Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Tagbilaran City

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $624 in Tagbilaran City, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Dhaka
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$406
/mo nomad
Tagbilaran City
🇵🇭 Philippines
$624
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Tagbilaran City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $624 in Tagbilaran City.

  • Dhaka $406
  • Tagbilaran City $624

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,001 in Tagbilaran City.

  • Dhaka $687
  • Tagbilaran City $1,001

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,378 in Tagbilaran City.

  • Dhaka $969
  • Tagbilaran City $1,378

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 35% less than in Tagbilaran City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Tagbilaran City 54% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dhaka
Tagbilaran City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.28 ৳282
$2.98 ₱187
-23.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.33 ৳1,523
$17.24 ₱1,085
-28.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.95 ৳488
$2.89 ₱182
36.68%
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
$2.47 ₱156
-7.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ৳40.88
$0.94 ₱58.9
-64.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.16 ৳19.86
$0.46 ₱29.04
-65.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.83 ₱52.1
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.18 ₱137
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
Tagbilaran City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.85 ৳104
$1.55 ₱97.4
-45.16%
White Bread (500g)
$0.60 ৳74.5
$1.06 ₱66.9
-43.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.69 ৳85.4
$0.90 ₱56.7
-23.33%
Eggs
$1.23 ৳152
$1.75 ₱110
-29.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.80 ৳1,087
$9.33 ₱587
-5.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.33 ৳412
$4.37 ₱275
-23.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.63 ৳819
$7.55 ₱475
-12.19%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ৳352
$2.86 ₱180
-0.35%
Banana (1kg)
$0.90 ৳111
$1.35 ₱85.2
-33.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.34 ৳289
$2.41 ₱152
-2.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.63 ৳78.4
$1.52 ₱95.7
-58.55%
Potato (1kg)
$0.24 ৳29.59
$2.42 ₱152
-90.08%
Onion (1kg)
$0.46 ৳57.3
$1.97 ₱124
-76.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.35 ৳42.79
$0.65 ₱40.89
-46.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.28 ৳34.24
$0.46 ₱29.15
-39.13%
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
$2.38 ₱150
37.82%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$6.11 ₱385
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.90 ₱56.8
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.07 ₱67.3
-
🚌 Getting Around
Dhaka
Tagbilaran City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.42 ৳52.3
$0.47 ₱29.39
-10.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.43 ৳2,772
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.19 ৳147
$0.77 ₱48.52
54.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.39 ৳48.71
$0.23 ₱14.50
69.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.28 ৳406
$4.38 ₱276
-25.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 ৳136
$1.04 ₱65.5
5.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.4K ৳3.6M
$21.0K ₱1.3M
40.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.2K ৳4.0M
$19.6K ₱1.2M
64.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
Tagbilaran City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$38.28 ৳4,729
$80.8 ₱5,085
-52.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.09 ৳506
$14.28 ₱899
-71.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.02 ৳1,114
$25.27 ₱1,591
-64.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
Tagbilaran City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$13.66 ৳1,688
$11.21 ₱706
21.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.21 ৳1,261
$3.35 ₱211
204.78%
Cinema Ticket
$4.11 ৳508
$3.62 ₱228
13.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dhaka
Tagbilaran City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$90.7 ৳11.2K
$281 ₱17.7K
-67.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,591 ৳320.2K
$8,018 ₱504.8K
-67.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
Tagbilaran City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.06 ৳2,108
$37.11 ₱2,336
-54.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.38 ৳2,641
$17.96 ₱1,131
19.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$51.4 ৳6,355
$64.0 ₱4,031
-19.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$36.78 ৳4,545
$57.0 ₱3,591
-35.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
Tagbilaran City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$133 ৳16.4K
$194 ₱12.2K
-31.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$65.1 ৳8,041
$139 ₱8,774
-53.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$377 ৳46.6K
$477 ₱30.0K
-20.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$192 ৳23.8K
$339 ₱21.3K
-43.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,621 ৳200.3K
$785 ₱49.4K
106.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$760 ৳93.9K
$470 ₱29.6K
61.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dhaka
Tagbilaran City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$246 ৳30.4K
$178 ₱11.2K
38.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.48
7.2
45.56%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Tagbilaran City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Dhaka
$124
Tagbilaran City
$187 51.3% $63
Accommodation & Living
Dhaka
$65
Tagbilaran City
$139 114% $74
Eating Out
Dhaka
$59
Tagbilaran City
$76 28.3% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Dhaka
$57
Tagbilaran City
$79 39.1% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dhaka
$51
Tagbilaran City
$120 134% $69
Getting Around
Dhaka
$27
Tagbilaran City
$3.8 * 86.1% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Dhaka
$22
Tagbilaran City
$18 15.7% $3.4

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 $194 in Tagbilaran City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhaka pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $12.00 in Dhaka vs $17.00 in Tagbilaran City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $187 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇩 Dhaka
🇵🇭 Tagbilaran City
🕒 Local time
02:32 2:32 AM
04:32 4:32 AM
2 h ahead of Dhaka
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
21,741,000 Capital
86,411
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dhaka Tagbilaran City 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dhaka
  • Tagbilaran City

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 Tagbilaran City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tagbilaran City cheaper than Dhaka?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Dhaka or Tagbilaran City?
Average pay runs 38% higher in Dhaka, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Dhaka and Tagbilaran City?
Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Dhaka versus $194 in Tagbilaran City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $90.7 in Dhaka versus $281 in Tagbilaran City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Dhaka or in Tagbilaran City?
Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $17.00 in Tagbilaran City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 enough for either Dhaka or Tagbilaran City?
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.
Is it better to live in Dhaka or in Tagbilaran City?
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.
Which city is safer, Dhaka or Tagbilaran City?
Safety-wise, Dhaka and Tagbilaran City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Tagbilaran City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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