Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Muar

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $422 a month against $951 in Muar, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Muar
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Muar Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$422

/mo nomad

Muar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Muar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $422 in Dhaka versus $951 in Muar.

Dhaka $422
Muar $951

Estimated couple costs with rent: $728 in Dhaka versus $1,505 in Muar.

Dhaka $728
Muar $1,505

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,033 in Dhaka versus $2,059 in Muar.

Dhaka $1,033
Muar $2,059

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 56% less than in Muar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 69% lower, Muar 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.40 ৳297

$4.82 MYR 19.72

-50.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.93 ৳1,603

$29.01 MYR 119

-55.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ৳593

$3.88 MYR 15.86

23.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 ৳610

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 ৳490

Cappuccino

$2.38 ৳295

$3.05 MYR 12.46

-21.97%

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

$0.30 ৳37.09

$0.76 MYR 3.12

-60.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ৳21.31

$0.46 MYR 1.88

-63.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.44 MYR 18.14

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.27 MYR 25.63

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 ৳97.5

$2.13 MYR 8.72

-62.91%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ৳78.3

$1.07 MYR 4.37

-41.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.72 ৳89.1

$1.85 MYR 7.58

-61.08%

Eggs

$1.18 ৳147

$2.44 MYR 9.96

-51.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 ৳1,082

$14.25 MYR 58.3

-38.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ৳409

$4.44 MYR 18.17

-25.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.64 ৳824

$9.95 MYR 40.68

-33.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ৳347

$3.36 MYR 13.75

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 ৳107

$1.85 MYR 7.55

-53.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ৳287

$2.25 MYR 9.19

3.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 ৳75.7

$1.51 MYR 6.19

-59.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.23 ৳28.29

$1.22 MYR 4.97

-81.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 ৳59.9

$1.37 MYR 5.60

-64.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 ৳41.23

$1.16 MYR 4.74

-71.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.56

$0.71 MYR 2.91

-57.75%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.23 ৳1,516

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.23 ৳649

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.51 ৳807

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ৳408

$4.45 MYR 18.19

-26.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.48 MYR 79.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 MYR 14.24

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 MYR 20.42

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ৳51.3

$0.64 MYR 2.63

-35.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.27 ৳2,637

$10.62 MYR 43.43

100.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ৳147

$1.19 MYR 4.85

-0.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ৳47.16

$1.25 MYR 5.10

-69.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 ৳406

$4.87 MYR 19.93

-32.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ৳143

$0.81 MYR 3.32

43.21%

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

$29.9K ৳3.7M

$44.4K MYR 181.6K

-32.70%

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

$32.5K ৳4.0M

$34.9K MYR 142.5K

-6.75%

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

$46.86 ৳5,810

$62.0 MYR 254

-24.46%

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

$4.31 ৳535

$8.88 MYR 36.32

-51.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.09 ৳1,375

$26.21 MYR 107

-57.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.52 ৳2,172

$37.02 MYR 151

-52.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.67 ৳2,190

$5.79 MYR 23.66

205.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.31 ৳534

$4.85 MYR 19.83

-11.13%

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

$139 ৳17.2K

$240 MYR 981

-42.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,570 ৳318.6K

$13.3K MYR 54.5K

-80.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.32 ৳2,024

$72.2 MYR 295

-77.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.36 ৳2,401

$41.83 MYR 171

-53.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.97 ৳5,699

$84.3 MYR 345

-45.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.74 ৳4,555

$96.3 MYR 394

-61.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$145 ৳18.0K

$445 MYR 1,818

-67.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.1 ৳8,445

$253 MYR 1,033

-73.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 ৳57.1K

$617 MYR 2,521

-25.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ৳28.8K

$518 MYR 2,117

-55.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,575 ৳195.3K

$2,001 MYR 8,180

-21.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$789 ৳97.9K

$1,229 MYR 5,023

-35.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$245 ৳30.3K

$603 MYR 2,465

-59.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

4.17

155.88%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 26, 2026

Last update for Muar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$122 29%

Muar

$274 28.9% 124% $152

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$68 16.1%

Muar

$253 26.6% 271% $185

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15.2%

Muar

$126 13.3% 97.6% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$62 14.8%

Muar

$97 10.2% 56% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$53 12.6%

Muar

$133 14% 149% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$26 6.2%

Muar

$47 4.9% 78.8% $21

Getting Around

Dhaka

$26 6.2%

Muar

$21 2.2% 20.8% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $145 in Dhaka and $445 in Muar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muar pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $13 in Dhaka vs $29 in Muar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $122 vs $274 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇾 Muar

🕒 Local time

00:14 12:14 AM

02:14 2:14 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

314,776

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.07 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.23 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 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 27, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.07 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.23 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Muar 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Muar

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 Muar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 125% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Dhaka. 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: $145 in Dhaka versus $445 in Muar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $422 per month in Dhaka versus $951 in Muar – a 125% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Muar runs roughly 50% less than in Dhaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Dhaka wins on affordability, Muar on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.