Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lanzhou and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $719 in Lanzhou, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Lanzhou
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Lanzhou Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Lanzhou

🇨🇳 China

$719

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $719 in Lanzhou versus $406 in Dhaka.

Lanzhou $719
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,143 in Lanzhou versus $687 in Dhaka.

Lanzhou $1,143
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,567 in Lanzhou versus $969 in Dhaka.

Lanzhou $1,567
Dhaka $969

Living in Lanzhou is roughly 77% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lanzhou 47% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 ¥13.80

$2.28 ৳282

-9.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.34 ¥189

$12.33 ৳1,523

129.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.86 ¥39.15

$3.95 ৳488

48.35%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$3.12 ¥20.89

$2.28 ৳281

36.84%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$0.33 ৳40.88

45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.16 ৳19.86

81.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 ¥7.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ¥13.54

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ¥11.81

$0.85 ৳104

108.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥10.75

$0.60 ৳74.5

168.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.40

$0.69 ৳85.4

39.13%

Eggs

$1.60 ¥10.72

$1.23 ৳152

30.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 ¥88.4

$8.80 ৳1,087

50.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ¥22.92

$3.33 ৳412

3.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 ¥81.0

$6.63 ৳819

82.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$2.85 ৳352

-36.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.56

$0.90 ৳111

42.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.97

$2.34 ৳289

-36.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.32

$0.63 ৳78.4

96.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.70

$0.24 ৳29.59

191.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$0.46 ৳57.3

102.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$0.35 ৳42.79

71.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.70

$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)

$3.77 ¥25.19

$3.28 ৳405

14.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.52 ¥77.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.52

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ¥10.25

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.42 ৳52.3

-30.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.07 ¥121

$22.43 ৳2,772

-19.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$1.19 ৳147

24.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ¥2.17

$0.39 ৳48.71

-17.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.12 ¥47.58

$3.28 ৳406

117.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥9.73

$1.10 ৳136

32.73%

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

$17.5K ¥117.2K

$29.4K ৳3.6M

-40.43%

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

$15.0K ¥100.4K

$32.2K ৳4.0M

-53.33%

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

$58.0 ¥388

$38.28 ৳4,729

51.54%

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

$8.79 ¥58.8

$4.09 ৳506

114.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.18 ¥74.8

$9.02 ৳1,114

23.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.33 ¥283

$13.66 ৳1,688

209.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.69 ¥98.2

$10.21 ৳1,261

43.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.29 ¥42.06

$4.11 ৳508

53.04%

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

$412 ¥2,756

$90.7 ৳11.2K

354.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K ¥117.6K

$2,591 ৳320.2K

578.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.85 ¥287

$17.06 ৳2,108

151.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.44 ¥224

$21.38 ৳2,641

56.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ¥505

$51.4 ৳6,355

47.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.1 ¥495

$36.78 ৳4,545

101.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$295 ¥1,971

$133 ৳16.4K

121.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ¥1,126

$65.1 ৳8,041

158.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ¥4,186

$377 ৳46.6K

65.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ¥1,986

$192 ৳23.8K

54.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,671 ¥17.9K

$1,621 ৳200.3K

64.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,611 ¥10.8K

$760 ৳93.9K

112.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$953 ¥6,375

$246 ৳30.4K

287.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

-71.37%

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

Last update for Lanzhou: October 13, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lanzhou

$209 29.1%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 40.9% $86

Accommodation & Living

Lanzhou

$168 23.4%

Dhaka

$65 16% 61.4% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Lanzhou

$102 14.2%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 44% $45

Eating Out

Lanzhou

$84 11.7%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 29.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lanzhou

$78 10.9%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 34.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Lanzhou

$55 7.6%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 60.1% $33

Getting Around

Lanzhou

$22 3.1%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 22.3% $5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $295 in Lanzhou and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lanzhou pays 287% 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: $28.00 in Lanzhou vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Lanzhou

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

14:21 2:21 PM

12:21 12:21 PM

2 h behind Lanzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,688,400

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Lanzhou Dhaka 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lanzhou
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

Lanzhou vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 287% higher in Lanzhou, 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: $295 in Lanzhou versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $719 per month in Lanzhou versus $406 in Dhaka – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 24% less than in Lanzhou. 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.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Lanzhou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.