Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $428 a month against $2,883 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $29,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,883

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,883 in Dubai versus $428 in Dhaka.

Dubai $2,883
Dhaka $428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,403 in Dubai versus $724 in Dhaka.

Dubai $4,403
Dhaka $724

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,923 in Dubai versus $1,019 in Dhaka.

Dubai $5,923
Dhaka $1,019

Living in Dubai is roughly 573% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 113% above, Dhaka is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.99 AED 47.72

$2.50 ৳309

419.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 AED 301

$13.26 ৳1,638

517.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.64 AED 35.40

$4.99 ৳616

93.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 ৳602

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 ৳511

Cappuccino

$6.09 AED 22.38

$2.35 ৳291

159.15%

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

$1.61 AED 5.93

$0.33 ৳41.07

387.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 AED 2.76

$0.16 ৳19.62

368.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.79 AED 50.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.41 AED 49.25

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 AED 6.83

$0.85 ৳105

118.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 AED 5.62

$0.63 ৳77.9

142.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 AED 9.38

$0.67 ৳83.1

280.60%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.06

$1.19 ৳147

175.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 AED 44.57

$8.83 ৳1,092

37.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.15 AED 33.62

$3.30 ৳408

177.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 AED 47.00

$6.41 ৳792

99.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 AED 9.39

$2.75 ৳340

-6.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.03

$0.94 ৳116

103.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 AED 6.69

$2.37 ৳293

-23.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 AED 5.26

$0.64 ৳79.1

123.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 AED 4.04

$0.26 ৳32.25

323.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 AED 3.40

$0.49 ৳60.6

87.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 AED 5.58

$0.30 ৳37.63

406.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 AED 2.54

$0.30 ৳37.49

130.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.24 ৳1,512

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.43 ৳671

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 ৳807

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 AED 23.55

$3.17 ৳392

102.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.52 AED 60.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 AED 9.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 AED 5.82

$0.38 ৳47.44

315.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.9 AED 279

$23.06 ৳2,849

229.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 AED 11.72

$1.17 ৳145

172.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.62

$0.38 ৳46.99

86.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 AED 30.13

$3.28 ৳405

150.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 AED 3.73

$1.11 ৳137

-9.01%

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

$26.1K AED 96.0K

$29.1K ৳3.6M

-10.21%

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

$21.8K AED 80.2K

$32.9K ৳4.1M

-33.64%

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

$245 AED 900

$46.77 ৳5,779

423.95%

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

$57.5 AED 211

$4.51 ৳557

1175.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.3 AED 335

$11.22 ৳1,387

713.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 AED 385

$16.43 ৳2,031

537.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.58 AED 171

$14.87 ৳1,838

213.25%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 AED 58.9

$4.20 ৳519

281.90%

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

$873 AED 3,206

$91.6 ৳11.3K

853.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K AED 66.2K

$2,596 ৳320.8K

594.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 AED 260

$16.63 ৳2,055

325.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 AED 229

$19.80 ৳2,447

214.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 AED 390

$46.87 ৳5,791

126.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 AED 376

$37.00 ৳4,572

176.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 AED 9,014

$148 ৳18.2K

1562.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 AED 5,545

$70.8 ৳8,743

2033.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,640 AED 17.0K

$432 ৳53.4K

972.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,961 AED 10.9K

$213 ৳26.3K

1292.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,219 AED 26.5K

$1,605 ৳198.4K

349.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,232 AED 15.5K

$751 ৳92.8K

463.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,584 AED 13.2K

$245 ৳30.3K

1363.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

10.67

-57.45%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.4%

Dhaka

$71 16.5% 95.3% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.7%

Dhaka

$63 14.6% 84.1% $331

Eating Out

Dubai

$311 10.8%

Dhaka

$65 15.2% 79.1% $246

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$288 10%

Dhaka

$123 28.8% 57.2% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$154 5.3%

Dhaka

$54 12.6% 64.8% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$137 4.8%

Dhaka

$25 5.8% 81.9% $112

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Dhaka

$28 6.5% 68.9% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,454 in Dubai and $148 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 1364% 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: $82.0 in Dubai vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

05:19 5:19 AM

07:19 7:19 AM

2 h ahead of Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Dhaka 3,560 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
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

Dubai vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 573% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1364% higher in Dubai, 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: $2,454 in Dubai versus $148 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,883 per month in Dubai versus $428 in Dhaka – a 573% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 229% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $428 in Dhaka versus $2,883 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Dubai. 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 Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Dhaka 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 573% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.