Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Seongnam

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $1,405 in Seongnam, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Seongnam
Learn more

Seongnam Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Seongnam

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,405

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Seongnam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $1,405 in Seongnam.

Dhaka $406
Seongnam $1,405

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $2,330 in Seongnam.

Dhaka $687
Seongnam $2,330

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $3,255 in Seongnam.

Dhaka $969
Seongnam $3,255

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 71% less than in Seongnam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dhaka is 70% below, Seongnam is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$6.61 ₩8,787

-65.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$40.26 ₩53.5K

-69.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$6.67 ₩8,870

-40.78%

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

$4.16 ₩5,528

-45.19%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$1.59 ₩2,120

-79.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.82 ₩1,093

-80.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 ₩4,727

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ₩5,065

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$2.26 ₩3,005

-62.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$3.08 ₩4,098

-80.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$3.59 ₩4,779

-80.78%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$3.61 ₩4,804

-65.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$9.24 ₩12.3K

-4.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$7.73 ₩10.3K

-56.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$21.02 ₩27.9K

-68.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$7.75 ₩10.3K

-63.23%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$3.42 ₩4,552

-73.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$5.87 ₩7,808

-60.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$6.99 ₩9,288

-90.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$3.60 ₩4,793

-93.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$2.52 ₩3,354

-81.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$2.80 ₩3,725

-87.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$1.33 ₩1,766

-78.95%

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

$3.45 ₩4,584

-4.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ₩24.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ₩2,776

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₩2,422

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$1.03 ₩1,368

-59.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$3.64 ₩4,841

-67.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.66 ₩876

-40.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$8.86 ₩11.8K

-62.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$1.36 ₩1,811

-19.12%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$29.3K ₩39.0M

0.42%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$28.4K ₩37.8M

13.23%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$207 ₩275.9K

-81.55%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$36.39 ₩48.4K

-88.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$20.67 ₩27.5K

-56.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$51.6 ₩68.6K

-73.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$12.09 ₩16.1K

-15.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$10.99 ₩14.6K

-62.60%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$532 ₩707.0K

-82.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$17.7K ₩23.5M

-85.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$57.6 ₩76.6K

-70.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$32.21 ₩42.8K

-33.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$69.7 ₩92.6K

-26.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$81.8 ₩108.8K

-55.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$478 ₩635.4K

-72.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$366 ₩486.9K

-82.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$1,168 ₩1.6M

-67.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$1,035 ₩1.4M

-81.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$7,163 ₩9.5M

-77.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$5,429 ₩7.2M

-86.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

4.08

156.86%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Seongnam: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Seongnam

$423 30.1% 242% $300

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Seongnam

$366 26.1% 463% $301

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Seongnam

$158 11.2% 166% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Seongnam

$109 7.7% 90.5% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Seongnam

$265 18.8% 415% $213

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Seongnam

$11 * 0.8% 59.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Seongnam

$74 5.2% 236% $52

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 $478 in Seongnam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12.00 in Dhaka vs $40.00 in Seongnam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $423 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇰🇷 Seongnam

🕒 Local time

05:15 5:15 AM

08:15 8:15 AM

3 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

967,510

💱 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 Seongnam 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Seongnam

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 Seongnam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 246% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $609 in Dhaka and $2,108 in Seongnam to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Dhaka versus $478 in Seongnam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $90.7 in Dhaka versus $532 in Seongnam. 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 $40.00 in Seongnam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $406 in Dhaka versus $1,405 in Seongnam, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Seongnam. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Seongnam 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 246% less than in Seongnam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.