Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johor Bahru and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $1,056 in Johor Bahru, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Johor Bahru
Learn more

Johor Bahru Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

Jump to prices

Johor Bahru

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,056 in Johor Bahru versus $406 in Dhaka.

Johor Bahru $1,056
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,551 in Johor Bahru versus $687 in Dhaka.

Johor Bahru $1,551
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,046 in Johor Bahru versus $969 in Dhaka.

Johor Bahru $2,046
Dhaka $969

Living in Johor Bahru is roughly 160% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Johor Bahru 22% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 MYR 14.53

$2.28 ৳282

56.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.68 MYR 76.2

$12.33 ৳1,523

51.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.93 MYR 20.11

$3.95 ৳488

24.81%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$2.86 MYR 11.67

$2.28 ৳281

25.44%

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

$0.84 MYR 3.45

$0.33 ৳40.88

154.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.25

$0.16 ৳19.86

243.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.54 MYR 18.52

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 MYR 25.31

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MYR 6.79

$0.85 ৳104

95.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 MYR 4.52

$0.60 ৳74.5

85.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.13

$0.69 ৳85.4

117.39%

Eggs

$1.72 MYR 7.00

$1.23 ৳152

39.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.86 MYR 72.9

$8.80 ৳1,087

102.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MYR 18.58

$3.33 ৳412

36.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.49 MYR 42.80

$6.63 ৳819

58.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 MYR 13.28

$2.85 ৳352

14.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.94

$0.90 ৳111

88.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 MYR 15.96

$2.34 ৳289

67.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.86

$0.63 ৳78.4

166.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.00

$0.24 ৳29.59

512.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.74

$0.46 ৳57.3

258.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 MYR 5.37

$0.35 ৳42.79

277.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.24

$0.28 ৳34.24

96.43%

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)

$4.17 MYR 17.01

$3.28 ৳405

27.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.98 MYR 57.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 MYR 11.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MYR 12.68

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MYR 2.90

$0.42 ৳52.3

69.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.11 MYR 49.42

$22.43 ৳2,772

-46.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MYR 3.90

$1.19 ৳147

-19.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 MYR 2.85

$0.39 ৳48.71

79.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.50 MYR 38.75

$3.28 ৳406

189.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 MYR 3.40

$1.10 ৳136

-24.55%

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

$41.1K MYR 167.8K

$29.4K ৳3.6M

39.72%

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

$36.1K MYR 147.2K

$32.2K ৳4.0M

12.21%

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

$53.0 MYR 216

$38.28 ৳4,729

38.53%

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

$10.99 MYR 44.84

$4.09 ৳506

168.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.42 MYR 116

$9.02 ৳1,114

215.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 MYR 161

$13.66 ৳1,688

188.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.63 MYR 22.97

$10.21 ৳1,261

-44.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MYR 20.08

$4.11 ৳508

19.71%

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

$161 MYR 658

$90.7 ৳11.2K

77.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,478 MYR 18.3K

$2,591 ৳320.2K

72.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 MYR 221

$17.06 ৳2,108

217.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.54 MYR 67.5

$21.38 ৳2,641

-22.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 MYR 332

$51.4 ৳6,355

58.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 MYR 397

$36.78 ৳4,545

164.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 MYR 2,109

$133 ৳16.4K

288.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 MYR 1,620

$65.1 ৳8,041

510.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 MYR 3,673

$377 ৳46.6K

138.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 MYR 2,548

$192 ৳23.8K

224.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,019 MYR 8,238

$1,621 ৳200.3K

24.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,167 MYR 4,759

$760 ৳93.9K

53.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,060 MYR 4,325

$246 ৳30.4K

330.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

10.48

-61.26%

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

Last update for Johor Bahru: October 13, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Johor Bahru

$397 37.6%

Dhaka

$65 16% 83.6% $332

Groceries & Markets

Johor Bahru

$267 25.3%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 53.7% $143

Eating Out

Johor Bahru

$118 11.2%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 49.8% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Johor Bahru

$112 10.6%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 49.3% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johor Bahru

$92 8.8%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 44.4% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Johor Bahru

$49 4.7%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 55.6% $27

Getting Around

Johor Bahru

$19 1.8%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 40.7% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $517 in Johor Bahru and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johor Bahru pays 331% 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 Johor Bahru vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Johor Bahru

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

09:43 9:43 AM

07:43 7:43 AM

2 h behind Johor Bahru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

858,118

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 = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Johor Bahru Dhaka 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Johor Bahru
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

Johor Bahru vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 160% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 331% higher in Johor Bahru, 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: $517 in Johor Bahru versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,056 per month in Johor Bahru versus $406 in Dhaka – a 160% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 85% less than in Johor Bahru. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $406 in Dhaka versus $1,056 in Johor Bahru, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Johor Bahru. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Johor Bahru 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 160% less than in Johor Bahru. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.