Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Sendai

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $428 a month against $1,161 in Sendai, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Sendai
Learn more

Sendai Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$428

/mo nomad

Sendai

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,161

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Sendai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $428 in Dhaka versus $1,161 in Sendai.

Dhaka $428
Sendai $1,161

Estimated couple costs with rent: $724 in Dhaka versus $1,835 in Sendai.

Dhaka $724
Sendai $1,835

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,019 in Dhaka versus $2,510 in Sendai.

Dhaka $1,019
Sendai $2,510

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 63% less than in Sendai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Sendai 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.50 ৳309

$6.23 ¥984

-59.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.26 ৳1,638

$34.65 ¥5,474

-61.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ৳616

$4.50 ¥711

10.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 ৳602

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 ৳511

Cappuccino

$2.35 ৳291

$3.62 ¥571

-35.08%

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

$0.33 ৳41.07

$0.94 ¥149

-64.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.62

$0.78 ¥124

-79.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ¥295

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ¥505

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳105

$1.45 ¥229

-41.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ৳77.9

$1.44 ¥227

-56.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.67 ৳83.1

$6.64 ¥1,048

-89.91%

Eggs

$1.19 ৳147

$2.09 ¥330

-43.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 ৳1,092

$10.89 ¥1,721

-18.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ৳408

$11.91 ¥1,881

-72.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 ৳792

$9.00 ¥1,422

-28.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ৳340

$3.55 ¥560

-22.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 ৳116

$2.20 ¥348

-57.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳293

$4.47 ¥707

-46.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 ৳79.1

$3.24 ¥512

-80.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.26 ৳32.25

$2.58 ¥407

-89.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

$2.27 ¥358

-78.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ৳37.63

$1.41 ¥222

-78.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.49

$1.25 ¥198

-76.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.24 ৳1,512

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.43 ৳671

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 ৳807

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 ৳392

$4.44 ¥701

-28.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.01 ¥1,107

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥248

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 ¥413

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ৳47.44

$1.47 ¥232

-74.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.06 ৳2,849

$37.26 ¥5,886

-38.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ৳145

$5.23 ¥826

-77.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ৳46.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳405

$18.42 ¥2,910

-82.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ৳137

$1.06 ¥168

4.72%

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

$29.1K ৳3.6M

$15.8K ¥2.5M

83.90%

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

$32.9K ৳4.1M

$24.8K ¥3.9M

32.63%

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

$46.77 ৳5,779

$138 ¥21.8K

-66.10%

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

$4.51 ৳557

$30.52 ¥4,822

-85.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.22 ৳1,387

$34.78 ¥5,495

-67.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.43 ৳2,031

$44.60 ¥7,046

-63.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.87 ৳1,838

$12.84 ¥2,029

15.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 ৳519

$10.07 ¥1,590

-58.29%

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

$91.6 ৳11.3K

$229 ¥36.2K

-59.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,596 ৳320.8K

$3,792 ¥599.0K

-31.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.63 ৳2,055

$56.1 ¥8,868

-70.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.80 ৳2,447

$33.92 ¥5,359

-41.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.87 ৳5,791

$35.34 ¥5,583

32.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.00 ৳4,572

$53.5 ¥8,455

-30.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$148 ৳18.2K

$560 ¥88.4K

-73.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.8 ৳8,743

$327 ¥51.7K

-78.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ৳53.4K

$692 ¥109.4K

-37.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$213 ৳26.3K

$715 ¥112.9K

-70.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,605 ৳198.4K

$2,638 ¥416.8K

-39.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$751 ৳92.8K

$1,424 ¥225.0K

-47.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$245 ৳30.3K

$996 ¥157.3K

-75.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

2.73

290.84%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sendai: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.8%

Sendai

$308 26.5% 150% $185

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$71 16.5%

Sendai

$327 28.2% 362% $256

Eating Out

Dhaka

$65 15.2%

Sendai

$129 11.1% 98.7% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$63 14.6%

Sendai

$203 17.5% 225% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$54 12.6%

Sendai

$81 6.9% 48.7% $26

Getting Around

Dhaka

$28 6.5%

Sendai

$48 * 4.2% 74.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.8%

Sendai

$65 5.6% 161% $40

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 $148 in Dhaka and $560 in Sendai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sendai pays 307% 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 $35.00 in Sendai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $308 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇯🇵 Sendai

🕒 Local time

22:51 10:51 PM

01:51 1:51 AM

3 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

1,082,159

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Sendai 5,010 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Sendai

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 Sendai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 171% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 307% lower in Sendai. 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: $148 in Dhaka versus $560 in Sendai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $428 per month in Dhaka versus $1,161 in Sendai – a 171% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 62% less than in Sendai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $428 in Dhaka versus $1,161 in Sendai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Sendai. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Sendai 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 171% less than in Sendai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.