Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Tawau

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $428 a month against $888 in Tawau, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Tawau
Learn more

Tawau Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$428

/mo nomad

Tawau

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$888

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Tawau

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $428 in Dhaka versus $888 in Tawau.

Dhaka $428
Tawau $888

Estimated couple costs with rent: $724 in Dhaka versus $1,354 in Tawau.

Dhaka $724
Tawau $1,354

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,019 in Dhaka versus $1,820 in Tawau.

Dhaka $1,019
Tawau $1,820

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 52% less than in Tawau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Tawau 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.50 ৳309

$3.14 MYR 12.80

-20.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.26 ৳1,638

$19.22 MYR 78.4

-31.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ৳616

$4.21 MYR 17.19

18.53%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 ৳602

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 ৳511

Cappuccino

$2.35 ৳291

$3.15 MYR 12.86

-25.40%

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

$0.33 ৳41.07

$0.95 MYR 3.86

-65.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.62

$0.36 MYR 1.46

-55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MYR 10.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 MYR 18.45

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳105

$1.74 MYR 7.10

-51.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ৳77.9

$1.00 MYR 4.09

-37.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.67 ৳83.1

$1.49 MYR 6.06

-55.03%

Eggs

$1.19 ৳147

$2.16 MYR 8.80

-44.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 ৳1,092

$14.36 MYR 58.6

-38.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ৳408

$4.35 MYR 17.75

-24.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 ৳792

$9.83 MYR 40.10

-34.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ৳340

$3.04 MYR 12.41

-9.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 ৳116

$1.67 MYR 6.83

-43.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳293

$2.48 MYR 10.13

-4.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 ৳79.1

$1.49 MYR 6.10

-57.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.26 ৳32.25

$1.31 MYR 5.32

-80.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

$1.21 MYR 4.94

-59.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ৳37.63

$1.07 MYR 4.37

-71.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.49

$0.57 MYR 2.31

-47.37%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.24 ৳1,512

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.43 ৳671

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 ৳807

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 ৳392

$4.48 MYR 18.30

-29.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.05 MYR 77.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 MYR 12.32

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 MYR 20.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ৳47.44

$0.70 MYR 2.84

-45.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.06 ৳2,849

$12.41 MYR 50.6

85.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ৳145

$1.25 MYR 5.11

-6.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ৳46.99

$0.48 MYR 1.97

-20.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳405

$6.98 MYR 28.49

-53.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ৳137

$0.87 MYR 3.57

27.59%

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

$29.1K ৳3.6M

$50.2K MYR 204.8K

-42.00%

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

$32.9K ৳4.1M

$36.0K MYR 146.9K

-8.59%

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

$46.77 ৳5,779

$49.37 MYR 201

-5.27%

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

$4.51 ৳557

$10.55 MYR 43.02

-57.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.22 ৳1,387

$28.74 MYR 117

-60.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.43 ৳2,031

$43.34 MYR 177

-62.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.87 ৳1,838

$6.82 MYR 27.83

118.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 ৳519

$3.77 MYR 15.39

11.41%

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

$91.6 ৳11.3K

$183 MYR 746

-49.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,596 ৳320.8K

$7,623 MYR 31.1K

-65.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.63 ৳2,055

$58.9 MYR 240

-71.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.80 ৳2,447

$33.06 MYR 135

-40.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.87 ৳5,791

$74.3 MYR 303

-36.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.00 ৳4,572

$88.2 MYR 360

-58.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$148 ৳18.2K

$387 MYR 1,578

-61.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.8 ৳8,743

$253 MYR 1,030

-71.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ৳53.4K

$596 MYR 2,433

-27.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$213 ৳26.3K

$447 MYR 1,823

-52.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,605 ৳198.4K

$1,936 MYR 7,900

-17.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$751 ৳92.8K

$1,216 MYR 4,962

-38.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$245 ৳30.3K

$418 MYR 1,707

-41.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

4.06

162.81%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tawau: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.8%

Tawau

$260 29.2% 111% $136

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$71 16.5%

Tawau

$253 28.4% 257% $182

Eating Out

Dhaka

$65 15.2%

Tawau

$103 11.6% 58.3% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$63 14.6%

Tawau

$89 10% 41.8% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$54 12.6%

Tawau

$114 12.9% 112% $60

Getting Around

Dhaka

$28 6.5%

Tawau

$19 2.1% 31.8% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.8%

Tawau

$51 5.7% 105% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $148 in Dhaka and $387 in Tawau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tawau pays 71% 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 $19.00 in Tawau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $260 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇾 Tawau

🕒 Local time

05:27 5:27 AM

07:27 7:27 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

420,806

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Tawau 3,660 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Tawau

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 Tawau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 71% lower in Tawau. 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: $148 in Dhaka versus $387 in Tawau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $428 per month in Dhaka versus $888 in Tawau – a 107% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 86% less than in Tawau. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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 Tawau 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 107% less than in Tawau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.