Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Medan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $613 in Medan, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
Learn more

Medan Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Medan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $613 in Medan.

Dhaka $406
Medan $613

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $940 in Medan.

Dhaka $687
Medan $940

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,266 in Medan.

Dhaka $969
Medan $1,266

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

33.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

48.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

33.90%

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

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

49.02%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.35 Rp 6,215

-5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.25 Rp 4,534

-36.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

-23.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

-49.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

-14.81%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

-6.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

8.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

-7.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

4.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

18.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

64.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

-32.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

-71.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

-74.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$0.38 Rp 6,905

-7.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.44 Rp 7,872

-36.36%

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

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.27 Rp 4,816

55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

278.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$0.51 Rp 9,186

133.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.19 Rp 3,465

105.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

37.50%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

19.30%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

-0.17%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

-54.88%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

29.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

-61.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

-19.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

21.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

24.92%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$112 Rp 2.0M

-18.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

53.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

-68.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

-44.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$108 Rp 1.9M

-52.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$111 Rp 2.0M

-66.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$233 Rp 4.2M

-42.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

-27.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$494 Rp 8.9M

-23.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$212 Rp 3.8M

-9.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

40.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$560 Rp 10.1M

35.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$215 Rp 3.9M

14.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

9.25

13.30%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Medan

$181 29.5% 46.3% $57

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Medan

$90 14.6% 37.9% $25

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Medan

$59 9.6% 1.2% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Medan

$140 22.9% 146% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Medan

$112 18.2% 117% $60

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Medan

$8.5 1.4% 69% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Medan

$24 3.8% 7.5% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $233 in Medan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhaka pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $12.00 in Dhaka vs $8.00 in Medan. Groceries flip the comparison at $124 vs $181, with Dhaka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇮🇩 Medan

🕒 Local time

07:36 7:36 AM

08:36 8:36 AM

1 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

2,097,610

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Medan 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Medan

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 Medan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 14% 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: $133 in Dhaka versus $233 in Medan. 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 $613 in Medan – 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 278% less than in Medan. 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 51% less than in Medan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.