Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Sentul

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $878 in Sentul, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Sentul
Learn more

Sentul Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Sentul

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$878

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Sentul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $878 in Sentul.

Dhaka $406
Sentul $878

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,334 in Sentul.

Dhaka $687
Sentul $1,334

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,790 in Sentul.

Dhaka $969
Sentul $1,790

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 54% less than in Sentul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Sentul 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$3.64 MYR 14.84

-37.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$22.09 MYR 90.1

-44.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$5.03 MYR 20.53

-21.47%

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

$2.99 MYR 12.21

-23.75%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.83 MYR 3.40

-60.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.51 MYR 2.10

-68.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 MYR 23.93

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.70 MYR 6.92

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$1.03 MYR 4.21

-41.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$1.42 MYR 5.80

-51.41%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.74 MYR 7.11

-29.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$9.66 MYR 39.39

-8.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$3.17 MYR 12.94

5.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$9.45 MYR 38.56

-29.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$3.25 MYR 13.26

-12.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.68 MYR 6.87

-46.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$2.65 MYR 10.81

-11.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$1.60 MYR 6.53

-60.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$1.46 MYR 5.97

-83.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$1.64 MYR 6.70

-71.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$1.32 MYR 5.38

-73.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.51 MYR 2.08

-45.10%

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

$4.16 MYR 16.99

-21.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 MYR 56.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MYR 10.81

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MYR 12.68

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.81 MYR 3.31

-48.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$12.06 MYR 49.19

85.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$0.96 MYR 3.91

23.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.38 MYR 1.57

2.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$8.97 MYR 36.60

-63.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$0.87 MYR 3.54

26.44%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$41.2K MYR 168.2K

-28.60%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$32.5K MYR 132.7K

-1.15%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$49.70 MYR 203

-22.98%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$8.10 MYR 33.04

-49.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$27.39 MYR 112

-67.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$41.09 MYR 168

-66.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$7.45 MYR 30.40

37.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$5.04 MYR 20.57

-18.45%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$161 MYR 658

-43.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$4,446 MYR 18.1K

-41.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$50.5 MYR 206

-66.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$16.38 MYR 66.8

30.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$77.1 MYR 315

-33.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$85.6 MYR 349

-57.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$348 MYR 1,419

-61.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$282 MYR 1,150

-76.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$707 MYR 2,883

-46.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$484 MYR 1,976

-60.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$2,147 MYR 8,759

-24.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$1,058 MYR 4,315

-28.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$890 MYR 3,631

-72.35%

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 Sentul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Sentul

$224 25.6% 81.5% $101

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Sentul

$282 32.1% 333% $217

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Sentul

$114 12.9% 91.3% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Sentul

$103 11.8% 81.3% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Sentul

$85 9.7% 65.8% $34

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Sentul

$18 2.1% 33.4% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Sentul

$51 5.8% 134% $29

Cost Breakdown

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

Sentul pays 262% 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 $22.00 in Sentul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $224 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇾 Sentul

🕒 Local time

10:08 10:08 AM

12:08 12:08 PM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

100,000

💱 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 Sentul 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Sentul

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 Sentul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 116% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 262% lower in Sentul. 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 Sentul. 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 $878 in Sentul – a 116% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 86% less than in Sentul. 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 Sentul 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 116% less than in Sentul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.