Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ipoh and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $922 in Ipoh, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Ipoh
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Ipoh Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Ipoh

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$922

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $922 in Ipoh versus $406 in Dhaka.

Ipoh $922
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,372 in Ipoh versus $687 in Dhaka.

Ipoh $1,372
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,821 in Ipoh versus $969 in Dhaka.

Ipoh $1,821
Dhaka $969

Living in Ipoh is roughly 127% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ipoh 32% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.26 MYR 13.29

$2.28 ৳281

42.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.29 MYR 78.7

$12.33 ৳1,518

56.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 MYR 18.38

$3.95 ৳487

14.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳552

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳508

Cappuccino

$2.80 MYR 11.41

$2.28 ৳280

22.81%

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

$0.70 MYR 2.86

$0.33 ৳40.74

112.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MYR 1.81

$0.16 ৳19.80

175.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.34 MYR 17.70

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 MYR 18.42

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 MYR 8.05

$0.85 ৳104

131.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.29

$0.60 ৳74.3

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.56

$0.69 ৳85.1

97.10%

Eggs

$2.21 MYR 9.03

$1.23 ৳152

79.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 MYR 55.7

$8.80 ৳1,084

55.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MYR 18.62

$3.33 ৳411

36.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.64 MYR 31.15

$6.63 ৳816

15.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MYR 12.27

$2.85 ৳351

5.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.21

$0.90 ৳111

96.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MYR 9.05

$2.34 ৳288

-5.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MYR 6.34

$0.63 ৳78.2

147.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.21

$0.24 ৳29.49

433.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.48

$0.46 ৳57.1

191.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.62

$0.35 ৳42.64

222.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.82

$0.28 ৳34.12

60.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.11 ৳1,491

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.31 ৳654

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 ৳791

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MYR 17.63

$3.28 ৳404

31.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.98 MYR 69.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 MYR 14.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 MYR 18.64

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MYR 2.54

$0.42 ৳52.1

47.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.56 MYR 47.14

$22.43 ৳2,762

-48.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.07

$1.19 ৳147

4.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 MYR 5.04

$0.39 ৳48.54

215.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 MYR 20.55

$3.28 ৳404

53.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.11

$1.10 ৳135

-52.73%

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

$41.3K MYR 168.6K

$29.4K ৳3.6M

40.47%

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

$34.7K MYR 141.4K

$32.2K ৳4.0M

7.77%

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

$61.9 MYR 253

$38.28 ৳4,713

61.81%

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

$8.92 MYR 36.37

$4.09 ৳504

118.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.24 MYR 107

$9.02 ৳1,110

190.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.16 MYR 164

$13.66 ৳1,682

194.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.93 MYR 28.25

$10.21 ৳1,257

-32.13%

Cinema Ticket

$3.33 MYR 13.59

$4.11 ৳506

-18.98%

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

$305 MYR 1,242

$90.7 ৳11.2K

235.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MYR 54.2K

$2,591 ৳319.1K

412.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 MYR 251

$17.06 ৳2,100

260.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.00 MYR 147

$21.38 ৳2,632

68.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.8 MYR 252

$51.4 ৳6,333

20.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 MYR 253

$36.78 ৳4,529

68.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 MYR 1,634

$133 ৳16.4K

201.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 MYR 1,217

$65.1 ৳8,014

358.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$679 MYR 2,769

$377 ৳46.5K

79.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 MYR 2,000

$192 ৳23.7K

154.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,059 MYR 8,399

$1,621 ৳199.7K

27.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,093 MYR 4,457

$760 ৳93.6K

43.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$973 MYR 3,968

$246 ৳30.3K

295.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.99

10.48

-61.93%

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

Last update for Ipoh: October 10, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ipoh

$298 32.4%

Dhaka

$65 16% 78.2% $233

Groceries & Markets

Ipoh

$250 27.2%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 50.6% $127

Eating Out

Ipoh

$108 11.8%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 45.2% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Ipoh

$100 10.8%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 42.8% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ipoh

$97 10.5%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 47.1% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Ipoh

$47 5.1%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 53.3% $25

Getting Around

Ipoh

$21 2.3%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 27.1% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Ipoh and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ipoh pays 295% 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: $19.00 in Ipoh vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Ipoh

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

06:17 6:17 AM

04:17 4:17 AM

2 h behind Ipoh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

759,952

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 = 8.12 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.22 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 = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.12 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.22 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ipoh Dhaka 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ipoh
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

Ipoh vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 127% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 295% higher in Ipoh, 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: $401 in Ipoh versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $922 per month in Ipoh versus $406 in Dhaka – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 94% less than in Ipoh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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.

For families, Dhaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ipoh, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ipoh 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 127% less than in Ipoh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.