Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Shiso

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $428 a month against $1,048 in Shiso, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Shiso
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Shiso Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$428

/mo nomad

Shiso

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Shiso

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $428 in Dhaka versus $1,048 in Shiso.

Dhaka $428
Shiso $1,048

Estimated couple costs with rent: $724 in Dhaka versus $1,913 in Shiso.

Dhaka $724
Shiso $1,913

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,019 in Dhaka versus $2,777 in Shiso.

Dhaka $1,019
Shiso $2,777

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Shiso 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.50 ৳309

$7.87 ¥1,244

-68.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.26 ৳1,638

$68.0 ¥10.7K

-80.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ৳616

$6.29 ¥993

-20.67%

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

$3.69 ¥584

-36.31%

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

$0.33 ৳41.07

$0.83 ¥132

-60.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.62

$0.72 ¥114

-77.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 ¥407

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ¥497

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳105

$1.52 ¥240

-44.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ৳77.9

$3.00 ¥474

-79.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.67 ৳83.1

$4.87 ¥769

-86.24%

Eggs

$1.19 ৳147

$2.19 ¥346

-45.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 ৳1,092

$10.19 ¥1,609

-13.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ৳408

$6.48 ¥1,023

-49.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 ৳792

$27.01 ¥4,267

-76.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ৳340

$5.33 ¥842

-48.41%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 ৳116

$2.59 ¥409

-63.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳293

$4.06 ¥641

-41.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 ৳79.1

$5.97 ¥943

-89.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.26 ৳32.25

$4.29 ¥678

-93.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

$2.60 ¥411

-81.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ৳37.63

$1.38 ¥218

-78.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.49

$0.83 ¥130

-63.86%

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

$4.11 ¥650

-22.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 ¥1,211

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥303

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ¥351

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ৳47.44

$1.36 ¥216

-72.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.06 ৳2,849

$33.90 ¥5,356

-31.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ৳145

$3.57 ¥564

-67.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ৳46.99

$2.88 ¥455

-86.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳405

$20.87 ¥3,297

-84.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ৳137

$1.28 ¥202

-13.28%

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

$29.1K ৳3.6M

$22.9K ¥3.6M

27.16%

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

$32.9K ৳4.1M

$17.0K ¥2.7M

93.88%

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

$46.77 ৳5,779

$144 ¥22.8K

-67.61%

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

$4.51 ৳557

$23.93 ¥3,781

-81.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.22 ৳1,387

$13.58 ¥2,146

-17.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.43 ৳2,031

$36.74 ¥5,805

-55.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.87 ৳1,838

$13.71 ¥2,167

8.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 ৳519

$4.59 ¥726

-8.50%

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

$91.6 ৳11.3K

$283 ¥44.8K

-67.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,596 ৳320.8K

$13.6K ¥2.1M

-80.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.63 ৳2,055

$10.06 ¥1,589

65.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.80 ৳2,447

$29.87 ¥4,720

-33.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.87 ৳5,791

$33.76 ¥5,334

38.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.00 ৳4,572

$99.7 ¥15.7K

-62.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$148 ৳18.2K

$470 ¥74.3K

-68.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.8 ৳8,743

$165 ¥26.0K

-57.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ৳53.4K

$862 ¥136.1K

-49.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$213 ৳26.3K

$659 ¥104.2K

-67.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,605 ৳198.4K

$4,229 ¥668.1K

-62.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$751 ৳92.8K

$1,769 ¥279.5K

-57.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$245 ৳30.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

1.78

499.44%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 19, 2026

Last update for Shiso: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.8%

Shiso

$368 35.2% 199% $245

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$71 16.5%

Shiso

$165 15.7% 133% $94

Eating Out

Dhaka

$65 15.2%

Shiso

$152 14.5% 133% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$63 14.6%

Shiso

$182 17.4% 191% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$54 12.6%

Shiso

$78 7.4% 44.1% $24

Getting Around

Dhaka

$28 6.5%

Shiso

$57 5.5% 107% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.8%

Shiso

$46 4.4% 85% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $148 in Dhaka and $470 in Shiso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $13.00 in Dhaka vs $68.0 in Shiso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $368 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇯🇵 Shiso

🕒 Local time

10:11 10:11 AM

13:11 1:11 PM

3 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

36,610

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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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Between locations

Dhaka Shiso 4,420 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Shiso

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 Shiso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 145% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $642 in Dhaka and $1,572 in Shiso 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: $148 in Dhaka versus $470 in Shiso. 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 $1,048 in Shiso – a 145% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 47% less than in Shiso. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $428 in Dhaka versus $1,048 in Shiso, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Shiso. 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 Shiso 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 145% less than in Shiso. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.