Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Pontianak

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $484 in Pontianak, rent and utilities included – about $940 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Pontianak
Learn more

Pontianak Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Pontianak

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$484

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Pontianak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $484 in Pontianak.

Dhaka $406
Pontianak $484

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $600 in Pontianak.

Dhaka $687
Pontianak $600

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $717 in Pontianak.

Dhaka $969
Pontianak $717

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 16% less than in Pontianak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Pontianak 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$1.77 Rp 31.9K

28.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$8.14 Rp 146.4K

51.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

32.11%

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

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

83.87%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.46 Rp 8,327

-28.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.21 Rp 3,762

-23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 Rp 50.6K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 Rp 67.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.08 Rp 19.4K

-21.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

-57.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$0.94 Rp 16.9K

-26.60%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

-17.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$3.32 Rp 59.7K

0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$3.05 Rp 54.8K

-6.56%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.92 Rp 34.6K

-53.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$2.20 Rp 39.6K

6.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.48 Rp 8,633

-41.67%

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

$2.82 Rp 50.7K

16.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.55 Rp 405.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 Rp 32.0K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 Rp 40.1K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.27 Rp 4,796

55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

50.68%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$68.5 Rp 1.2M

-44.11%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$5.51 Rp 99.2K

-25.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$22.14 Rp 398.4K

-59.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$23.86 Rp 429.5K

-42.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$11.79 Rp 212.2K

-13.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$3.73 Rp 67.1K

10.19%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$33.12 Rp 596.2K

-48.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$33.53 Rp 603.5K

-36.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$169 Rp 3.0M

-21.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$113 Rp 2.0M

-42.28%

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

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$262 Rp 4.7M

-5.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

4.80%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Pontianak: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Pontianak

$151 * 31.2% 22.1% $27

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Pontianak

$113 23.3% 73.3% $48

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Pontianak

$62 12.8% 4.6% $2.8

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Pontianak

$30 * 6.2% 47.4% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Pontianak

$96 19.8% 87.1% $45

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Pontianak

$1.1 * 0.2% 96.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Pontianak

$31 6.5% 43.1% $9.4

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 $169 in Pontianak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pontianak pays 6% 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 $8.00 in Pontianak. Groceries flip the comparison at $124 vs $151, with Dhaka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇮🇩 Pontianak

🕒 Local time

14:28 2:28 PM

15:28 3:28 PM

1 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

672,440

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Pontianak 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Pontianak

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 Pontianak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Pontianak. 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 $169 in Pontianak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Pontianak. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $8.00 in Pontianak. 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.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Pontianak. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.