.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$60.7 ₱3,821

-39.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$279 ₱17.5K

-52.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$173 ₱10.9K

-62.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$441 ₱27.8K

-14.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$403 ₱25.4K

-52.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$2,200 ₱138.5K

-26.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$1,006 ₱63.4K

-24.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

8.31

26.11%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Malaybalay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Malaybalay

$199 26.4% 61.2% $76

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Malaybalay

$173 22.8% 165% $108

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Malaybalay

$89 11.7% 49.2% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Malaybalay

$83 10.9% 45.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Malaybalay

$159 21.1% 210% $108

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Malaybalay

$14 1.8% 50.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Malaybalay

$40 5.3% 81.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $279 in Malaybalay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12.00 in Dhaka vs $16.00 in Malaybalay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $199 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇵🇭 Malaybalay

🕒 Local time

02:20 2:20 AM

04:20 4:20 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

190,712

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Malaybalay 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Malaybalay

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 Malaybalay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $609 in Dhaka and $1,134 in Malaybalay to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Dhaka versus $279 in Malaybalay. 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 $756 in Malaybalay – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 110% less than in Malaybalay. 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 86% less than in Malaybalay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.