Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $36,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Singapore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Dhaka versus $3,454 in Singapore.

Dhaka $426
Singapore $3,454

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Dhaka versus $5,224 in Singapore.

Dhaka $735
Singapore $5,224

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,043 in Dhaka versus $6,994 in Singapore.

Dhaka $1,043
Singapore $6,994

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 88% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dhaka is 68% below, Singapore is 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ৳306

$11.53 SGD 14.77

-78.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.06 ৳1,605

$71.2 SGD 91.2

-81.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ৳594

$8.76 SGD 11.22

-44.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.34 ৳287

$5.25 SGD 6.73

-55.43%

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

$0.30 ৳37.39

$1.83 SGD 2.34

-83.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.96

$1.25 SGD 1.60

-87.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 SGD 10.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 SGD 12.83

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ৳98.1

$2.94 SGD 3.76

-72.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ৳79.3

$2.47 SGD 3.16

-73.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ৳87.3

$2.71 SGD 3.47

-73.80%

Eggs

$1.21 ৳149

$3.73 SGD 4.77

-67.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

$21.54 SGD 27.58

-59.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

$9.52 SGD 12.20

-66.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳823

$25.98 SGD 33.27

-74.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

$4.48 SGD 5.74

-39.06%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳109

$3.11 SGD 3.99

-71.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

$4.62 SGD 5.92

-48.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.6

$2.23 SGD 2.86

-70.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.20

$2.50 SGD 3.20

-90.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.7

$2.38 SGD 3.05

-79.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.88

$1.78 SGD 2.28

-82.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.31

$1.51 SGD 1.93

-80.13%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.07 ৳1,483

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 ৳677

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳819

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ৳396

$14.18 SGD 18.16

-77.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.79 SGD 30.47

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 SGD 5.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$1.58 SGD 2.03

-73.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,770

$96.4 SGD 123

-76.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$3.63 SGD 4.65

-67.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.60

$0.80 SGD 1.02

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

$16.18 SGD 20.72

-79.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$2.51 SGD 3.21

-54.18%

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

$30.3K ৳3.7M

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

-80.56%

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

$33.0K ৳4.1M

$145.8K SGD 186.7K

-77.34%

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

$46.32 ৳5,692

$175 SGD 224

-73.53%

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

$4.33 ৳532

$12.45 SGD 15.94

-65.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

$26.64 SGD 34.11

-60.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.37 ৳2,012

$112 SGD 143

-85.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,983

$12.07 SGD 15.46

33.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

$11.60 SGD 14.85

-64.40%

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

$90.7 ৳11.1K

$1,463 SGD 1,874

-93.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.5K

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

-90.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,025

$81.5 SGD 104

-79.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,580

$50.6 SGD 64.8

-58.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,175

$112 SGD 143

-54.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,480

$130 SGD 166

-71.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ৳18.6K

$2,916 SGD 3,734

-94.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 ৳9,044

$2,128 SGD 2,725

-96.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.6K

$5,654 SGD 7,241

-92.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ৳26.3K

$3,968 SGD 5,081

-94.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.3K

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

-93.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

-95.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ৳30.6K

$4,369 SGD 5,594

-94.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

2.44

329.51%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.5%

Singapore

$457 13.2% 273% $335

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$74 17.1%

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4% 2791% $2.1K

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15%

Singapore

$256 7.4% 298% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Singapore

$214 6.2% 249% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$56 13%

Singapore

$168 4.9% 201% $112

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Singapore

$110 3.2% 302% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.7%

Singapore

$135 3.9% 447% $110

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Dhaka and $2,916 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 1655% 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: $13.00 in Dhaka vs $71.0 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $457 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

12:01 12:01 PM

14:01 2:01 PM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Singapore 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Singapore

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 Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 710% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1655% lower in Singapore. 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: $152 in Dhaka versus $2,916 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $426 per month in Dhaka versus $3,454 in Singapore – a 710% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 327% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $3,454 in Singapore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Singapore. 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 Singapore 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 710% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.