Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Sungai Petani

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $806 in Sungai Petani, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Sungai Petani
Learn more

Sungai Petani Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Sungai Petani

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Sungai Petani

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $806 in Sungai Petani.

Dhaka $406
Sungai Petani $806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,201 in Sungai Petani.

Dhaka $687
Sungai Petani $1,201

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,596 in Sungai Petani.

Dhaka $969
Sungai Petani $1,596

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 50% less than in Sungai Petani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Sungai Petani 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$2.43 MYR 9.93

-6.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$16.94 MYR 69.1

-27.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$4.28 MYR 17.46

-7.71%

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

$2.50 MYR 10.20

-8.80%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.73 MYR 2.96

-54.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.38 MYR 1.56

-57.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 MYR 14.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MYR 18.18

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.84 MYR 7.52

-53.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$1.05 MYR 4.26

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$1.70 MYR 6.92

-59.41%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$2.21 MYR 9.00

-44.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$9.55 MYR 38.96

-7.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$4.42 MYR 18.04

-24.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$8.60 MYR 35.07

-22.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$3.04 MYR 12.42

-6.25%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.63 MYR 6.66

-44.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$2.62 MYR 10.68

-10.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$1.42 MYR 5.78

-55.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$1.06 MYR 4.34

-77.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$1.07 MYR 4.36

-57.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$1.08 MYR 4.41

-67.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.57 MYR 2.33

-50.88%

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

$4.30 MYR 17.54

-23.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.13 MYR 78.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 MYR 11.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 MYR 21.78

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.75 MYR 3.04

-44.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$12.48 MYR 50.9

79.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.67 MYR 6.83

-28.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.41 MYR 1.66

-4.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$7.38 MYR 30.13

-55.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$0.48 MYR 1.95

129.17%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$42.1K MYR 171.8K

-30.10%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$35.8K MYR 146.1K

-10.21%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$37.72 MYR 154

1.48%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$9.73 MYR 39.71

-57.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$19.90 MYR 81.2

-54.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$24.69 MYR 101

-44.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$14.83 MYR 60.5

-31.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$2.88 MYR 11.77

42.71%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$418 MYR 1,704

-78.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$10.8K MYR 44.1K

-76.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$58.8 MYR 240

-70.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$35.57 MYR 145

-39.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$73.9 MYR 302

-30.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$69.7 MYR 284

-47.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$186 MYR 760

-28.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$244 MYR 995

-73.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$494 MYR 2,015

-23.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$365 MYR 1,488

-47.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$1,236 MYR 5,042

31.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$480 MYR 1,958

58.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$492 MYR 2,008

-50.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

4.04

159.41%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sungai Petani: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Sungai Petani

$244 30.2% 97.1% $120

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Sungai Petani

$244 30.3% 275% $179

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Sungai Petani

$94 11.7% 58.3% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Sungai Petani

$107 13.3% 87.9% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Sungai Petani

$67 8.4% 31.1% $16

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Sungai Petani

$19 2.4% 29.7% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Sungai Petani

$30 3.8% 39.2% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $186 in Sungai Petani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sungai Petani pays 100% 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 Sungai Petani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $244 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇾 Sungai Petani

🕒 Local time

22:20 10:20 PM

00:20 12:20 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

545,053

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.22 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Sungai Petani 2,290 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Sungai Petani

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 Sungai Petani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 99% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 100% lower in Sungai Petani. 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 $186 in Sungai Petani. 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 $806 in Sungai Petani – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 80% less than in Sungai Petani. 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.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Sungai Petani 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 99% less than in Sungai Petani. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.