Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Belait and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,699 in Kuala Belait, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Belait
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Kuala Belait Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Kuala Belait

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,699

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,699 in Kuala Belait versus $426 in Dhaka.

Kuala Belait $1,699
Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,569 in Kuala Belait versus $735 in Dhaka.

Kuala Belait $2,569
Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,438 in Kuala Belait versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

Kuala Belait $3,438
Dhaka $1,043

Living in Kuala Belait is roughly 299% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kuala Belait is 27% above, Dhaka is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.91 BND 10.12

$2.49 ৳305

217.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.43 BND 59.4

$13.06 ৳1,604

255.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 BND 10.05

$4.83 ৳594

62.53%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 BND 2.57

$4.93 ৳606

-59.23%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 BND 3.06

$4.10 ৳504

-41.71%

Cappuccino

$4.41 BND 5.64

$2.34 ৳287

88.46%

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

$0.89 BND 1.15

$0.30 ৳37.38

196.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 BND 0.64

$0.16 ৳19.96

212.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 BND 2.36

$0.80 ৳98.1

130.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 BND 3.12

$0.65 ৳79.3

273.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 BND 2.88

$0.71 ৳87.2

216.90%

Eggs

$2.58 BND 3.31

$1.21 ৳149

113.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.59 BND 23.80

$8.67 ৳1,065

114.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 BND 12.61

$3.21 ৳395

206.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.88 BND 31.85

$6.70 ৳823

271.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 BND 6.00

$2.73 ৳335

71.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 BND 2.78

$0.88 ৳108

146.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 BND 6.18

$2.37 ৳291

103.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 BND 3.17

$0.65 ৳79.5

280.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 BND 2.19

$0.24 ৳29.19

612.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 BND 3.71

$0.49 ৳60.6

491.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.54 BND 7.09

$0.32 ৳38.87

1631.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 BND 1.19

$0.30 ৳37.30

210.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.59 BND 14.84

$12.07 ৳1,483

-3.98%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.99 BND 7.67

$5.51 ৳677

8.71%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳818

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.86 BND 10.07

$3.23 ৳396

143.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,769

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 BND 5.11

$1.19 ৳147

235.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 BND 4.39

$0.40 ৳48.58

757.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.59 BND 14.84

$3.35 ৳411

245.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.35 BND 0.45

$1.15 ৳141

-69.57%

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

$30.7K BND 39.3K

$30.3K ৳3.7M

1.31%

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

$27.2K BND 34.9K

$33.0K ৳4.1M

-17.52%

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

$38.45 BND 49.23

$46.32 ৳5,690

-16.99%

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

$21.58 BND 27.63

$4.33 ৳531

398.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.4 BND 82.4

$10.63 ৳1,306

505.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.9 BND 123

$16.37 ৳2,011

485.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 BND 35.00

$16.14 ৳1,982

69.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 BND 7.05

$4.13 ৳508

33.41%

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

$217 BND 278

$90.7 ৳11.1K

139.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,398 BND 12.0K

$2,649 ৳325.4K

254.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.8 BND 95.8

$16.48 ৳2,024

354.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$101 BND 129

$21.00 ৳2,579

379.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 BND 196

$50.3 ৳6,173

204.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 BND 91.4

$36.46 ৳4,478

95.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 BND 964

$152 ৳18.6K

396.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 BND 987

$73.6 ৳9,041

947.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 BND 1,527

$436 ৳53.5K

173.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 BND 1,506

$214 ৳26.3K

450.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,398 BND 4,350

$249 ৳30.6K

1264.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.88

10.48

-62.98%

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

Last update for Kuala Belait: October 4, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Belait

$771 45.3%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 90.5% $697

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Belait

$354 20.8%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 65.4% $232

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Belait

$180 10.6%

Dhaka

$56 13% 68.9% $124

Eating Out

Kuala Belait

$145 8.5%

Dhaka

$64 15% 55.8% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Belait

$124 7.3%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 50.7% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Belait

$107 6.3%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 77% $82

Getting Around

Kuala Belait

$21 * 1.2%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 29.7% $6.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Kuala Belait and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuala Belait pays 1265% 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: $46.00 in Kuala Belait vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇳 Kuala Belait

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

15:37 3:37 PM

13:37 1:37 PM

2 h behind Kuala Belait

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,178

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Brunei Dollar BND $

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1 BND = 0.781 USD

1 BND = 0.696 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to BND – Brunei Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇳 Brunei Dollar ($)

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 BND (1 BND = 0.696 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 = 7.26 EUR).

USD to BND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kuala Belait Dhaka 3,320 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Belait
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

Kuala Belait vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 299% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1265% higher in Kuala Belait, 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: $753 in Kuala Belait versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $217 in Kuala Belait versus $90.7 in Dhaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $46.00 in Kuala Belait. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,699 in Kuala Belait, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Kuala Belait. 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, Kuala Belait 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 299% less than in Kuala Belait. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.