Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Pohang

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $1,362 in Pohang, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Pohang
Learn more

Pohang Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Pohang

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Pohang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $1,362 in Pohang.

Dhaka $406
Pohang $1,362

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,682 in Pohang.

Dhaka $687
Pohang $1,682

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $2,002 in Pohang.

Dhaka $969
Pohang $2,002

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 70% less than in Pohang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dhaka is 70% below, Pohang is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$5.91 ₩7,857

-61.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$22.55 ₩30.0K

-45.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$6.52 ₩8,675

-39.42%

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

$3.02 ₩4,012

-24.50%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$1.48 ₩1,967

-77.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.53 ₩710

-69.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,836

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ₩5,062

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$2.36 ₩3,142

-63.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$3.25 ₩4,319

-81.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$1.46 ₩1,940

-52.74%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$2.73 ₩3,634

-54.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$10.95 ₩14.6K

-19.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$10.36 ₩13.8K

-67.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$24.86 ₩33.1K

-73.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$2.20 ₩2,929

29.55%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$3.61 ₩4,798

-75.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$7.91 ₩10.5K

-70.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$2.92 ₩3,879

-78.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$5.00 ₩6,653

-95.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$3.41 ₩4,532

-86.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$2.27 ₩3,015

-84.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$1.34 ₩1,785

-79.10%

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

$3.31 ₩4,407

-0.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 ₩8,631

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₩2,031

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₩4,638

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$3.30 ₩4,388

-63.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.58 ₩766

-32.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$16.64 ₩22.1K

-80.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$1.24 ₩1,647

-11.29%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$29.5K ₩39.2M

-0.16%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$28.4K ₩37.8M

13.25%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$102 ₩136.1K

-62.60%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$36.26 ₩48.2K

-88.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$26.84 ₩35.7K

-66.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$30.38 ₩40.4K

-55.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$7.43 ₩9,884

37.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$11.38 ₩15.1K

-63.88%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$637 ₩847.5K

-85.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$21.8K ₩29.0M

-88.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$105 ₩139.2K

-83.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$64.3 ₩85.5K

-66.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$92.5 ₩122.9K

-44.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$111 ₩147.9K

-66.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$447 ₩594.3K

-85.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$2,990 ₩4.0M

-74.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$2,240 ₩3.0M

-89.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

4.22

148.34%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Pohang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Pohang

$386 28.3% 212% $262

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Pohang

$447 32.8% 587% $382

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Pohang

$137 10.1% 131% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Pohang

$168 12.3% 194% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Pohang

$165 12.2% 222% $114

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Pohang

$6.2 * 0.5% 77.4% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Pohang

$53 3.9% 143% $31

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Pohang pays 810% 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 $23.00 in Pohang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $386 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇰🇷 Pohang

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

04:02 4:02 AM

3 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

514,869

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, 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).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Pohang 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Pohang

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 Pohang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 236% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 810% lower in Pohang. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $90.7 in Dhaka versus $637 in Pohang. 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 $23.00 in Pohang. 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 Pohang 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 236% less than in Pohang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.