Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Xining

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $723 in Xining, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Xining
Learn more

Xining Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Xining

🇨🇳 China

$723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Xining

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Dhaka versus $723 in Xining.

Dhaka $426
Xining $723

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Dhaka versus $1,143 in Xining.

Dhaka $735
Xining $1,143

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,043 in Dhaka versus $1,562 in Xining.

Dhaka $1,043
Xining $1,562

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 41% less than in Xining, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Xining 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ৳306

$2.74 ¥18.34

-9.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.06 ৳1,606

$21.93 ¥147

-40.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ৳595

$4.86 ¥32.48

-0.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳607

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳505

Cappuccino

$2.34 ৳287

$2.98 ¥19.94

-21.48%

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

$0.30 ৳37.42

$0.47 ¥3.14

-36.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.98

$0.27 ¥1.79

-40.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ¥5.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.74

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ৳98.2

$1.88 ¥12.56

-57.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ৳79.4

$1.62 ¥10.82

-59.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ৳87.3

$0.90 ¥6.03

-21.11%

Eggs

$1.21 ৳149

$1.54 ¥10.26

-21.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,066

$12.90 ¥86.2

-32.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

$3.13 ¥20.90

2.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳824

$10.17 ¥68.0

-34.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

$1.79 ¥11.97

52.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳109

$1.26 ¥8.44

-30.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳292

$1.48 ¥9.89

60.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.6

$1.11 ¥7.41

-41.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.23

$0.74 ¥4.91

-67.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.7

$0.92 ¥6.12

-46.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.92

$0.57 ¥3.78

-43.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.34

$0.54 ¥3.62

-44.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.07 ৳1,485

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 ৳678

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳820

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ৳397

$3.15 ¥21.03

2.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 ¥69.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ¥10.58

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$0.29 ¥1.95

44.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,772

$17.01 ¥114

32.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.42 ¥9.48

-16.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.64

$0.33 ¥2.19

21.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

$6.59 ¥44.01

-49.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$1.16 ¥7.78

-0.86%

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

$30.3K ৳3.7M

$19.4K ¥129.9K

55.85%

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

$33.0K ৳4.1M

$17.2K ¥114.6K

92.58%

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

$46.32 ৳5,697

$44.99 ¥301

2.96%

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

$4.33 ৳532

$9.74 ¥65.1

-55.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,307

$11.84 ¥79.2

-10.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.37 ৳2,014

$41.53 ¥278

-60.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,985

$14.17 ¥94.7

13.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

$5.81 ¥38.85

-28.92%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$333 ¥2,227

-72.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.8K

$17.1K ¥114.1K

-84.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,026

$44.37 ¥297

-62.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,582

$29.89 ¥200

-29.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,181

$72.9 ¥487

-31.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,484

$72.6 ¥485

-49.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ৳18.7K

$273 ¥1,826

-44.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 ৳9,053

$190 ¥1,270

-61.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.6K

$599 ¥4,005

-27.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ৳26.3K

$353 ¥2,362

-39.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.4K

$3,029 ¥20.2K

-46.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.6K

$2,058 ¥13.8K

-63.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ৳30.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

3.89

169.41%

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

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Xining: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.5%

Xining

$198 27.8% 61.7% $76

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$74 17.1%

Xining

$190 26.7% 158% $116

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15%

Xining

$84 11.8% 30.3% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Xining

$67 9.4% 8.6% $5.3

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$56 13%

Xining

$99 13.9% 76.9% $43

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Xining

$21 3% 22.5% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.7%

Xining

$53 7.5% 116% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Dhaka and $273 in Xining. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $13.00 in Dhaka vs $22.00 in Xining for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $198 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇨🇳 Xining

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

12:16 12:16 PM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

2,333,700

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.13 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.13 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Xining 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Xining

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 Xining: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $639 in Dhaka and $1,085 in Xining 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 $273 in Xining. 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 $723 in Xining – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 33% less than in Xining. 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 Xining 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 70% less than in Xining. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.