Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Serdang

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $978 in Serdang, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Serdang
Learn more

Serdang Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Serdang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Serdang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $978 in Serdang.

Dhaka $406
Serdang $978

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,422 in Serdang.

Dhaka $687
Serdang $1,422

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,865 in Serdang.

Dhaka $969
Serdang $1,865

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 59% less than in Serdang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Serdang 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$2.52 MYR 10.29

-9.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$17.01 MYR 69.4

-27.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$3.58 MYR 14.62

10.34%

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

$2.01 MYR 8.20

13.43%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.84 MYR 3.44

-60.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.47 MYR 1.93

-65.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 MYR 18.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.02 MYR 24.56

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$2.13 MYR 8.68

-60.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$1.10 MYR 4.51

-45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$1.95 MYR 7.95

-64.62%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$2.49 MYR 10.14

-50.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$13.89 MYR 56.7

-36.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$4.47 MYR 18.24

-25.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$9.92 MYR 40.47

-33.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$3.44 MYR 14.02

-17.15%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.76 MYR 7.18

-48.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$2.27 MYR 9.26

3.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$1.60 MYR 6.52

-60.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$1.27 MYR 5.19

-81.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$1.35 MYR 5.51

-65.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$1.12 MYR 4.57

-68.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.72 MYR 2.93

-61.11%

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

$4.53 MYR 18.47

-27.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.72 MYR 80.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.50 MYR 14.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 MYR 20.01

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.69 MYR 2.82

-39.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$13.93 MYR 56.8

61.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.19 MYR 4.85

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$1.25 MYR 5.09

-68.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$4.96 MYR 20.23

-33.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$0.88 MYR 3.61

25.00%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$41.5K MYR 169.4K

-29.13%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$34.4K MYR 140.2K

-6.45%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$61.8 MYR 252

-38.09%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$8.90 MYR 36.30

-54.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$26.69 MYR 109

-66.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$42.43 MYR 173

-67.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$7.33 MYR 29.89

39.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$5.12 MYR 20.88

-19.73%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$298 MYR 1,215

-69.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$13.0K MYR 53.1K

-80.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$71.1 MYR 290

-76.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$41.18 MYR 168

-48.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$85.3 MYR 348

-39.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$97.3 MYR 397

-62.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$394 MYR 1,607

-66.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$302 MYR 1,231

-78.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$685 MYR 2,794

-44.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$430 MYR 1,753

-55.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$1,783 MYR 7,272

-9.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$1,004 MYR 4,096

-24.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$964 MYR 3,932

-74.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

4.18

150.72%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Serdang: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Serdang

$275 28.1% 123% $151

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Serdang

$302 30.9% 364% $237

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Serdang

$94 9.7% 59.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Serdang

$133 13.6% 133% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Serdang

$97 10% 89.6% $46

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Serdang

$24 2.5% 11.6% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Serdang

$53 5.4% 141% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $394 in Serdang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Serdang pays 292% 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 $17.00 in Serdang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $275 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇾 Serdang

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

07:20 7:20 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

130,252

💱 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 Serdang 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Serdang

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 Serdang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 141% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 292% lower in Serdang. 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 $394 in Serdang. 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 $978 in Serdang – a 141% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 61% less than in Serdang. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $406 in Dhaka versus $978 in Serdang, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Serdang. 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 Serdang 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 141% less than in Serdang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.