Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Tagum City

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $437 in Tagum City, rent and utilities included – about $370 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tagum City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Tagum City
Learn more

Tagum City Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Tagum City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$437

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Tagum 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 Tagum City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $437 in Tagum City.

Dhaka $406
Tagum City $437

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $541 in Tagum City.

Dhaka $687
Tagum City $541

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $645 in Tagum City.

Dhaka $969
Tagum City $645

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 7% less than in Tagum City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Tagum City 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$5.50 ₱346

-58.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$12.68 ₱799

-2.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$5.05 ₱318

-21.78%

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

$2.29 ₱144

-0.44%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₱117

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₱90.9

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.62 ₱102

-47.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.88 ₱119

-34.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$8.06 ₱507

-17.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$6.41 ₱404

-55.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

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

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₱86.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.25 ₱15.76

68.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$1.37 ₱86.2

-19.71%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$55.7 ₱3,506

-31.26%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$8.09 ₱510

-49.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$27.46 ₱1,729

-67.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$23.71 ₱1,493

-42.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$3.28 ₱206

25.30%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$159 ₱9,992

-16.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$129 ₱8,124

-49.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$323 ₱20.3K

16.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$203 ₱12.8K

21.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Tagum City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Tagum City

$87 * 19.9% 29.8% $37

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Tagum City

$129 29.5% 98.3% $64

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Tagum City

$99 * 22.6% 66.4% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Tagum City

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Tagum City

$91 20.9% 77.5% $40

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Tagum City

$1 * 0.2% 96.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Tagum City

$30 6.9% 38.2% $8.4

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 $159 in Tagum City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhaka pays 21% 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 $13.00 in Tagum City. Groceries flip the comparison at $124 vs $87.0, with Tagum City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇵🇭 Tagum City

🕒 Local time

06:33 6:33 AM

08:33 8:33 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

296,202

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Tagum City 4,190 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Tagum 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 Tagum City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and utilities. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $133 in Dhaka versus $159 in Tagum City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Tagum City pay roughly 42% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $13.00 in Tagum City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Tagum 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.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Tagum City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.