Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dili and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,574 in Dili, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Dili
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Dili Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Dili

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,574

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dili and in Dhaka

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dili and in Dhaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,574 in Dili versus $426 in Dhaka.

Dili $1,574
Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,466 in Dili versus $735 in Dhaka.

Dili $2,466
Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,359 in Dili versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

Dili $3,359
Dhaka $1,043

Living in Dili is roughly 269% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dili is 17% above, Dhaka is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.13 $5.13

$2.49 ৳306

106.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.43 $42.43

$13.06 ৳1,605

224.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 $7.91

$4.83 ৳594

63.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$4.18 $4.18

$2.34 ৳287

78.63%

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

$1.63 $1.63

$0.30 ৳37.39

443.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$0.16 ৳19.96

1625.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 $2.57

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 $4.46

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.80 ৳98.1

196.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 $2.52

$0.65 ৳79.3

287.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$0.71 ৳87.3

35.21%

Eggs

$2.68 $2.68

$1.21 ৳149

121.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$8.67 ৳1,065

-76.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$3.21 ৳395

193.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$6.70 ৳823

135.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.73 ৳335

20.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$0.88 ৳109

110.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.37 ৳291

5.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.65 ৳79.6

247.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.24 ৳29.20

416.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$0.49 ৳60.7

134.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 $0.85

$0.32 ৳38.88

165.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.30 ৳37.31

226.67%

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)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.23 ৳396

-4.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 $11.95

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 $2.89

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 $0.24

$0.42 ৳52.1

-42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.78 $29.78

$22.54 ৳2,770

32.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$1.19 ৳147

195.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.58 $3.58

$0.40 ৳48.60

795.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.75 $19.75

$3.35 ৳411

489.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.15 ৳141

25.22%

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

$18.0K $18.0K

$30.3K ৳3.7M

-40.64%

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

$16.7K $16.7K

$33.0K ৳4.1M

-49.38%

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

$152 $152

$46.32 ৳5,692

227.61%

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

$27.49 $27.49

$4.33 ৳532

534.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.46 $49.46

$16.37 ৳2,012

202.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,983

Cinema Ticket

$6.17 $6.17

$4.13 ৳508

49.39%

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

$1,477 $1,477

$90.7 ৳11.1K

1528.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$2,649 ৳325.5K

507.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 $61.0

$16.48 ৳2,025

269.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.46 $30.46

$21.00 ৳2,580

45.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 $79.3

$50.3 ৳6,175

57.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 $60.3

$36.46 ৳4,480

65.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 $831

$152 ৳18.6K

447.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 $759

$73.6 ৳9,044

931.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,739 $2,739

$436 ৳53.6K

528.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,504 $1,504

$214 ৳26.3K

603.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,656 $3,656

$249 ৳30.6K

1368.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

10.48

-48.76%

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

Last update for Dili: October 5, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dili

$759 47.9%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 90.3% $686

Groceries & Markets

Dili

$275 17.3%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 55.4% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dili

$179 * 11.3%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 65.8% $118

Eating Out

Dili

$154 9.7%

Dhaka

$64 15% 58.3% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Dili

$104 6.6%

Dhaka

$56 13% 46.2% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Dili

$62 3.9%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 60.1% $37

Getting Around

Dili

$52 3.3%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 47.4% $25

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 $831 in Dili and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dili pays 1369% 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: $42.00 in Dili vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇱 Dili

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

15:07 3:07 PM

12:07 12:07 PM

3 h behind Dili

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

222,323 Capital

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

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).

BDT to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dili Dhaka 5,250 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dili
Dhaka

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

Dili vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 269% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1369% higher in Dili, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $831 in Dili versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,574 per month in Dili versus $426 in Dhaka – a 269% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 32% less than in Dili. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,574 in Dili, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Dili. 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.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 269% less than in Dili. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.