Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilsan and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $1,444 in Ilsan, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Ilsan
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Ilsan Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Ilsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,444

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,444 in Ilsan versus $406 in Dhaka.

Ilsan $1,444
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ilsan versus $687 in Dhaka.

Ilsan $2,297
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,151 in Ilsan versus $969 in Dhaka.

Ilsan $3,151
Dhaka $969

Living in Ilsan is roughly 256% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ilsan is 7% above, Dhaka is 70% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 ₩9,705

$2.28 ৳282

220.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 ₩89.6K

$12.33 ৳1,523

446.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 ₩9,763

$3.95 ৳488

85.82%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$4.01 ₩5,337

$2.28 ৳281

75.88%

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

$1.61 ₩2,139

$0.33 ৳40.88

387.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₩1,017

$0.16 ৳19.86

381.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.79 ₩5,034

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 ₩8,070

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ₩2,764

$0.85 ৳104

144.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₩4,198

$0.60 ৳74.5

426.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ₩2,971

$0.69 ৳85.4

223.19%

Eggs

$3.36 ₩4,466

$1.23 ৳152

173.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.36 ₩20.4K

$8.80 ৳1,087

74.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 ₩10.6K

$3.33 ৳412

138.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.21 ₩14.9K

$6.63 ৳819

69.08%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,860

$2.85 ৳352

160.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 ₩4,324

$0.90 ৳111

261.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.75 ₩7,649

$2.34 ৳289

145.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.08 ₩8,087

$0.63 ৳78.4

865.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.51 ₩4,666

$0.24 ৳29.59

1362.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 ₩3,152

$0.46 ৳57.3

415.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 ₩2,657

$0.35 ৳42.79

471.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,520

$0.28 ৳34.24

307.14%

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)

$3.41 ₩4,535

$3.28 ৳405

3.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.73 ₩24.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 ₩2,960

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ₩4,449

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,462

$0.42 ৳52.3

161.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.42 ₩65.7K

$22.43 ৳2,772

120.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 ₩4,834

$1.19 ৳147

205.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩833

$0.39 ৳48.71

61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.18 ₩12.2K

$3.28 ৳406

179.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,883

$1.10 ৳136

29.09%

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

$29.3K ₩39.0M

$29.4K ৳3.6M

-0.39%

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

$28.3K ₩37.6M

$32.2K ৳4.0M

-12.11%

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

$213 ₩283.4K

$38.28 ৳4,729

456.82%

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

$34.95 ₩46.5K

$4.09 ৳506

754.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ₩27.3K

$9.02 ৳1,114

127.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 ₩69.2K

$13.66 ৳1,688

280.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₩15.7K

$10.21 ৳1,261

15.77%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 ₩15.0K

$4.11 ৳508

174.94%

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

$520 ₩691.8K

$90.7 ৳11.2K

473.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K ₩23.4M

$2,591 ৳320.2K

578.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$17.06 ৳2,108

234.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.76 ₩43.6K

$21.38 ৳2,641

53.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 ₩93.0K

$51.4 ৳6,355

35.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ₩110.3K

$36.78 ৳4,545

125.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ₩640.8K

$133 ৳16.4K

262.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 ₩485.2K

$65.1 ৳8,041

460.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 ₩1.6M

$377 ৳46.6K

209.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 ₩981.9K

$192 ৳23.8K

283.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,213 ₩9.6M

$1,621 ৳200.3K

344.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,518 ₩7.3M

$760 ৳93.9K

626.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,453 ₩4.6M

$246 ৳30.4K

1303.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

10.48

-60.88%

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

Last update for Ilsan: 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

Ilsan

$396 27.5%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 68.8% $273

Accommodation & Living

Ilsan

$365 25.3%

Dhaka

$65 16% 82.2% $300

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilsan

$269 18.6%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 80.9% $217

Eating Out

Ilsan

$169 11.7%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 64.9% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Ilsan

$109 7.6%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 47.8% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Ilsan

$75 5.2%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 70.7% $53

Getting Around

Ilsan

$61 4.2%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 55% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Ilsan and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilsan pays 1303% 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: $67.0 in Ilsan vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Ilsan

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

08:18 8:18 AM

05:18 5:18 AM

3 h behind Ilsan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,061,752

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

Ilsan Dhaka 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ilsan
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

Ilsan vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 256% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1303% higher in Ilsan, 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: $482 in Ilsan versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,444 per month in Ilsan versus $406 in Dhaka – a 256% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 120% less than in Ilsan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $406 in Dhaka versus $1,444 in Ilsan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Ilsan. 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, Ilsan 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 256% less than in Ilsan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.