Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,635 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Tokyo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Dhaka versus $1,635 in Tokyo.

Dhaka $426
Tokyo $1,635

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Dhaka versus $2,608 in Tokyo.

Dhaka $735
Tokyo $2,608

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,043 in Dhaka versus $3,581 in Tokyo.

Dhaka $1,043
Tokyo $3,581

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 74% less than in Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dhaka is 68% below, Tokyo is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ৳306

$7.64 ¥1,207

-67.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.06 ৳1,605

$38.51 ¥6,087

-66.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ৳594

$5.05 ¥799

-4.36%

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

$3.61 ¥570

-35.18%

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

$0.30 ৳37.39

$1.62 ¥257

-81.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.96

$0.86 ¥135

-81.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 ¥583

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 ¥834

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ৳98.1

$1.53 ¥242

-47.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ৳79.3

$1.76 ¥278

-63.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ৳87.3

$5.59 ¥883

-87.30%

Eggs

$1.21 ৳149

$2.24 ¥354

-45.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

$10.65 ¥1,684

-18.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

$6.60 ¥1,043

-51.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳823

$16.74 ¥2,646

-59.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

$4.86 ¥768

-43.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳109

$2.35 ¥371

-62.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

$4.33 ¥684

-45.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.6

$5.28 ¥835

-87.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.20

$3.41 ¥539

-92.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.7

$3.19 ¥504

-84.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.88

$1.18 ¥187

-72.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.31

$0.83 ¥131

-63.86%

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

$3.84 ¥607

-15.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 ¥1,466

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥259

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ¥434

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$1.29 ¥204

-67.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,770

$62.1 ¥9,819

-63.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$3.08 ¥487

-61.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.60

$3.21 ¥507

-87.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

$18.41 ¥2,909

-81.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$1.07 ¥169

7.48%

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

$30.3K ৳3.7M

$22.2K ¥3.5M

36.64%

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

$33.0K ৳4.1M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

116.06%

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

$46.32 ৳5,692

$148 ¥23.3K

-68.62%

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

$4.33 ৳532

$21.97 ¥3,472

-80.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

$30.43 ¥4,810

-65.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.37 ৳2,012

$65.1 ¥10.3K

-74.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,983

$25.55 ¥4,039

-36.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

$12.87 ¥2,034

-67.91%

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

$90.7 ৳11.1K

$1,360 ¥215.0K

-93.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.5K

$18.3K ¥2.9M

-85.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,025

$56.5 ¥8,932

-70.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,580

$33.16 ¥5,241

-36.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,175

$64.4 ¥10.2K

-21.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,480

$71.8 ¥11.3K

-49.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ৳18.6K

$1,275 ¥201.5K

-88.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 ৳9,044

$702 ¥111.0K

-89.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.6K

$2,565 ¥405.5K

-83.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ৳26.3K

$1,480 ¥234.0K

-85.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.3K

$9,152 ¥1.4M

-82.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

$4,191 ¥662.4K

-81.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ৳30.6K

$2,998 ¥473.8K

-91.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

2.25

365.78%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.5%

Tokyo

$325 19.5% 165% $202

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$74 17.1%

Tokyo

$702 42.2% 854% $629

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15%

Tokyo

$158 9.5% 147% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Tokyo

$200 12% 226% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$56 13%

Tokyo

$102 6.1% 81.9% $46

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Tokyo

$86 5.2% 215% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.7%

Tokyo

$91 5.5% 269% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Dhaka and $1,275 in Tokyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 1104% 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 $39.00 in Tokyo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $325 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

09:41 9:41 AM

12:41 12:41 PM

3 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

13,613,660 Capital

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, 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).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

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Between locations

Dhaka Tokyo 4,900 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
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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 Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 284% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1104% lower in Tokyo. 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 $1,275 in Tokyo. 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 $1,635 in Tokyo – a 284% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 176% less than in Tokyo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,635 in Tokyo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dhaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tokyo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Tokyo 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 284% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.