Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Taipa

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $2,021 in Taipa, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Taipa
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Taipa Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Taipa

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,021

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Taipa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Dhaka versus $2,021 in Taipa.

Dhaka $426
Taipa $2,021

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Dhaka versus $3,175 in Taipa.

Dhaka $735
Taipa $3,175

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,043 in Dhaka versus $4,330 in Taipa.

Dhaka $1,043
Taipa $4,330

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 79% less than in Taipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dhaka is 68% below, Taipa is 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ৳305

$6.30 MOP 50.9

-60.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.06 ৳1,604

$56.6 MOP 458

-76.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ৳594

$5.96 MOP 48.13

-18.96%

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

$4.87 MOP 39.38

-51.95%

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

$0.30 ৳37.38

$0.77 MOP 6.21

-61.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.96

$0.36 MOP 2.90

-55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 MOP 47.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 MOP 58.2

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ৳98.1

$3.14 MOP 25.41

-74.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ৳79.3

$1.76 MOP 14.19

-63.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ৳87.2

$1.73 MOP 13.97

-58.96%

Eggs

$1.21 ৳149

$3.35 MOP 27.06

-63.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

$16.42 MOP 133

-47.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

$19.52 MOP 158

-83.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳823

$28.67 MOP 232

-76.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

$2.66 MOP 21.49

2.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳108

$2.92 MOP 23.58

-69.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

$1.90 MOP 15.32

24.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.5

$2.37 MOP 19.14

-72.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.19

$4.04 MOP 32.67

-94.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

$2.83 MOP 22.91

-82.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.87

$0.62 MOP 5.03

-48.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.30

$1.18 MOP 9.54

-74.58%

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 ৳818

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ৳396

$6.88 MOP 55.6

-53.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 MOP 98.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MOP 14.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 MOP 18.27

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,769

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$2.55 MOP 20.64

-53.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.58

$1.25 MOP 10.06

-68.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

$15.06 MOP 122

-77.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$1.83 MOP 14.81

-37.16%

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

$30.3K ৳3.7M

$31.5K MOP 254.6K

-3.82%

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

$33.0K ৳4.1M

$31.8K MOP 257.1K

3.84%

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

$46.32 ৳5,690

$122 MOP 984

-61.95%

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

$4.33 ৳531

$23.67 MOP 191

-81.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

$36.90 MOP 298

-71.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.37 ৳2,011

$73.7 MOP 596

-77.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,982

$3.74 MOP 30.22

331.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

$12.47 MOP 101

-66.88%

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

$90.7 ৳11.1K

$1,203 MOP 9,723

-92.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.4K

$18.7K MOP 150.8K

-85.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,024

$69.9 MOP 565

-76.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,579

$34.04 MOP 275

-38.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,173

$93.2 MOP 754

-46.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,478

$138 MOP 1,113

-73.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ৳18.6K

$1,065 MOP 8,607

-85.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 ৳9,041

$1,001 MOP 8,089

-92.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.5K

$2,130 MOP 17.2K

-79.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ৳26.3K

$1,891 MOP 15.3K

-88.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.2K

$15.9K MOP 128.2K

-89.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

$13.6K MOP 109.8K

-94.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ৳30.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

249.33%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Taipa: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.5%

Taipa

$425 20.8% 246% $302

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$74 17.1%

Taipa

$1K 49.1% 1260% $927

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15%

Taipa

$175 8.6% 172% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Taipa

$182 8.9% 198% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$56 13%

Taipa

$151 7.4% 170% $95

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Taipa

$8.8 * 0.4% 68% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.7%

Taipa

$99 4.8% 300% $74

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 $152 in Dhaka and $1,065 in Taipa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $13.00 in Dhaka vs $57.0 in Taipa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $425 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇴 Taipa

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

12:03 12:03 PM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

78,497

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Macanese Pataca MOP P

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MOP, 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).

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Taipa 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Taipa

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 Taipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 374% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $639 in Dhaka and $3,031 in Taipa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $152 in Dhaka versus $1,065 in Taipa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $90.7 in Dhaka versus $1,203 in Taipa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $57.0 in Taipa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $2,021 in Taipa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Taipa. 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 Taipa 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 374% less than in Taipa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.