Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malang and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $474 in Malang, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Malang
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$474
/mo nomad
Dhaka
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$406
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $474 in Malang versus $406 in Dhaka.

  • Malang $474
  • Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $729 in Malang versus $687 in Dhaka.

  • Malang $729
  • Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $984 in Malang versus $969 in Dhaka.

  • Malang $984
  • Dhaka $969

Living in Malang is roughly 17% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Malang 65% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Malang
Dhaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.11 Rp 19.9K
$2.28 ৳281
-51.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$11.07 Rp 198.6K
$12.33 ৳1,518
-10.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.76 Rp 49.6K
$3.95 ৳487
-30.13%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.48 ৳552
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.13 ৳508
-
Cappuccino
$1.34 Rp 24.0K
$2.28 ৳280
-41.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.60 Rp 10.7K
$0.33 ৳40.74
81.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.23 Rp 4,133
$0.16 ৳19.80
43.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.28 Rp 40.9K
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 Rp 76.3K
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Malang
Dhaka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
$0.85 ৳104
16.47%
White Bread (500g)
$1.12 Rp 20.1K
$0.60 ৳74.3
86.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.84 Rp 15.1K
$0.69 ৳85.1
21.74%
Eggs
$1.24 Rp 22.3K
$1.23 ৳152
0.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.89 Rp 105.7K
$8.80 ৳1,084
-33.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.09 Rp 55.5K
$3.33 ৳411
-7.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.20 Rp 129.3K
$6.63 ৳816
8.60%
Apples (1kg)
$2.02 Rp 36.2K
$2.85 ৳351
-29.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.27 Rp 22.7K
$0.90 ৳111
41.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.58 Rp 28.3K
$2.34 ৳288
-32.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.43 Rp 25.7K
$0.63 ৳78.2
126.98%
Potato (1kg)
$1.30 Rp 23.3K
$0.24 ৳29.49
441.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.92 Rp 34.4K
$0.46 ৳57.1
317.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.47 Rp 8,413
$0.35 ৳42.64
34.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.42 Rp 7,556
$0.28 ৳34.12
50.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$12.11 ৳1,491
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$5.31 ৳654
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.42 ৳791
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.65 Rp 47.5K
$3.28 ৳404
-19.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.47 Rp 223.8K
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.67 Rp 30.0K
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 Rp 53.8K
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Malang
Dhaka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.60 Rp 10.7K
$0.42 ৳52.1
42.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$5.61 Rp 100.6K
$22.43 ৳2,762
-74.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,603
$1.19 ৳147
-59.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 Rp 7,221
$0.39 ৳48.54
2.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 97.8K
$3.28 ৳404
66.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.74 Rp 13.3K
$1.10 ৳135
-32.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.9K Rp 447.5M
$29.4K ৳3.6M
-15.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.7K Rp 497.2M
$32.2K ৳4.0M
-13.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malang
Dhaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$30.83 Rp 553.3K
$38.28 ৳4,713
-19.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.41 Rp 43.2K
$4.09 ৳504
-41.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.51 Rp 350.0K
$9.02 ৳1,110
116.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Malang
Dhaka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$14.68 Rp 263.5K
$13.66 ৳1,682
7.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.47 Rp 80.2K
$10.21 ৳1,257
-56.22%
Cinema Ticket
$1.92 Rp 34.4K
$4.11 ৳506
-53.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Malang
Dhaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$30.88 Rp 554.1K
$90.7 ৳11.2K
-65.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,452 Rp 169.6M
$2,591 ৳319.1K
264.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Malang
Dhaka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.4 Rp 1.0M
$17.06 ৳2,100
230.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.41 Rp 402.1K
$21.38 ৳2,632
4.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$51.9 Rp 931.9K
$51.4 ৳6,333
0.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$35.74 Rp 641.2K
$36.78 ৳4,529
-2.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Malang
Dhaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$136 Rp 2.4M
$133 ৳16.4K
2.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$91.5 Rp 1.6M
$65.1 ৳8,014
40.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$193 Rp 3.5M
$377 ৳46.5K
-48.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$156 Rp 2.8M
$192 ৳23.7K
-18.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$1,621 ৳199.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$760 ৳93.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Malang
Dhaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$203 Rp 3.6M
$246 ৳30.3K
-17.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4
10.48
-61.83%

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

Last update for Malang: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Malang
$169
Dhaka
$124 27% $46
Accommodation & Living
Malang
$92
Dhaka
$65 28.9% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Malang
$75
Dhaka
$57 23.9% $18
Eating Out
Malang
$56
Dhaka
$59 5.2% $3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malang
$53
Dhaka
$51 2.6% $1.4
Sport & Entertainment
Malang
$19
Dhaka
$22 18.2% $3.4
Getting Around
Malang
$10
Dhaka
$27 160% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $136 in Malang and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhaka pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $11.00 in Malang vs $12.00 in Dhaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $169 vs $124, with Dhaka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Malang
🇧🇩 Dhaka
🕒 Local time
08:55 8:55 AM
07:55 7:55 AM
1 h behind Malang
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
857,891
21,741,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 17,943 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.57 USD). 1 EUR = 20,204 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.95 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.12 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.21 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Malang Dhaka 4,280 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Malang
  • 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
Malang vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dhaka cheaper than Malang?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Malang or Dhaka?
On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Dhaka. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Malang and Dhaka?
Rent for a central apartment: $136 in Malang versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Malang and in Dhaka?
All in, you'll spend $474 per month in Malang versus $406 in Dhaka – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 300% less than in Malang. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 enough for either Malang or Dhaka?
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.
Is Malang or Dhaka more family-friendly?
For families, Dhaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Malang, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Malang or Dhaka?
Safety-wise, Malang 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Malang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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