For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $733 in Pasig, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
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 Pasig actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $733 in Pasig.
Dhaka $406
Pasig $733
Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,222 in Pasig.
Dhaka $687
Pasig $1,222
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,711 in Pasig.
Dhaka $969
Pasig $1,711
🌍
Living in Dhaka costs roughly 45% less than in Pasig, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka70% lower, Pasig46% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Dhaka
Pasig
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.28৳282
$3.87₱243
-41.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.33৳1,523
$26.47₱1,667
-53.42%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.95৳488
$2.73₱172
44.69%
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
$2.30₱145
-0.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33৳40.88
$0.69₱43.67
-52.17%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.16৳19.86
$0.31₱19.23
-48.39%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.22₱77.0
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.43₱153
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
Pasig
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.85৳104
$1.74₱109
-51.15%
White Bread(500g)
$0.60৳74.5
$1.12₱70.4
-46.43%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.69৳85.4
$0.98₱61.6
-29.59%
Eggs
$1.23৳152
$2.07₱130
-40.58%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.80৳1,087
$5.72₱360
53.85%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.33৳412
$3.50₱221
-4.86%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$6.63৳819
$7.98₱503
-16.92%
Apples(1kg)
$2.85৳352
$3.28₱206
-13.11%
Banana(1kg)
$0.90৳111
$1.61₱101
-44.10%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.34৳289
$2.85₱179
-17.89%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.63৳78.4
$1.73₱109
-63.58%
Potato(1kg)
$0.24৳29.59
$2.24₱141
-89.29%
Onion(1kg)
$0.46৳57.3
$2.58₱162
-82.17%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.35৳42.79
$2.19₱138
-84.02%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.28৳34.24
$0.55₱34.39
-49.09%
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
$3.00₱189
9.33%
Wine(Bottle)
-
$9.30₱586
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.33₱83.6
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.07₱130
-
🚌 Getting Around
Dhaka
Pasig
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.42৳52.3
$0.50₱31.40
-16.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$22.43৳2,772
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.19৳147
$0.73₱45.98
63.01%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.39৳48.71
$0.23₱14.53
69.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$3.28৳406
$1.93₱122
69.95%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.10৳136
$1.20₱75.3
-8.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.4K৳3.6M
$21.4K₱1.3M
37.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.2K৳4.0M
$19.1K₱1.2M
68.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
Pasig
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$38.28৳4,729
$124₱7,814
-69.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.09৳506
$17.72₱1,116
-76.92%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.02৳1,114
$24.48₱1,542
-63.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
Pasig
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$13.66৳1,688
$29.83₱1,878
-54.21%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.21৳1,261
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.11৳508
$6.28₱395
-34.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dhaka
Pasig
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$90.7৳11.2K
$133₱8,366
-31.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,591৳320.2K
$8,751₱551.0K
-70.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
Pasig
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.06৳2,108
$34.39₱2,165
-50.39%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.38৳2,641
$27.36₱1,723
-21.86%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$51.4৳6,355
$71.6₱4,509
-28.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$36.78৳4,545
$56.7₱3,572
-35.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
Pasig
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$133৳16.4K
$340₱21.4K
-60.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$65.1৳8,041
$151₱9,518
-56.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$377৳46.6K
$522₱32.9K
-27.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$192৳23.8K
$479₱30.1K
-59.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,621৳200.3K
$3,260₱205.2K
-50.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$760৳93.9K
$2,559₱161.1K
-70.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dhaka
Pasig
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$246৳30.4K
$520₱32.7K
-52.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
10.48
6.75
55.26%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026
Last update for Pasig: October 10, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
$124 30.5%
Pasig
$202 27.6% ↑ 63.4%$78
🏠Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
$65 16%
Pasig
$151 20.6% ↑ 132%$86
🍽Eating Out
Dhaka
$59 14.6%
Pasig
$82 11.2% ↑ 37.6%$22
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
$57 14.1%
Pasig
$86 11.7% ↑ 50.1%$29
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
$51 12.7%
Pasig
$166 22.7% ↑ 224%$115
🚌Getting Around
Dhaka
$27 6.7%
Pasig
$3.9 * 0.5% ↓ 85.8%$23
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
$22 5.4%
Pasig
$42 5.8% ↑ 93.6%$20
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
$304 31.4%
Pasig
$468 27.4% ↑ 53.9%$164
🏠Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
$192 19.9%
Pasig
$479 28% ↑ 149%$286
🍽Eating Out
Dhaka
$180 18.6%
Pasig
$296 17.3% ↑ 64.6%$116
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
$127 13.1%
Pasig
$190 11.1% ↑ 50.1%$63
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
$55 5.7%
Pasig
$184 10.8% ↑ 232%$129
🚌Getting Around
Dhaka
$55 5.7%
Pasig
$8.8 * 0.5% ↓ 84.2%$47
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
$54 5.6%
Pasig
$85 * 5% ↑ 57%$31
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 $133 in Dhaka and $340 in Pasig. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Pasig pays 111% 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: $12.00 in Dhaka vs $26.00 in Pasig for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $202 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.
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 Pasig: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pasig cheaper than Dhaka?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Dhaka or Pasig?
On paper, salaries run 111% lower in Pasig. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Dhaka and Pasig?
Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Dhaka versus $340 in Pasig. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $90.7 in Dhaka versus $133 in Pasig. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Dhaka or in Pasig?
Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $26.00 in Pasig. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 enough for either Dhaka or Pasig?
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.
Is it better to live in Dhaka or in Pasig?
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.
Which city is safer, Dhaka or Pasig?
Safety-wise, Dhaka and Pasig are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Pasig. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.