Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hat Yai and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $731 in Hat Yai, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Hat Yai
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Hat Yai Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Hat Yai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$731

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $731 in Hat Yai versus $406 in Dhaka.

Hat Yai $731
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,300 in Hat Yai versus $687 in Dhaka.

Hat Yai $1,300
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,870 in Hat Yai versus $969 in Dhaka.

Hat Yai $1,870
Dhaka $969

Living in Hat Yai is roughly 80% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hat Yai 46% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 ฿96.9

$2.28 ৳282

27.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.67 ฿1,460

$12.33 ৳1,523

254.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.66 ฿122

$3.95 ৳488

-7.34%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$2.88 ฿96.3

$2.28 ৳281

26.32%

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

$1.33 ฿44.34

$0.33 ৳40.88

303.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.60

$0.16 ৳19.86

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 ฿60.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ฿116

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.55

$0.85 ৳104

70.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ฿41.68

$0.60 ৳74.5

108.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.28

$0.69 ৳85.4

79.71%

Eggs

$2.51 ฿83.9

$1.23 ৳152

104.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.15 ฿740

$8.80 ৳1,087

151.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.24 ฿74.7

$3.33 ৳412

-32.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 ฿374

$6.63 ৳819

68.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 ฿84.8

$2.85 ৳352

-10.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.10

$0.90 ৳111

53.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ฿63.3

$2.34 ৳289

-19.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ฿60.3

$0.63 ৳78.4

185.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.94

$0.24 ৳29.59

508.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.38

$0.46 ৳57.3

123.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.74

$0.35 ৳42.79

205.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ฿13.57

$0.28 ৳34.24

46.43%

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)

$4.36 ฿146

$3.28 ৳405

32.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 ฿502

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ฿66.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ฿18.98

$0.42 ৳52.3

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 ฿41.71

$1.19 ৳147

5.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ฿37.78

$0.39 ৳48.71

189.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 ฿165

$3.28 ৳406

50.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿43.15

$1.10 ৳136

17.27%

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

$18.9K ฿630.6K

$29.4K ৳3.6M

-35.89%

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

$45.1K ฿1.5M

$32.2K ৳4.0M

40.28%

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

$84.4 ฿2,819

$38.28 ৳4,729

120.38%

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

$11.75 ฿393

$4.09 ৳506

187.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.65 ฿322

$9.02 ৳1,114

6.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.45 ฿1,619

$13.66 ৳1,688

254.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.10 ฿471

$10.21 ৳1,261

38.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 ฿240

$4.11 ৳508

74.94%

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

$562 ฿18.8K

$90.7 ৳11.2K

519.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ฿357.3K

$2,591 ৳320.2K

312.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.54 ฿1,255

$17.06 ৳2,108

120.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.26 ฿878

$21.38 ৳2,641

22.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ฿2,369

$51.4 ৳6,355

37.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 ฿3,250

$36.78 ৳4,545

164.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 ฿9,010

$133 ৳16.4K

102.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 ฿3,576

$65.1 ৳8,041

64.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$377 ৳46.6K

93.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ฿13.3K

$192 ৳23.8K

106.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.0K

$1,621 ৳200.3K

18.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,584 ฿52.9K

$760 ৳93.9K

108.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$452 ฿15.1K

$246 ৳30.4K

83.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

10.48

-39.31%

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

Last update for Hat Yai: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hat Yai

$249 34.1%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 50.4% $126

Accommodation & Living

Hat Yai

$107 14.7%

Dhaka

$65 16% 39.2% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hat Yai

$106 14.5%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 51.4% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Hat Yai

$104 14.3%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 45.4% $47

Eating Out

Hat Yai

$92 12.6%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 35.6% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Hat Yai

$63 8.6%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 65.2% $41

Getting Around

Hat Yai

$9.2 * 1.3%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 198% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $270 in Hat Yai and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hat Yai pays 84% 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: $44.00 in Hat Yai vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Hat Yai

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

04:55 4:55 AM

03:55 3:55 AM

1 h behind Hat Yai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

156,802

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 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 THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hat Yai Dhaka 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hat Yai
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

Hat Yai vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 84% higher in Hat Yai, 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: $270 in Hat Yai versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $562 in Hat Yai versus $90.7 in Dhaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $44.00 in Hat Yai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Safety-wise, Hat Yai 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 80% less than in Hat Yai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.