Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,067 in Kuala Lumpur, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,067

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,067 in Kuala Lumpur versus $426 in Dhaka.

Kuala Lumpur $1,067
Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,662 in Kuala Lumpur versus $735 in Dhaka.

Kuala Lumpur $1,662
Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,257 in Kuala Lumpur versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

Kuala Lumpur $2,257
Dhaka $1,043

Living in Kuala Lumpur is roughly 150% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuala Lumpur 20% lower, Dhaka 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.80 MYR 19.62

$2.49 ৳306

92.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.82 MYR 118

$13.06 ৳1,605

120.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 MYR 20.43

$4.83 ৳594

3.52%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$3.05 MYR 12.48

$2.34 ৳287

30.34%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.46

$0.30 ৳37.39

183.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.84

$0.16 ৳19.96

181.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 MYR 18.43

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 MYR 24.53

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 MYR 8.64

$0.80 ৳98.1

163.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.41

$0.65 ৳79.3

66.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.25

$0.71 ৳87.3

184.51%

Eggs

$2.55 MYR 10.42

$1.21 ৳149

110.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.85 MYR 56.6

$8.67 ৳1,065

59.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 MYR 17.94

$3.21 ৳395

36.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 MYR 39.50

$6.70 ৳823

44.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 MYR 14.18

$2.73 ৳335

27.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.24

$0.88 ৳109

101.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 MYR 9.22

$2.37 ৳291

-5.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 MYR 6.35

$0.65 ৳79.6

138.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.43

$0.24 ৳29.20

454.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.65

$0.49 ৳60.7

181.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.79

$0.32 ৳38.88

265.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 MYR 2.73

$0.30 ৳37.31

123.33%

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 ৳819

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MYR 17.89

$3.23 ৳396

35.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.87 MYR 77.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 MYR 14.80

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 MYR 20.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.93

$0.42 ৳52.1

71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.46 MYR 50.9

$22.54 ৳2,770

-44.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MYR 5.11

$1.19 ৳147

5.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MYR 5.05

$0.40 ৳48.60

210.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.82 MYR 19.71

$3.35 ৳411

43.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 MYR 3.52

$1.15 ৳141

-25.22%

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

$41.4K MYR 169.0K

$30.3K ৳3.7M

36.50%

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

$34.6K MYR 141.3K

$33.0K ৳4.1M

4.62%

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

$61.5 MYR 251

$46.32 ৳5,692

32.71%

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

$8.60 MYR 35.16

$4.33 ৳532

98.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.25 MYR 107

$10.63 ৳1,306

146.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.06 MYR 201

$16.37 ৳2,012

199.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.69 MYR 31.43

$16.14 ৳1,983

-52.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MYR 20.25

$4.13 ৳508

19.85%

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

$295 MYR 1,205

$90.7 ৳11.1K

224.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MYR 54.0K

$2,649 ৳325.5K

399.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 MYR 297

$16.48 ৳2,025

340.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.57 MYR 170

$21.00 ৳2,580

97.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 MYR 350

$50.3 ৳6,175

70.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.2 MYR 389

$36.46 ৳4,480

161.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$625 MYR 2,557

$152 ৳18.6K

312.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 MYR 1,547

$73.6 ৳9,044

414.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 MYR 4,812

$436 ৳53.6K

170.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 MYR 2,611

$214 ৳26.3K

198.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,112 MYR 16.8K

$1,622 ৳199.3K

153.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,504 MYR 6,149

$761 ৳93.5K

97.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,491 MYR 6,095

$249 ৳30.6K

498.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

10.48

-60.11%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 5, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lumpur

$378 34.7%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 80.5% $305

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lumpur

$273 25%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 55.1% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lumpur

$133 12.2%

Dhaka

$56 13% 57.9% $77

Eating Out

Kuala Lumpur

$130 11.9%

Dhaka

$64 15% 50.5% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lumpur

$96 8.8%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 36.4% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.4%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 58.2% $34

Getting Around

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 20.5% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $625 in Kuala Lumpur and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuala Lumpur pays 499% 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: $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

07:07 7:07 AM

2 h behind Kuala Lumpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,982,112 Capital

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 = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 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 MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kuala Lumpur Dhaka 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 150% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 499% higher in Kuala Lumpur, 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: $625 in Kuala Lumpur versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,067 per month in Kuala Lumpur versus $426 in Dhaka – a 150% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 81% less than in Kuala Lumpur. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,067 in Kuala Lumpur, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Kuala Lumpur. 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 Kuala Lumpur, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kuala Lumpur 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 150% less than in Kuala Lumpur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.