Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $931 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
Learn more

Manila Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$931

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Manila

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Dhaka versus $931 in Manila.

Dhaka $426
Manila $931

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Dhaka versus $1,519 in Manila.

Dhaka $735
Manila $1,519

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,043 in Dhaka versus $2,106 in Manila.

Dhaka $1,043
Manila $2,106

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 54% less than in Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Manila 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ৳306

$5.61 ₱353

-55.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.06 ৳1,605

$27.39 ₱1,722

-52.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ৳594

$3.95 ₱248

22.28%

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

$2.56 ₱161

-8.59%

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

$0.30 ৳37.39

$1.42 ₱89.3

-78.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.96

$0.81 ₱51.1

-80.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₱148

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ৳98.1

$1.94 ₱122

-58.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ৳79.3

$1.40 ₱88.2

-53.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ৳87.3

$1.02 ₱64.3

-30.39%

Eggs

$1.21 ৳149

$2.29 ₱144

-47.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

$7.86 ₱494

10.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

$4.89 ₱307

-34.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳823

$6.77 ₱426

-1.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

$3.38 ₱213

-19.23%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳109

$1.85 ₱117

-52.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

$2.96 ₱186

-19.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.6

$1.79 ₱113

-63.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.20

$2.24 ₱141

-89.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.7

$2.69 ₱169

-81.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.88

$2.20 ₱138

-85.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.31

$0.59 ₱37.35

-49.15%

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 ৳819

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ৳396

$3.13 ₱197

3.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.42 ₱593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₱83.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$0.47 ₱29.54

-10.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,770

$12.58 ₱791

79.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$0.78 ₱48.91

52.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.60

$0.23 ₱14.47

73.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

$1.94 ₱122

72.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$1.33 ₱83.7

-13.53%

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

$30.3K ৳3.7M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

41.96%

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

$33.0K ৳4.1M

$19.7K ₱1.2M

67.80%

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

$46.32 ৳5,692

$121 ₱7,635

-61.85%

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

$4.33 ৳532

$16.04 ₱1,009

-73.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

$24.25 ₱1,525

-56.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.37 ৳2,012

$43.44 ₱2,732

-62.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,983

$5.90 ₱371

173.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

$6.63 ₱417

-37.71%

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

$90.7 ৳11.1K

$613 ₱38.5K

-85.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.5K

$8,953 ₱563.1K

-70.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,025

$58.2 ₱3,657

-71.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,580

$27.18 ₱1,709

-22.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,175

$77.5 ₱4,875

-35.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,480

$57.0 ₱3,583

-36.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ৳18.6K

$534 ₱33.6K

-71.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 ৳9,044

$287 ₱18.0K

-74.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.6K

$1,916 ₱120.5K

-77.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ৳26.3K

$677 ₱42.6K

-68.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.3K

$4,439 ₱279.1K

-63.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

$2,556 ₱160.8K

-70.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ৳30.6K

$485 ₱30.5K

-48.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

7.43

41.05%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.5%

Manila

$221 23.3% 80.6% $99

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$74 17.1%

Manila

$287 30.2% 290% $213

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15%

Manila

$107 11.3% 66.3% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Manila

$162 17% 164% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$56 13%

Manila

$99 10.4% 77% $43

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Manila

$16 1.7% 40.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.7%

Manila

$57 6% 130% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Dhaka and $534 in Manila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manila pays 95% 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 $27.00 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $221 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

14:10 2:10 PM

16:10 4:10 PM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Manila 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Manila

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 Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 118% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 95% lower in Manila. 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: $152 in Dhaka versus $534 in Manila. 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 $931 in Manila – a 118% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 79% less than in Manila. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $931 in Manila, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Manila. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dhaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Manila, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Manila 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 118% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.