Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dongguan and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $813 in Dongguan, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Dongguan
Learn more

Dongguan Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

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Dongguan

🇨🇳 China

$813

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dongguan 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 Dongguan and in Dhaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $813 in Dongguan versus $406 in Dhaka.

Dongguan $813
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,291 in Dongguan versus $687 in Dhaka.

Dongguan $1,291
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,768 in Dongguan versus $969 in Dhaka.

Dongguan $1,768
Dhaka $969

Living in Dongguan is roughly 100% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dongguan 40% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.57 ¥17.18

$2.28 ৳281

12.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.04 ¥147

$12.33 ৳1,517

78.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.26 ¥35.16

$3.95 ৳486

33.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳551

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳508

Cappuccino

$2.56 ¥17.14

$2.28 ৳280

12.28%

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

$0.47 ¥3.15

$0.33 ৳40.72

42.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.16 ৳19.78

81.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.80

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥10.69

$0.85 ৳104

88.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ¥10.42

$0.60 ৳74.2

160.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.90

$0.69 ৳85.0

49.28%

Eggs

$1.66 ¥11.12

$1.23 ৳152

34.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.79 ¥139

$8.80 ৳1,083

136.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 ¥22.99

$3.33 ৳410

3.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.23 ¥95.2

$6.63 ৳816

114.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 ¥15.17

$2.85 ৳351

-20.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ¥10.51

$0.90 ৳111

74.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.95

$2.34 ৳288

-17.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$0.63 ৳78.1

125.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.19

$0.24 ৳29.47

350.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.32

$0.46 ৳57.0

169.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.72

$0.35 ৳42.61

60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.68

$0.28 ৳34.09

96.43%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.11 ৳1,490

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.31 ৳653

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 ৳790

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.49 ¥30.04

$3.28 ৳403

36.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.89 ¥79.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.68

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$0.42 ৳52.1

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.79 ¥152

$22.43 ৳2,760

1.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ¥7.91

$1.19 ৳147

-0.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.59

$0.39 ৳48.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 ¥29.14

$3.28 ৳404

32.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.53

$1.10 ৳135

16.36%

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

$19.5K ¥130.7K

$29.4K ৳3.6M

-33.59%

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

$18.6K ¥124.6K

$32.2K ৳4.0M

-42.08%

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

$63.8 ¥426

$38.28 ৳4,710

66.56%

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

$9.24 ¥61.8

$4.09 ৳504

125.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.08 ¥87.5

$9.02 ৳1,110

45.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 ¥341

$13.66 ৳1,681

273.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 ¥107

$10.21 ৳1,256

56.81%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ¥51.3

$4.11 ৳506

86.62%

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

$533 ¥3,566

$90.7 ৳11.2K

487.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.6K

$2,591 ৳318.8K

832.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.76 ¥313

$17.06 ৳2,099

174.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.41 ¥270

$21.38 ৳2,630

89.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.3 ¥490

$51.4 ৳6,329

42.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.10 ¥262

$36.78 ৳4,526

6.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$372 ¥2,490

$133 ৳16.4K

179.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 ¥1,459

$65.1 ৳8,008

235.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 ¥4,427

$377 ৳46.4K

75.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 ¥2,883

$192 ৳23.7K

123.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ¥38.2K

$1,621 ৳199.5K

252.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,066 ¥20.5K

$760 ৳93.5K

303.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$858 ¥5,736

$246 ৳30.3K

248.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

10.48

-68.03%

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

Last update for Dongguan: October 10, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dongguan

$246 30.3%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 49.8% $123

Accommodation & Living

Dongguan

$218 26.8%

Dhaka

$65 16% 70.2% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Dongguan

$90 11%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 36.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dongguan

$86 10.6%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 40.3% $35

Eating Out

Dongguan

$79 9.7%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 25% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Dongguan

$66 8.2%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 67% $45

Getting Around

Dongguan

$27 3.4%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 0.1% $0

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $372 in Dongguan and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dongguan pays 249% 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: $22.00 in Dongguan vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Dongguan

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

13:10 1:10 PM

11:10 11:10 AM

2 h behind Dongguan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,254,100

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.13 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.13 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Dongguan Dhaka 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dongguan
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

Dongguan vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 249% higher in Dongguan, 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: $372 in Dongguan versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $813 per month in Dongguan versus $406 in Dhaka – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 2% less than in Dongguan. 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.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Dongguan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.