Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kedah and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $422 a month against $877 in Kedah, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Kedah
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Kedah Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

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Kedah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$877

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$422

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $877 in Kedah versus $422 in Dhaka.

Kedah $877
Dhaka $422

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Kedah versus $728 in Dhaka.

Kedah $1,399
Dhaka $728

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,920 in Kedah versus $1,033 in Dhaka.

Kedah $1,920
Dhaka $1,033

Living in Kedah is roughly 108% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kedah 36% lower, Dhaka 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MYR 15.19

$2.40 ৳297

55.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.32 MYR 50.4

$12.93 ৳1,599

-4.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 MYR 18.65

$4.78 ৳591

-4.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 ৳608

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 ৳489

Cappuccino

$2.91 MYR 11.90

$2.38 ৳294

22.27%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.15

$0.30 ৳36.99

156.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.60

$0.17 ৳21.25

129.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 MYR 17.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 MYR 17.80

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MYR 7.68

$0.79 ৳97.2

137.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 MYR 4.33

$0.63 ৳78.1

68.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MYR 7.01

$0.72 ৳88.8

138.89%

Eggs

$2.19 MYR 8.94

$1.18 ৳146

85.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 MYR 55.4

$8.73 ৳1,080

55.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 MYR 17.75

$3.30 ৳407

31.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.84 MYR 36.13

$6.64 ৳822

33.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 MYR 12.02

$2.80 ৳346

5.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.67

$0.86 ৳107

89.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 MYR 11.24

$2.32 ৳287

18.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.94

$0.61 ৳75.5

137.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 MYR 4.50

$0.23 ৳28.22

378.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.45

$0.48 ৳59.8

127.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.63

$0.33 ৳41.12

242.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.34

$0.30 ৳37.46

90.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.23 ৳1,512

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.23 ৳647

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.51 ৳805

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MYR 18.89

$3.29 ৳407

40.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.76 MYR 76.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 MYR 12.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 MYR 21.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.11

$0.41 ৳51.1

85.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.85 MYR 52.5

$21.27 ৳2,630

-39.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.78

$1.18 ৳146

40.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.54

$0.38 ৳47.04

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 MYR 29.79

$3.27 ৳404

122.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 MYR 2.47

$1.16 ৳143

-48.28%

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

$45.6K MYR 186.5K

$29.9K ৳3.7M

52.61%

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

$35.8K MYR 146.5K

$32.5K ৳4.0M

10.26%

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

$36.47 MYR 149

$46.86 ৳5,795

-22.17%

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

$9.66 MYR 39.47

$4.31 ৳534

124.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.48 MYR 120

$11.09 ৳1,371

165.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.63 MYR 142

$17.52 ৳2,166

97.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.85 MYR 28.01

$17.67 ৳2,185

-61.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.79 MYR 19.59

$4.31 ৳533

11.14%

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

$388 MYR 1,584

$139 ৳17.2K

179.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MYR 43.6K

$2,570 ৳317.8K

314.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 MYR 241

$16.32 ৳2,018

260.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.76 MYR 142

$19.36 ৳2,394

79.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.6 MYR 334

$45.97 ৳5,684

77.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.7 MYR 289

$36.74 ৳4,543

92.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 MYR 1,462

$145 ৳17.9K

146.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 MYR 1,054

$68.1 ৳8,423

278.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 MYR 2,911

$461 ৳57.0K

54.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 MYR 2,479

$232 ৳28.7K

161.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,930 MYR 7,889

$1,575 ৳194.8K

22.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,258 MYR 5,140

$789 ৳97.6K

59.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,339 MYR 5,473

$245 ৳30.3K

447.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

10.67

-62.14%

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

Last update for Kedah: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kedah

$258 29.4%

Dhaka

$68 16.1% 73.6% $190

Groceries & Markets

Kedah

$257 29.3%

Dhaka

$122 29% 52.3% $134

Eating Out

Kedah

$113 12.9%

Dhaka

$64 15.2% 43.3% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Kedah

$111 12.6%

Dhaka

$53 12.6% 51.8% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kedah

$76 8.6%

Dhaka

$62 14.8% 17.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Kedah

$44 5%

Dhaka

$26 6.2% 40.9% $18

Getting Around

Kedah

$19 2.2%

Dhaka

$26 6.2% 33.8% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $358 in Kedah and $145 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays about 5.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $12 in Kedah vs $13 in Dhaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $257 vs $122, with Dhaka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kedah

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

00:41 12:41 AM

22:41 10:41 PM

2 h behind Kedah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

417,800

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.27 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.55 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.27 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kedah Dhaka 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kedah
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

Kedah vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Kedah is about 5.5 times higher, 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: $358 in Kedah versus $145 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $877 per month in Kedah versus $422 in Dhaka – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kedah runs roughly 40% less than in Dhaka. 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.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Dhaka wins on affordability, Kedah on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.