Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Shantou

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $692 in Shantou, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Shantou
Learn more

Shantou Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Shantou

🇨🇳 China

$692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Shantou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $692 in Shantou.

Dhaka $406
Shantou $692

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,104 in Shantou.

Dhaka $687
Shantou $1,104

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,516 in Shantou.

Dhaka $969
Shantou $1,516

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 41% less than in Shantou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Shantou 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳281

$2.29 ¥15.35

-0.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,517

$23.70 ¥158

-47.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳486

$5.17 ¥34.59

-23.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳551

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳508

Cappuccino

$2.28 ৳280

$3.38 ¥22.63

-32.54%

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

$0.33 ৳40.72

$0.47 ¥3.12

-29.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.78

$0.31 ¥2.05

-48.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥14.28

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.60 ¥10.71

-46.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.2

$1.45 ¥9.73

-58.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.0

$0.77 ¥5.18

-10.39%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.69 ¥11.33

-27.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,083

$13.63 ¥91.1

-35.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳410

$3.43 ¥22.91

-2.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳816

$13.16 ¥88.0

-49.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳351

$1.95 ¥13.03

46.15%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.50 ¥10.05

-40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳288

$1.81 ¥12.14

29.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.1

$1.30 ¥8.70

-51.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.47

$0.82 ¥5.49

-70.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.0

$1.06 ¥7.11

-56.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.61

$0.59 ¥3.96

-40.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.09

$0.43 ¥2.88

-34.88%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.11 ৳1,490

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.31 ৳653

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 ৳790

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 ৳403

$3.69 ¥24.71

-11.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.00 ¥80.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.57

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ¥11.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$0.36 ¥2.41

16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,760

$24.27 ¥162

-7.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.53 ¥10.24

-22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.51

$0.38 ¥2.56

2.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳404

$7.31 ¥48.86

-55.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳135

$1.23 ¥8.25

-10.57%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$19.8K ¥132.4K

48.69%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$18.0K ¥120.5K

78.48%

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

$38.28 ৳4,710

$56.7 ¥379

-32.44%

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

$4.09 ৳504

$8.89 ¥59.5

-53.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,110

$13.86 ¥92.7

-34.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,681

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,256

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳506

$7.54 ¥50.5

-45.49%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$540 ¥3,614

-83.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳318.8K

$24.2K ¥162.1K

-89.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,099

$55.6 ¥372

-69.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,630

$39.70 ¥265

-46.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,329

$73.1 ¥489

-29.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,526

$91.4 ¥611

-59.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$298 ¥1,991

-55.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,008

$151 ¥1,011

-56.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.4K

$602 ¥4,027

-37.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.7K

$294 ¥1,969

-34.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳199.5K

$2,278 ¥15.2K

-28.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.5K

$4,469 ¥29.9K

-83.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.3K

$1,062 ¥7,099

-76.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

3.35

212.84%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Shantou: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Shantou

$214 31% 73.3% $91

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Shantou

$151 21.8% 132% $86

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Shantou

$86 12.5% 45.2% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Shantou

$117 16.9% 105% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Shantou

$79 11.5% 54.5% $28

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Shantou

$29 4.2% 6.9% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Shantou

$15 * 2.2% 31.1% $6.8

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 $298 in Shantou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shantou pays 331% 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 $24.00 in Shantou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $214 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇨🇳 Shantou

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

16:51 4:51 PM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

5,389,328

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.13 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.13 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Shantou 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Shantou

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 Shantou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 331% lower in Shantou. 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 $298 in Shantou. 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 $692 in Shantou – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 8% less than in Shantou. 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.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Shantou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.