Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Sylhet

For one person, living is cheaper in Sylhet: $362 a month against $422 in Dhaka, rent and utilities included – about $720 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Sylhet
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Sylhet Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$422

/mo nomad

Sylhet

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Sylhet

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $422 in Dhaka versus $362 in Sylhet.

Dhaka $422
Sylhet $362

Estimated couple costs with rent: $728 in Dhaka versus $612 in Sylhet.

Dhaka $728
Sylhet $612

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,033 in Dhaka versus $861 in Sylhet.

Dhaka $1,033
Sylhet $861

Living in Dhaka is roughly 17% more expensive than in Sylhet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 69% lower, Sylhet 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.40 ৳297

$2.37 ৳293

1.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.93 ৳1,602

$11.13 ৳1,379

16.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ৳593

$3.96 ৳491

20.71%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 ৳609

$4.82 ৳597

2.07%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 ৳490

$3.98 ৳493

-0.50%

Cappuccino

$2.38 ৳295

$2.08 ৳258

14.42%

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

$0.30 ৳37.07

$0.33 ৳40.33

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ৳21.30

$0.16 ৳19.93

6.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 ৳97.4

$0.84 ৳104

-5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ৳78.3

$0.56 ৳69.3

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.72 ৳89.0

$0.65 ৳80.4

10.77%

Eggs

$1.18 ৳147

$1.21 ৳150

-2.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 ৳1,082

$7.45 ৳923

17.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ৳408

$3.17 ৳393

4.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.64 ৳823

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ৳347

$2.67 ৳331

4.87%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 ৳107

$0.92 ৳114

-6.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ৳287

$2.42 ৳300

-4.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 ৳75.7

$0.60 ৳74.2

1.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.23 ৳28.28

$0.23 ৳28.46

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 ৳59.9

$0.52 ৳64.2

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 ৳41.21

$0.33 ৳40.96

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.54

$0.27 ৳33.01

11.11%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.23 ৳1,515

$2.90 ৳360

321.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.23 ৳648

$1.97 ৳245

165.48%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.51 ৳807

$3.89 ৳482

67.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ৳408

$2.81 ৳348

17.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ৳51.2

$0.71 ৳87.8

-42.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.27 ৳2,636

$24.00 ৳2,974

-11.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ৳146

$1.20 ৳149

-1.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ৳47.14

$0.16 ৳19.84

137.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 ৳405

$1.11 ৳137

194.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ৳143

$1.04 ৳128

11.54%

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

$29.9K ৳3.7M

$29.5K ৳3.7M

1.44%

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

$32.5K ৳4.0M

$33.0K ৳4.1M

-1.60%

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

$46.86 ৳5,807

$25.16 ৳3,118

86.25%

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

$4.31 ৳535

$4.33 ৳536

-0.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.09 ৳1,374

$10.91 ৳1,352

1.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.52 ৳2,171

$8.90 ৳1,103

96.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.67 ৳2,189

$4.03 ৳499

338.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.31 ৳534

$3.95 ৳489

9.11%

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

$139 ৳17.2K

$28.58 ৳3,542

385.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,570 ৳318.5K

$961 ৳119.0K

167.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.32 ৳2,023

$15.99 ৳1,982

2.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.36 ৳2,399

$15.93 ৳1,974

21.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.97 ৳5,696

$36.96 ৳4,580

24.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.74 ৳4,552

$29.67 ৳3,677

23.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$145 ৳18.0K

$125 ৳15.5K

16.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.1 ৳8,441

$56.4 ৳6,994

20.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 ৳57.1K

$175 ৳21.7K

163.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ৳28.8K

$161 ৳19.9K

44.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,575 ৳195.2K

$684 ৳84.8K

130.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$789 ৳97.8K

$347 ৳43.0K

127.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$245 ৳30.3K

$222 ৳27.5K

10.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sylhet: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$122 29%

Sylhet

$117 32.4% 4.3% $5.2

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$68 16.1%

Sylhet

$56 15.6% 17.1% $12

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15.2%

Sylhet

$58 16% 9.8% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$62 14.8%

Sylhet

$40 11.2% 35.1% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$53 12.6%

Sylhet

$44 12.3% 16.8% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$26 6.2%

Sylhet

$17 4.6% 35.7% $9.3

Getting Around

Dhaka

$26 6.2%

Sylhet

$29 8% 10.8% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $145 in Dhaka and $125 in Sylhet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhaka pays 10% 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 in Dhaka vs $11 in Sylhet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $122 vs $117 per month, with Sylhet cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇧🇩 Sylhet

🕒 Local time

08:42 8:42 AM

Same time as Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

526,412

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.07 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.23 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.07 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.23 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Sylhet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sylhet is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Dhaka, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $145 in Dhaka versus $125 in Sylhet. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $422 per month in Dhaka versus $362 in Sylhet – Sylhet is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 11% less than in Sylhet. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Sylhet 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.

It comes down to priorities – Sylhet wins on affordability, Dhaka on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.