Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Putrajaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $818 in Putrajaya, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Putrajaya
Learn more

Putrajaya Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Putrajaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Putrajaya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $818 in Putrajaya.

Dhaka $406
Putrajaya $818

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,232 in Putrajaya.

Dhaka $687
Putrajaya $1,232

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,646 in Putrajaya.

Dhaka $969
Putrajaya $1,646

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 50% less than in Putrajaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Putrajaya 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$3.78 MYR 15.41

-39.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$18.39 MYR 75.0

-32.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$4.58 MYR 18.67

-13.76%

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

$2.86 MYR 11.68

-20.28%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.80 MYR 3.28

-58.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.39 MYR 1.59

-58.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 MYR 14.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 MYR 18.52

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.67 MYR 6.83

-49.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$1.10 MYR 4.49

-45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$1.47 MYR 6.00

-53.06%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.67 MYR 6.82

-26.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$7.84 MYR 32.00

12.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$4.68 MYR 19.09

-28.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$9.57 MYR 39.05

-30.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$2.41 MYR 9.82

18.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.51 MYR 6.15

-40.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$2.26 MYR 9.23

3.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$1.63 MYR 6.65

-61.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$1.32 MYR 5.37

-81.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$1.50 MYR 6.11

-69.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$1.33 MYR 5.43

-73.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.54 MYR 2.22

-48.15%

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

$4.29 MYR 17.50

-23.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 MYR 54.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 MYR 12.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 MYR 12.74

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.69 MYR 2.84

-39.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$12.45 MYR 50.8

80.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$0.96 MYR 3.92

23.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.48 MYR 1.96

-18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$9.93 MYR 40.51

-66.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$0.74 MYR 3.01

48.65%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$42.5K MYR 173.3K

-30.70%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$34.5K MYR 140.7K

-6.74%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$53.4 MYR 218

-28.27%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$11.10 MYR 45.29

-63.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$22.49 MYR 91.7

-59.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$35.53 MYR 145

-61.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$9.63 MYR 39.28

6.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$4.87 MYR 19.88

-15.61%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$506 MYR 2,063

-82.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$4,463 MYR 18.2K

-41.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$55.2 MYR 225

-69.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$16.63 MYR 67.9

28.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$79.9 MYR 326

-35.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$86.9 MYR 355

-57.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$348 MYR 1,420

-61.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$228 MYR 932

-71.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$644 MYR 2,628

-41.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$372 MYR 1,516

-48.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$2,622 MYR 10.7K

-38.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$1,765 MYR 7,202

-56.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$1,043 MYR 4,255

-76.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

4.06

158.13%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Putrajaya: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Putrajaya

$221 27% 78.5% $97

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Putrajaya

$228 27.9% 251% $163

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Putrajaya

$110 13.5% 85.9% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Putrajaya

$107 13.1% 88.4% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Putrajaya

$87 10.6% 69.2% $36

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Putrajaya

$19 2.3% 31.9% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Putrajaya

$45 5.5% 107% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $348 in Putrajaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Putrajaya pays 324% 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 $18.00 in Putrajaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $221 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇾 Putrajaya

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

15:47 3:47 PM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

109,202

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 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 Putrajaya 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Putrajaya

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 Putrajaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 324% lower in Putrajaya. 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 $348 in Putrajaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $406 per month in Dhaka versus $818 in Putrajaya – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 80% less than in Putrajaya. 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.

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 Putrajaya 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 102% less than in Putrajaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.