Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gwangju and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $1,329 in Gwangju, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Gwangju
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Gwangju Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Gwangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,329

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,329 in Gwangju versus $406 in Dhaka.

Gwangju $1,329
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,038 in Gwangju versus $687 in Dhaka.

Gwangju $2,038
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,747 in Gwangju versus $969 in Dhaka.

Gwangju $2,747
Dhaka $969

Living in Gwangju is roughly 228% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gwangju 2% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.98 ₩7,948

$2.28 ৳282

162.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.07 ₩45.3K

$12.33 ৳1,523

176.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 ₩8,131

$3.95 ৳488

54.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₩4,317

$2.28 ৳281

42.54%

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

$1.60 ₩2,127

$0.33 ৳40.88

384.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₩837

$0.16 ৳19.86

293.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ₩3,297

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₩6,008

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ₩2,269

$0.85 ৳104

101.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 ₩3,153

$0.60 ৳74.5

295.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 ₩3,009

$0.69 ৳85.4

227.54%

Eggs

$2.74 ₩3,639

$1.23 ৳152

122.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 ₩11.8K

$8.80 ৳1,087

0.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 ₩10.6K

$3.33 ৳412

139.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.26 ₩15.0K

$6.63 ৳819

69.83%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 ₩6,854

$2.85 ৳352

80.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 ₩4,037

$0.90 ৳111

237.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,002

$2.34 ৳289

60.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 ₩4,037

$0.63 ৳78.4

382.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 ₩4,747

$0.24 ৳29.59

1387.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 ₩2,515

$0.46 ৳57.3

310.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 ₩2,663

$0.35 ৳42.79

471.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₩1,791

$0.28 ৳34.24

382.14%

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)

$3.45 ₩4,584

$3.28 ৳405

5.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 ₩14.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₩1,935

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ₩3,024

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 ₩1,410

$0.42 ৳52.3

152.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.2 ₩90.6K

$22.43 ৳2,772

203.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 ₩4,223

$1.19 ৳147

167.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₩821

$0.39 ৳48.71

58.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 ₩10.4K

$3.28 ৳406

137.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₩1,616

$1.10 ৳136

10.91%

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

$28.0K ₩37.3M

$29.4K ৳3.6M

-4.75%

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

$35.3K ₩46.9M

$32.2K ৳4.0M

9.74%

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

$210 ₩279.5K

$38.28 ৳4,729

449.22%

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

$43.76 ₩58.2K

$4.09 ৳506

969.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.2K

$9.02 ৳1,114

134.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 ₩68.7K

$13.66 ৳1,688

278.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.71 ₩15.6K

$10.21 ৳1,261

14.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.25 ₩15.0K

$4.11 ৳508

173.72%

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

$300 ₩399.0K

$90.7 ৳11.2K

230.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ₩23.8M

$2,591 ৳320.2K

592.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.74 ₩42.2K

$17.06 ৳2,108

86.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.01 ₩34.6K

$21.38 ৳2,641

21.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.6 ₩84.5K

$51.4 ৳6,355

23.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ₩117.8K

$36.78 ৳4,545

140.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₩657.9K

$133 ৳16.4K

271.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ₩482.7K

$65.1 ৳8,041

457.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 ₩1.5M

$377 ৳46.6K

208.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 ₩992.8K

$192 ৳23.8K

287.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,812 ₩10.4M

$1,621 ৳200.3K

381.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,383 ₩8.5M

$760 ৳93.9K

739.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,883 ₩3.8M

$246 ৳30.4K

1071.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

10.48

-65.65%

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

Last update for Gwangju: 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

Gwangju

$363 27.3%

Dhaka

$65 16% 82.1% $298

Groceries & Markets

Gwangju

$308 23.2%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 59.8% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gwangju

$275 20.7%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 81.3% $224

Eating Out

Gwangju

$135 10.2%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 56.2% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Gwangju

$94 7.1%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 39.7% $37

Getting Around

Gwangju

$79 5.9%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 65.3% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Gwangju

$74 5.6%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 70.5% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Gwangju and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gwangju pays 1071% 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: $34.00 in Gwangju vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gwangju

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

07:30 7:30 AM

04:30 4:30 AM

3 h behind Gwangju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,467,996

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Gwangju Dhaka 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Gwangju
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

Gwangju vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 228% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1071% higher in Gwangju, 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: $495 in Gwangju versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,329 per month in Gwangju versus $406 in Dhaka – a 228% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 204% less than in Gwangju. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $406 in Dhaka versus $1,329 in Gwangju, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Gwangju. 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.

Safety-wise, Gwangju 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 228% less than in Gwangju. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.