Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,108 in Kaohsiung, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Kaohsiung
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Kaohsiung Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

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Kaohsiung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,108

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,108 in Kaohsiung versus $426 in Dhaka.

Kaohsiung $1,108
Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,821 in Kaohsiung versus $735 in Dhaka.

Kaohsiung $1,821
Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,535 in Kaohsiung versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

Kaohsiung $2,535
Dhaka $1,043

Living in Kaohsiung 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: Kaohsiung 17% lower, Dhaka 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 NT$174

$2.49 ৳305

119.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.96 NT$1,020

$13.06 ৳1,604

144.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.87 NT$155

$4.83 ৳594

0.83%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.83 NT$90.4

$2.34 ৳287

20.94%

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

$1.14 NT$36.40

$0.30 ৳37.38

280.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$22.76

$0.16 ৳19.96

343.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 NT$48.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$81.5

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 NT$104

$0.80 ৳98.1

306.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 NT$69.7

$0.65 ৳79.3

236.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 NT$98.1

$0.71 ৳87.2

332.39%

Eggs

$2.67 NT$85.2

$1.21 ৳149

120.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 NT$515

$8.67 ৳1,065

86.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 NT$258

$3.21 ৳395

151.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.24 NT$486

$6.70 ৳823

127.46%

Apples (1kg)

$6.80 NT$217

$2.73 ৳335

149.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 NT$90.1

$0.88 ৳108

220.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 NT$82.0

$2.37 ৳291

8.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 NT$98.4

$0.65 ৳79.5

373.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 NT$90.7

$0.24 ৳29.19

1083.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 NT$65.8

$0.49 ৳60.6

320.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 NT$78.2

$0.32 ৳38.87

665.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 NT$33.18

$0.30 ৳37.30

246.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.07 ৳1,483

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 ৳677

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳818

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 NT$145

$3.23 ৳396

40.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 NT$502

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$53.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 NT$71.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 NT$21.68

$0.42 ৳52.1

61.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.67 NT$404

$22.54 ৳2,769

-43.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 NT$88.0

$1.19 ৳147

131.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 NT$23.98

$0.40 ৳48.58

87.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 NT$176

$3.35 ৳411

64.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.50

$1.15 ৳141

-11.30%

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

$33.6K NT$1.1M

$30.3K ৳3.7M

11.06%

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

$23.0K NT$735.3K

$33.0K ৳4.1M

-30.24%

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

$84.8 NT$2,705

$46.32 ৳5,690

83.03%

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

$17.34 NT$553

$4.33 ৳531

300.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.77 NT$822

$10.63 ৳1,306

142.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.21 NT$1,315

$16.37 ৳2,011

151.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.41 NT$332

$16.14 ৳1,982

-35.50%

Cinema Ticket

$10.96 NT$350

$4.13 ৳508

165.38%

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

$462 NT$14.7K

$90.7 ৳11.1K

409.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K NT$449.2K

$2,649 ৳325.4K

431.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 NT$2,982

$16.48 ৳2,024

467.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.88 NT$1,017

$21.00 ৳2,579

51.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 NT$2,740

$50.3 ৳6,173

70.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,314

$36.46 ৳4,478

184.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 NT$13.2K

$152 ৳18.6K

173.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 NT$8,808

$73.6 ৳9,041

275.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 NT$31.2K

$436 ৳53.5K

124.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 NT$21.3K

$214 ৳26.3K

212.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,588 NT$146.4K

$1,622 ৳199.2K

182.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,154 NT$100.7K

$761 ৳93.5K

314.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,462 NT$46.7K

$249 ৳30.6K

487.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.56

10.48

-75.57%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: October 3, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kaohsiung

$368 33.1%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 66.7% $245

Accommodation & Living

Kaohsiung

$276 24.9%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 73.3% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Kaohsiung

$142 12.8%

Dhaka

$56 13% 60.6% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kaohsiung

$128 11.5%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 52.1% $67

Eating Out

Kaohsiung

$112 10.1%

Dhaka

$64 15% 42.8% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Kaohsiung

$63 5.7%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 61% $38

Getting Around

Kaohsiung

$22 2%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 25.2% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $415 in Kaohsiung and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 487% 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: $32.00 in Kaohsiung vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Kaohsiung

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

18:22 6:22 PM

16:22 4:22 PM

2 h behind Kaohsiung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,777,873

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.8 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.27 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.76 TWD (100 TWD = 2.8 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.27 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kaohsiung Dhaka 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kaohsiung
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

Kaohsiung vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 487% higher in Kaohsiung, 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: $415 in Kaohsiung versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,108 per month in Kaohsiung versus $426 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 78% less than in Kaohsiung. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,108 in Kaohsiung, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. 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, Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.