Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Mataram

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $428 a month against $608 in Mataram, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Mataram
Learn more

Mataram Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$428

/mo nomad

Mataram

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Mataram

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $428 in Dhaka versus $608 in Mataram.

Dhaka $428
Mataram $608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $724 in Dhaka versus $967 in Mataram.

Dhaka $724
Mataram $967

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,019 in Dhaka versus $1,327 in Mataram.

Dhaka $1,019
Mataram $1,327

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 30% less than in Mataram, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Mataram 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.50 ৳309

$0.93 Rp 16.8K

168.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.26 ৳1,638

$9.22 Rp 166.0K

43.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ৳616

$3.21 Rp 57.8K

55.45%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 ৳602

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 ৳511

Cappuccino

$2.35 ৳291

$1.47 Rp 26.4K

59.86%

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

$0.33 ৳41.07

$0.44 Rp 7,889

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.62

$0.31 Rp 5,491

-48.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 Rp 48.8K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳105

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

-38.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ৳77.9

$1.47 Rp 26.4K

-57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.67 ৳83.1

$0.80 Rp 14.5K

-16.25%

Eggs

$1.19 ৳147

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

-20.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 ৳1,092

$7.12 Rp 128.2K

24.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ৳408

$3.00 Rp 54.1K

10.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 ৳792

$7.39 Rp 133.0K

-13.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ৳340

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

20.61%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 ৳116

$1.25 Rp 22.4K

-24.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳293

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

39.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 ৳79.1

$1.29 Rp 23.1K

-50.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.26 ৳32.25

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

-79.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

$1.94 Rp 34.9K

-74.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ৳37.63

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

-58.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.49

$0.40 Rp 7,214

-25.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.24 ৳1,512

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.43 ৳671

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 ৳807

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 ৳392

$2.63 Rp 47.3K

20.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.99 Rp 377.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 Rp 34.4K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 Rp 54.7K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ৳47.44

$0.27 Rp 4,838

40.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.06 ৳2,849

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ৳145

$0.50 Rp 8,960

134.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ৳46.99

$0.35 Rp 6,222

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳405

$2.72 Rp 48.9K

20.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ৳137

$0.62 Rp 11.2K

79.03%

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

$29.1K ৳3.6M

$23.8K Rp 428.7M

22.25%

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

$32.9K ৳4.1M

$30.6K Rp 551.3M

7.48%

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

$46.77 ৳5,779

$66.0 Rp 1.2M

-29.09%

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

$4.51 ৳557

$3.96 Rp 71.3K

13.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.22 ৳1,387

$19.47 Rp 350.5K

-42.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.43 ৳2,031

$19.35 Rp 348.4K

-15.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.87 ৳1,838

$8.15 Rp 146.8K

82.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 ৳519

$2.85 Rp 51.2K

47.37%

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

$91.6 ৳11.3K

$94.8 Rp 1.7M

-3.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,596 ৳320.8K

$7,572 Rp 136.3M

-65.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.63 ৳2,055

$44.19 Rp 795.3K

-62.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.80 ৳2,447

$28.84 Rp 519.0K

-31.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.87 ৳5,791

$73.5 Rp 1.3M

-36.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.00 ৳4,572

$71.4 Rp 1.3M

-48.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$148 ৳18.2K

$225 Rp 4.0M

-34.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.8 ৳8,743

$133 Rp 2.4M

-46.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ৳53.4K

$530 Rp 9.5M

-18.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$213 ৳26.3K

$356 Rp 6.4M

-40.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,605 ৳198.4K

$1,184 Rp 21.3M

35.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$751 ৳92.8K

$796 Rp 14.3M

-5.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$245 ৳30.3K

$222 Rp 4.0M

10.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

9.46

12.79%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mataram: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.8%

Mataram

$201 33.1% 63.4% $78

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$71 16.5%

Mataram

$133 21.9% 88% $62

Eating Out

Dhaka

$65 15.2%

Mataram

$58 9.6% 10.7% $7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$63 14.6%

Mataram

$89 14.7% 43% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$54 12.6%

Mataram

$98 16.1% 81.1% $44

Getting Around

Dhaka

$28 6.5%

Mataram

$3.3 * 0.5% 88.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.8%

Mataram

$25 4.1% 0.9% $0.2

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 $148 in Dhaka and $225 in Mataram. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhaka pays 10% 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 $9.00 in Mataram. Groceries flip the comparison at $123 vs $201, with Dhaka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇮🇩 Mataram

🕒 Local time

00:27 12:27 AM

02:27 2:27 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

402,843

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Mataram 4,550 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Mataram

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 Mataram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $148 in Dhaka versus $225 in Mataram. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $91.6 in Dhaka versus $94.8 in Mataram. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $9.00 in Mataram. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 42% less than in Mataram. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.