Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Pathum Thani

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $785 in Pathum Thani, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Pathum Thani
Learn more

Pathum Thani Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Pathum Thani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Pathum Thani

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $785 in Pathum Thani.

Dhaka $406
Pathum Thani $785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,329 in Pathum Thani.

Dhaka $687
Pathum Thani $1,329

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,873 in Pathum Thani.

Dhaka $969
Pathum Thani $1,873

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 48% less than in Pathum Thani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Pathum Thani 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$1.79 ฿59.9

27.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$22.25 ฿744

-44.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$5.90 ฿197

-33.05%

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

$1.73 ฿58.0

31.79%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.42 ฿14.03

-21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.18 ฿6.05

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 ฿57.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ฿71.3

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.47 ฿49.07

-42.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$1.32 ฿44.22

-54.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$1.23 ฿41.03

-43.90%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.80 ฿60.2

-31.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$12.52 ฿418

-29.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$2.43 ฿81.1

37.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$12.06 ฿403

-45.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$3.60 ฿120

-20.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$0.96 ฿31.93

-6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$2.49 ฿83.3

-6.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$1.58 ฿52.8

-60.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$1.97 ฿66.0

-87.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$1.04 ฿34.74

-55.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$0.77 ฿25.70

-54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.44 ฿14.85

-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

$4.53 ฿151

-27.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.87 ฿464

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 ฿50.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿55.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.60 ฿20.07

-30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.06 ฿35.28

12.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$1.53 ฿51.1

-74.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$8.76 ฿293

-62.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$1.16 ฿38.69

-5.17%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$17.5K ฿585.7K

67.95%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$23.9K ฿797.8K

34.72%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$82.3 ฿2,751

-53.50%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$9.23 ฿309

-55.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$10.22 ฿341

-11.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$29.61 ฿990

-53.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$6.63 ฿222

-38.01%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$196 ฿6,543

-53.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$10.7K ฿357.5K

-75.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$5.91 ฿198

188.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$35.81 ฿1,197

-40.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$71.5 ฿2,388

-28.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$52.8 ฿1,765

-30.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$453 ฿15.1K

-70.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$263 ฿8,805

-75.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$1,476 ฿49.3K

-74.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$738 ฿24.6K

-73.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$4,477 ฿149.6K

-63.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$2,199 ฿73.5K

-65.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$396 ฿13.2K

-37.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

162.00%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Pathum Thani: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Pathum Thani

$223 28.4% 80% $99

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Pathum Thani

$263 33.6% 305% $198

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Pathum Thani

$68 8.7% 14.7% $8.8

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Pathum Thani

$75 9.5% 31.1% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Pathum Thani

$102 13% 98% $50

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Pathum Thani

$11 * 1.4% 59.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Pathum Thani

$43 5.5% 95.8% $21

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 $453 in Pathum Thani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pathum Thani pays 61% 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 $22.00 in Pathum Thani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $223 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇹🇭 Pathum Thani

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

06:38 6:38 AM

1 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

18,320

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Pathum Thani 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Pathum Thani

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 Pathum Thani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Pathum Thani. 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: $133 in Dhaka versus $453 in Pathum Thani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $90.7 in Dhaka versus $196 in Pathum Thani. 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 $12.00 versus $22.00 in Pathum Thani. 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.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Pathum Thani 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 93% less than in Pathum Thani. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.