Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Handan and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $638 in Handan, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Handan
🇨🇳 China
$638
/mo nomad
Dhaka
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$406
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $638 in Handan versus $406 in Dhaka.

  • Handan $638
  • Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,053 in Handan versus $687 in Dhaka.

  • Handan $1,053
  • Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,468 in Handan versus $969 in Dhaka.

  • Handan $1,468
  • Dhaka $969

Living in Handan is roughly 57% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Handan 53% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Handan
Dhaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.92 ¥12.81
$2.28 ৳282
-15.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.14 ¥121
$12.33 ৳1,523
47.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.56 ¥30.51
$3.95 ৳488
15.44%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.48 ৳554
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.13 ৳510
-
Cappuccino
$2.56 ¥17.14
$2.28 ৳281
12.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39 ¥2.63
$0.33 ৳40.88
18.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.21 ¥1.40
$0.16 ৳19.86
31.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.74 ¥4.94
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 ¥9.89
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Handan
Dhaka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 ¥9.67
$0.85 ৳104
70.59%
White Bread (500g)
$0.78 ¥5.23
$0.60 ৳74.5
30.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.73 ¥4.89
$0.69 ৳85.4
5.80%
Eggs
$0.97 ¥6.49
$1.23 ৳152
-21.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.87 ¥79.3
$8.80 ৳1,087
34.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.92 ¥19.50
$3.33 ৳412
-12.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.03 ¥73.8
$6.63 ৳819
66.37%
Apples (1kg)
$1.44 ¥9.64
$2.85 ৳352
-49.47%
Banana (1kg)
$0.58 ¥3.90
$0.90 ৳111
-35.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.36 ¥9.08
$2.34 ৳289
-41.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.09 ¥7.32
$0.63 ৳78.4
73.02%
Potato (1kg)
$0.29 ¥1.91
$0.24 ৳29.59
20.83%
Onion (1kg)
$0.31 ¥2.08
$0.46 ৳57.3
-32.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.53 ¥3.53
$0.35 ৳42.79
51.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.36 ¥2.39
$0.28 ৳34.24
28.57%
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)
$3.71 ¥24.81
$3.28 ৳405
13.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 ¥66.5
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 ¥4.54
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 ¥9.12
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Handan
Dhaka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 ¥2.08
$0.42 ৳52.3
-26.19%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$17.97 ¥120
$22.43 ৳2,772
-19.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.86 ¥5.75
$1.19 ৳147
-27.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.25 ¥1.67
$0.39 ৳48.71
-35.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.50 ¥30.08
$3.28 ৳406
37.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 ¥8.80
$1.10 ৳136
20.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.2K ¥128.7K
$29.4K ৳3.6M
-34.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.2K ¥101.7K
$32.2K ৳4.0M
-52.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Handan
Dhaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$71.1 ¥475
$38.28 ৳4,729
85.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.35 ¥29.10
$4.09 ৳506
6.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$4.97 ¥33.26
$9.02 ৳1,114
-44.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Handan
Dhaka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.70 ¥279
$13.66 ৳1,688
205.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.39 ¥89.6
$10.21 ৳1,261
31.15%
Cinema Ticket
$4.37 ¥29.24
$4.11 ৳508
6.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Handan
Dhaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$215 ¥1,439
$90.7 ৳11.2K
137.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.6K ¥131.3K
$2,591 ৳320.2K
657.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Handan
Dhaka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$29.42 ¥197
$17.06 ৳2,108
72.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.23 ¥289
$21.38 ৳2,641
102.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$44.86 ¥300
$51.4 ৳6,355
-12.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.3 ¥463
$36.78 ৳4,545
88.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Handan
Dhaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$337 ¥2,254
$133 ৳16.4K
153.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$165 ¥1,105
$65.1 ৳8,041
154.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$625 ¥4,181
$377 ৳46.6K
65.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$427 ¥2,857
$192 ৳23.8K
121.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,556 ¥23.8K
$1,621 ৳200.3K
119.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,875 ¥12.5K
$760 ৳93.9K
146.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Handan
Dhaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$656 ¥4,389
$246 ৳30.4K
166.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3
10.48
-71.37%

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

Last update for Handan: October 13, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Handan
$168
Dhaka
$124 26.3% $44
Accommodation & Living
Handan
$165
Dhaka
$65 60.6% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Handan
$84
Dhaka
$57 32.2% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Handan
$80
Dhaka
$51 36.1% $29
Eating Out
Handan
$69
Dhaka
$59 13.7% $9.4
Sport & Entertainment
Handan
$50
Dhaka
$22 56.6% $29
Getting Around
Handan
$21
Dhaka
$27 28% $6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $337 in Handan and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Handan pays 167% 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: $18.00 in Handan vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $168 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Handan
🇧🇩 Dhaka
🕒 Local time
22:16 10:16 PM
20:16 8:16 PM
2 h behind Handan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,413,990
21,741,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Handan Dhaka 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Handan
  • 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
Handan vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dhaka cheaper than Handan?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Handan or Dhaka?
Average pay runs 167% higher in Handan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Handan and Dhaka?
Rent for a central apartment: $337 in Handan versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Handan and in Dhaka?
All in, you'll spend $638 per month in Handan versus $406 in Dhaka – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 25% less than in Handan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 enough for either Handan or Dhaka?
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.
Is it better to live in Handan or in Dhaka?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Handan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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