Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malacca and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $612 in Malacca, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. The total is higher in Malacca despite lower rent and utilities.

30

Cost of Living Index in Malacca
Learn more

Malacca Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

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Malacca

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$612

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $612 in Malacca versus $406 in Dhaka.

Malacca $612
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $977 in Malacca versus $687 in Dhaka.

Malacca $977
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,343 in Malacca versus $969 in Dhaka.

Malacca $1,343
Dhaka $969

Living in Malacca is roughly 51% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Malacca 55% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.27 MYR 13.36

$2.28 ৳282

43.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 MYR 76.3

$12.33 ৳1,523

51.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.80 MYR 19.60

$3.95 ৳488

21.52%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$2.83 MYR 11.56

$2.28 ৳281

24.12%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.15

$0.33 ৳40.88

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.21

$0.16 ৳19.86

237.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 MYR 12.10

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MYR 7.03

$0.85 ৳104

102.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 MYR 4.52

$0.60 ৳74.5

85.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MYR 5.78

$0.69 ৳85.4

105.80%

Eggs

$1.72 MYR 7.02

$1.23 ৳152

39.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.49 MYR 75.4

$8.80 ৳1,087

110.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 MYR 18.73

$3.33 ৳412

37.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.83 MYR 44.18

$6.63 ৳819

63.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 MYR 13.29

$2.85 ৳352

14.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.18

$0.90 ৳111

95.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 MYR 9.72

$2.34 ৳289

1.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MYR 6.69

$0.63 ৳78.4

160.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 5.99

$0.24 ৳29.59

512.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 MYR 7.09

$0.46 ৳57.3

278.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MYR 5.61

$0.35 ৳42.79

291.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.23

$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)

$4.19 MYR 17.11

$3.28 ৳405

27.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 MYR 56.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 MYR 8.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MYR 12.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MYR 1.92

$0.42 ৳52.3

11.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.40 MYR 50.6

$22.43 ৳2,772

-44.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$1.19 ৳147

-15.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 MYR 2.85

$0.39 ৳48.71

79.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.03 MYR 49.08

$3.28 ৳406

266.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 MYR 2.10

$1.10 ৳136

-53.64%

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

$41.7K MYR 170.3K

$29.4K ৳3.6M

41.82%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.4K

$32.2K ৳4.0M

8.51%

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

$51.7 MYR 211

$38.28 ৳4,729

35.06%

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

$11.20 MYR 45.69

$4.09 ৳506

173.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.12 MYR 115

$9.02 ৳1,114

211.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.13 MYR 90.3

$13.66 ৳1,688

62.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.76 MYR 47.97

$10.21 ৳1,261

15.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.02 MYR 20.49

$4.11 ৳508

22.14%

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

$163 MYR 665

$90.7 ৳11.2K

79.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,501 MYR 18.4K

$2,591 ৳320.2K

73.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 MYR 223

$17.06 ৳2,108

220.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.80 MYR 68.5

$21.38 ৳2,641

-21.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 MYR 336

$51.4 ৳6,355

60.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 MYR 399

$36.78 ৳4,545

165.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$192 MYR 784

$133 ৳16.4K

44.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 MYR 4,861

$1,621 ৳200.3K

-26.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$804 MYR 3,280

$760 ৳93.9K

5.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$411 MYR 1,677

$246 ৳30.4K

67.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

10.48

-61.26%

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

Last update for Malacca: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malacca

$261 42.7%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 52.7% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Malacca

$113 18.5%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 49.7% $56

Eating Out

Malacca

$95 15.6%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 37.8% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malacca

$91 14.9%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 43.5% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Malacca

$32 5.3%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 32% $10

Getting Around

Malacca

$19 3.1%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 45.3% $8.5

Accommodation & Living

Malacca

- * 0%

Dhaka

$65 16%

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 $192 in Malacca and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malacca pays 67% 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: $19.00 in Malacca vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Malacca

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

02:21 2:21 AM

00:21 12:21 AM

2 h behind Malacca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

579,000

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 = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Malacca Dhaka 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Malacca
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

Malacca vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 67% higher in Malacca, 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: $192 in Malacca versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $612 per month in Malacca versus $406 in Dhaka – a 51% 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 Malacca. 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.

For families, Dhaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Malacca, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Malacca 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 51% less than in Malacca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.