Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Penang

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $839 in Penang, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Penang
Learn more

Penang Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Penang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Dhaka versus $839 in Penang.

Dhaka $426
Penang $839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Dhaka versus $1,314 in Penang.

Dhaka $735
Penang $1,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,043 in Dhaka versus $1,790 in Penang.

Dhaka $1,043
Penang $1,790

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 49% less than in Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Penang 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ৳306

$3.58 MYR 14.65

-30.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.06 ৳1,605

$19.84 MYR 81.1

-34.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ৳594

$4.58 MYR 18.71

5.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.34 ৳287

$3.04 MYR 12.42

-23.03%

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

$0.30 ৳37.39

$0.73 MYR 2.98

-58.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.96

$0.39 MYR 1.59

-58.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 MYR 17.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MYR 17.65

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ৳98.1

$1.89 MYR 7.72

-57.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ৳79.3

$1.08 MYR 4.42

-39.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ৳87.3

$1.77 MYR 7.24

-59.89%

Eggs

$1.21 ৳149

$2.23 MYR 9.11

-45.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

$13.69 MYR 56.0

-36.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

$4.29 MYR 17.53

-25.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳823

$8.60 MYR 35.16

-22.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

$3.04 MYR 12.43

-10.20%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳109

$1.71 MYR 6.97

-48.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

$2.67 MYR 10.91

-11.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.6

$1.47 MYR 6.01

-55.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.20

$1.09 MYR 4.47

-77.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.7

$1.07 MYR 4.39

-54.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.88

$1.14 MYR 4.67

-71.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.31

$0.57 MYR 2.31

-47.37%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.07 ৳1,483

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 ৳677

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳819

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ৳396

$4.62 MYR 18.89

-30.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.29 MYR 78.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 MYR 11.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 MYR 21.95

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$0.51 MYR 2.08

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,770

$12.30 MYR 50.3

83.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.75 MYR 7.17

-32.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.60

$0.37 MYR 1.52

8.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

$7.27 MYR 29.72

-53.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$0.94 MYR 3.86

22.34%

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

$30.3K ৳3.7M

$41.0K MYR 167.4K

-26.04%

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

$33.0K ৳4.1M

$34.9K MYR 142.6K

-5.27%

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

$46.32 ৳5,692

$36.55 MYR 149

26.73%

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

$4.33 ৳532

$9.97 MYR 40.75

-56.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

$29.32 MYR 120

-63.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.37 ৳2,012

$38.81 MYR 159

-57.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,983

$4.98 MYR 20.35

224.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

$4.87 MYR 19.92

-15.20%

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

$90.7 ৳11.1K

$430 MYR 1,757

-78.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.5K

$10.8K MYR 44.2K

-75.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,025

$60.3 MYR 246

-72.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,580

$35.26 MYR 144

-40.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,175

$83.5 MYR 341

-39.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,480

$69.8 MYR 285

-47.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ৳18.6K

$402 MYR 1,643

-62.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 ৳9,044

$232 MYR 950

-68.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.6K

$621 MYR 2,537

-29.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ৳26.3K

$410 MYR 1,678

-47.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.3K

$2,212 MYR 9,045

-26.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

$1,057 MYR 4,323

-28.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ৳30.6K

$943 MYR 3,855

-73.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

4.04

159.41%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Penang: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.5%

Penang

$258 30.1% 111% $136

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$74 17.1%

Penang

$232 27.1% 216% $159

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15%

Penang

$113 13.2% 75.5% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Penang

$76 8.8% 23.8% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$56 13%

Penang

$112 13.1% 100% $56

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Penang

$18 2.1% 34.5% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.7%

Penang

$49 5.7% 97% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Dhaka and $402 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays 279% 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: $13.00 in Dhaka vs $20.00 in Penang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $258 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

13:10 1:10 PM

15:10 3:10 PM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

158,336

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Penang 2,300 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Penang

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 Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 279% lower in Penang. 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: $152 in Dhaka versus $402 in Penang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $426 per month in Dhaka versus $839 in Penang – a 97% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 83% less than in Penang. 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.

For families, Dhaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Penang, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Penang 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 97% less than in Penang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.