Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between George Town and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $956 in George Town, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in George Town
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George Town Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

Jump to prices

George Town

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$956

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $956 in George Town versus $406 in Dhaka.

George Town $956
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in George Town versus $687 in Dhaka.

George Town $1,599
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,243 in George Town versus $969 in Dhaka.

George Town $2,243
Dhaka $969

Living in George Town is roughly 136% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: George Town 29% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.41 MYR 13.92

$2.28 ৳282

49.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.33 MYR 62.5

$12.33 ৳1,523

24.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 MYR 18.58

$3.95 ৳488

15.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$2.61 MYR 10.66

$2.28 ৳281

14.47%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.16

$0.33 ৳40.88

136.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 MYR 1.43

$0.16 ৳19.86

118.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 MYR 9.88

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MYR 18.21

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.56

$0.85 ৳104

117.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$0.60 ৳74.5

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.85

$0.69 ৳85.4

143.48%

Eggs

$2.21 MYR 9.03

$1.23 ৳152

79.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 MYR 55.7

$8.80 ৳1,087

55.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 MYR 18.38

$3.33 ৳412

35.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.49 MYR 34.62

$6.63 ৳819

28.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 MYR 9.89

$2.85 ৳352

-14.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.84

$0.90 ৳111

58.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 MYR 9.12

$2.34 ৳289

-4.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$0.63 ৳78.4

88.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 MYR 3.77

$0.24 ৳29.59

287.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 MYR 3.45

$0.46 ৳57.3

84.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$0.35 ৳42.79

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.31

$0.28 ৳34.24

103.57%

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)

$4.42 MYR 18.03

$3.28 ৳405

34.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 MYR 76.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 MYR 9.89

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MYR 14.65

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MYR 1.91

$0.42 ৳52.3

11.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.84 MYR 44.24

$22.43 ৳2,772

-51.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.08

$1.19 ৳147

4.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$0.39 ৳48.71

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 MYR 28.03

$3.28 ৳406

109.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 MYR 3.43

$1.10 ৳136

-23.64%

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

$42.3K MYR 172.6K

$29.4K ৳3.6M

43.79%

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

$28.7K MYR 117.0K

$32.2K ৳4.0M

-10.80%

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

$36.87 MYR 150

$38.28 ৳4,729

-3.68%

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

$8.21 MYR 33.51

$4.09 ৳506

100.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.51 MYR 116

$9.02 ৳1,114

216.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 MYR 164

$13.66 ৳1,688

194.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.04 MYR 20.55

$10.21 ৳1,261

-50.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MYR 19.43

$4.11 ৳508

15.82%

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

$173 MYR 705

$90.7 ৳11.2K

90.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,848 MYR 19.8K

$2,591 ৳320.2K

87.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 MYR 216

$17.06 ৳2,108

211.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.45 MYR 141

$21.38 ৳2,641

61.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 MYR 304

$51.4 ৳6,355

44.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 MYR 285

$36.78 ৳4,545

89.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MYR 2,059

$133 ৳16.4K

279.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MYR 1,524

$65.1 ৳8,041

474.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 MYR 3,804

$377 ৳46.6K

147.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 MYR 4,046

$192 ৳23.8K

415.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,094 MYR 4,462

$246 ৳30.4K

344.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

10.48

-61.45%

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

Last update for George Town: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

George Town

$374 39.1%

Dhaka

$65 16% 82.6% $309

Groceries & Markets

George Town

$240 25.1%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 48.5% $116

Clothing & Footwear

George Town

$104 10.9%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 45.4% $47

Eating Out

George Town

$98 10.2%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 39.3% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

George Town

$74 7.7%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 30.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

George Town

$50 5.2%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 56% $28

Getting Around

George Town

$17 1.7%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 65.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in George Town and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 344% 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: $15.00 in George Town vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 George Town

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

00:44 12:44 AM

22:44 10:44 PM

2 h behind George Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

794,313

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

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).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

George Town Dhaka 2,300 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

George Town
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

George Town vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 136% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 344% higher in George Town, 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: $505 in George Town versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $956 per month in George Town versus $406 in Dhaka – a 136% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 107% less than in George Town. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $406 in Dhaka versus $956 in George Town, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in George Town. 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 George Town, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, George Town 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 136% less than in George Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.