Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Taichung

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,143 in Taichung, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Taichung
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Taichung Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Taichung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,143

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Taichung

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Dhaka versus $1,143 in Taichung.

Dhaka $426
Taichung $1,143

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Dhaka versus $1,887 in Taichung.

Dhaka $735
Taichung $1,887

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,043 in Dhaka versus $2,631 in Taichung.

Dhaka $1,043
Taichung $2,631

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 63% less than in Taichung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Taichung 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ৳306

$4.68 NT$149

-46.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.06 ৳1,605

$32.12 NT$1,025

-59.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ৳594

$4.85 NT$155

-0.41%

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

$2.75 NT$87.7

-14.91%

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

$0.30 ৳37.39

$1.03 NT$32.82

-70.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.96

$0.74 NT$23.57

-78.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 NT$49.71

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NT$88.8

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ৳98.1

$3.27 NT$104

-75.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ৳79.3

$1.76 NT$56.3

-63.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ৳87.3

$2.66 NT$84.8

-73.31%

Eggs

$1.21 ৳149

$2.62 NT$83.7

-53.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

$29.33 NT$936

-70.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

$8.13 NT$259

-60.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳823

$17.14 NT$547

-60.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

$4.22 NT$135

-35.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳109

$1.92 NT$61.4

-54.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

$2.99 NT$95.4

-20.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.6

$2.15 NT$68.6

-69.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.20

$1.20 NT$38.30

-80.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.7

$1.97 NT$63.0

-75.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.88

$2.40 NT$76.8

-86.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.31

$0.90 NT$28.81

-66.67%

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

$3.75 NT$120

-13.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.53 NT$496

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 NT$52.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 NT$78.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$0.72 NT$23.06

-41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,770

$31.97 NT$1,020

-29.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$2.70 NT$86.1

-55.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.60

$0.92 NT$29.50

-56.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

$9.61 NT$307

-65.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$1.03 NT$32.77

11.65%

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

$30.3K ৳3.7M

$33.0K NT$1.1M

-8.30%

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

$33.0K ৳4.1M

$22.7K NT$726.3K

45.20%

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

$46.32 ৳5,692

$127 NT$4,039

-63.39%

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

$4.33 ৳532

$14.84 NT$474

-70.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

$21.00 NT$670

-49.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.37 ৳2,012

$32.96 NT$1,052

-50.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,983

$11.63 NT$371

38.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

$10.02 NT$320

-58.78%

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

$90.7 ৳11.1K

$347 NT$11.1K

-73.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.5K

$16.8K NT$537.4K

-84.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,025

$72.5 NT$2,315

-77.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,580

$35.93 NT$1,147

-41.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,175

$85.8 NT$2,739

-41.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,480

$117 NT$3,729

-68.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ৳18.6K

$396 NT$12.6K

-61.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 ৳9,044

$273 NT$8,726

-73.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.6K

$1,217 NT$38.8K

-64.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ৳26.3K

$774 NT$24.7K

-72.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.3K

$8,642 NT$275.9K

-81.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

$5,368 NT$171.4K

-85.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ৳30.6K

$1,432 NT$45.7K

-82.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

2.27

361.67%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Taichung: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.5%

Taichung

$379 32.8% 209% $256

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$74 17.1%

Taichung

$273 23.7% 271% $200

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15%

Taichung

$105 9.1% 63.9% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Taichung

$162 14.1% 165% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$56 13%

Taichung

$140 12.1% 151% $84

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Taichung

$42 3.7% 53.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.7%

Taichung

$53 4.6% 115% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Dhaka and $396 in Taichung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taichung pays 475% 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 $32.00 in Taichung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $379 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇹🇼 Taichung

🕒 Local time

14:49 2:49 PM

16:49 4:49 PM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

2,767,239

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, 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).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.92 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.81 TWD (100 TWD = 2.79 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Taichung 3,070 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Taichung

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 Taichung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 168% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 475% lower in Taichung. 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 $396 in Taichung. 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 $1,143 in Taichung – a 168% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 42% less than in Taichung. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,143 in Taichung, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Taichung. 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 Taichung 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 168% less than in Taichung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.