Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Ulsan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $1,339 in Ulsan, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Ulsan
Learn more

Ulsan Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Ulsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Ulsan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $1,339 in Ulsan.

Dhaka $406
Ulsan $1,339

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $2,185 in Ulsan.

Dhaka $687
Ulsan $2,185

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $3,030 in Ulsan.

Dhaka $969
Ulsan $3,030

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 70% less than in Ulsan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Ulsan 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$7.62 ₩10.1K

-70.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$44.63 ₩59.3K

-72.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$5.93 ₩7,882

-33.39%

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

$3.32 ₩4,410

-31.33%

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

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.88 ₩1,175

-62.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.47 ₩619

-65.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 ₩4,006

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 ₩5,826

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$2.36 ₩3,139

-63.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$3.25 ₩4,315

-81.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$3.16 ₩4,207

-78.16%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$2.73 ₩3,634

-54.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$10.88 ₩14.5K

-19.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$10.63 ₩14.1K

-68.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$24.54 ₩32.6K

-72.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$11.39 ₩15.1K

-74.98%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$3.74 ₩4,975

-75.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$8.09 ₩10.8K

-71.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$6.05 ₩8,048

-89.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$6.01 ₩7,992

-96.01%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$3.26 ₩4,328

-85.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$2.89 ₩3,844

-87.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$1.28 ₩1,707

-78.13%

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

$3.12 ₩4,154

5.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.52 ₩24.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 ₩3,264

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 ₩4,577

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$1.14 ₩1,511

-63.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$2.89 ₩3,849

-58.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.78 ₩1,040

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$16.96 ₩22.6K

-80.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$1.43 ₩1,899

-23.08%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$30.0K ₩39.9M

-1.95%

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$34.1K ₩45.4M

-5.78%

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

$38.28 ৳4,729

$197 ₩261.8K

-80.56%

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

$4.09 ৳506

$37.06 ₩49.3K

-88.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$27.21 ₩36.2K

-66.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$60.4 ₩80.3K

-77.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$10.30 ₩13.7K

-60.10%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$263 ₩349.3K

-65.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$22.0K ₩29.3M

-88.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$51.5 ₩68.5K

-66.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$45.56 ₩60.6K

-53.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$61.0 ₩81.2K

-15.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$75.0 ₩99.7K

-50.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$373 ₩495.3K

-64.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$244 ₩324.7K

-73.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$761 ₩1.0M

-50.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$648 ₩861.8K

-70.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$4,483 ₩6.0M

-63.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$2,479 ₩3.3M

-69.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$2,331 ₩3.1M

-89.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

4.22

148.34%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ulsan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Ulsan

$489 36.5% 295% $365

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Ulsan

$244 18.2% 275% $179

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Ulsan

$148 11% 149% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Ulsan

$105 7.8% 84.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Ulsan

$261 19.5% 408% $210

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Ulsan

$11 * 0.9% 58.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Ulsan

$81 6.1% 270% $59

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 $373 in Ulsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulsan pays 847% 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: $12.00 in Dhaka vs $45.00 in Ulsan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $489 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇰🇷 Ulsan

🕒 Local time

03:00 3:00 AM

06:00 6:00 AM

3 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

1,129,827

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Ulsan 3,950 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Ulsan

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 Ulsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 230% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 847% lower in Ulsan. 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: $133 in Dhaka versus $373 in Ulsan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $90.7 in Dhaka versus $263 in Ulsan. 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 $12.00 versus $45.00 in Ulsan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $406 in Dhaka versus $1,339 in Ulsan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Ulsan. 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 Ulsan 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 230% less than in Ulsan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.