Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mardan and Cox's Bazar

For one person, living is cheaper in Cox’s Bazar: $348 a month against $502 in Mardan, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Mardan, Pakistan
Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh
Mardan
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$502
/mo nomad
Cox's Bazar
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$348
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mardan and in Cox's Bazar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mardan and in Cox's Bazar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $502 in Mardan versus $348 in Cox’s Bazar.

  • Mardan $502
  • Cox's Bazar $348

Estimated couple costs with rent: $788 in Mardan versus $558 in Cox’s Bazar.

  • Mardan $788
  • Cox's Bazar $558

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,074 in Mardan versus $769 in Cox’s Bazar.

  • Mardan $1,074
  • Cox's Bazar $769

Living in Mardan is roughly 44% more expensive than in Cox’s Bazar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mardan 63% lower, Cox’s Bazar 74% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mardan
Cox's Bazar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.53 PKR 978
$1.56 ৳195
126.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.47 PKR 6,495
$12.21 ৳1,518
92.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.44 PKR 1,504
$2.95 ৳367
84.41%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.66 PKR 1,013
$2.59 ৳322
41.31%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.77 PKR 1,872
$2.49 ৳310
171.89%
Cappuccino
$2.55 PKR 705
$1.92 ৳239
32.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 PKR 94.7
$0.36 ৳44.74
-5.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.23 PKR 63.9
$0.10 ৳12.95
130.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mardan
Cox's Bazar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.90 PKR 250
$0.80 ৳99.6
12.50%
White Bread (500g)
$0.78 PKR 216
$0.50 ৳62.4
56.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.29 PKR 358
$0.66 ৳82.2
95.45%
Eggs
$1.22 PKR 337
$1.04 ৳130
17.31%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$2.93 PKR 811
$7.20 ৳896
-59.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.17 PKR 878
$2.07 ৳257
53.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$3.72 PKR 1,029
$7.29 ৳907
-48.97%
Apples (1kg)
$0.87 PKR 240
$2.35 ৳292
-62.98%
Banana (1kg)
$0.73 PKR 203
$0.88 ৳109
-17.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.03 PKR 286
$1.60 ৳200
-35.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.35 PKR 96.5
$0.52 ৳64.4
-32.69%
Potato (1kg)
$0.27 PKR 74.2
$0.46 ৳57.5
-41.30%
Onion (1kg)
$0.38 PKR 106
$0.58 ৳71.6
-34.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.28 PKR 77.2
$0.47 ৳58.7
-40.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.35 PKR 96.0
$0.30 ৳36.87
16.67%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.79 PKR 496
$7.68 ৳956
-76.69%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 PKR 333
$2.55 ৳317
-52.94%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 PKR 642
$4.56 ৳567
-49.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.84 PKR 508
$1.91 ৳237
-3.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Mardan
Cox's Bazar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.20 PKR 54.5
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.72 PKR 2,966
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 PKR 352
$0.29 ৳36.46
337.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.69 PKR 190
$0.35 ৳43.36
97.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.60 PKR 442
$4.16 ৳518
-61.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.05 PKR 292
$1.14 ৳142
-7.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K PKR 6.0M
$31.7K ৳3.9M
-31.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.6K PKR 6.5M
$34.0K ৳4.2M
-30.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mardan
Cox's Bazar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 PKR 28.7K
$12.20 ৳1,518
749.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.02 PKR 1,666
$2.63 ৳328
128.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.99 PKR 4,701
$11.12 ৳1,383
52.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mardan
Cox's Bazar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$12.89 PKR 3,566
$16.05 ৳1,997
-19.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.04 PKR 2,223
$4.07 ৳506
97.54%
Cinema Ticket
$4.89 PKR 1,353
$2.36 ৳294
107.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mardan
Cox's Bazar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$42.07 PKR 11.6K
$24.65 ৳3,067
70.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,058 PKR 292.8K
$1,454 ৳180.9K
-27.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mardan
Cox's Bazar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$25.98 PKR 7,188
$22.55 ৳2,805
15.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.63 PKR 9,583
$18.21 ৳2,265
90.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.3 PKR 26.7K
$32.91 ৳4,094
192.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$40.12 PKR 11.1K
$34.87 ৳4,338
15.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mardan
Cox's Bazar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$134 PKR 37.1K
$164 ৳20.4K
-18.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$86.0 PKR 23.8K
$96.1 ৳11.9K
-10.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$264 PKR 73.1K
$300 ৳37.3K
-11.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$182 PKR 50.3K
$164 ৳20.4K
10.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$865 PKR 239.3K
$348 ৳43.2K
148.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$578 PKR 159.9K
$261 ৳32.5K
121.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mardan
Cox's Bazar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$286 ৳35.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.08
11.5
13.74%

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

Last update for Mardan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cox's Bazar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mardan
$127
Cox's Bazar
$26 79.5% $101
Clothing & Footwear
Mardan
$89
Cox's Bazar
$49 44.9% $40
Accommodation & Living
Mardan
$86
Cox's Bazar
$96 11.8% $10
Groceries & Markets
Mardan
$84
Cox's Bazar
$108 27.9% $23
Eating Out
Mardan
$77
Cox's Bazar
$46 40.3% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Mardan
$23
Cox's Bazar
$21 8.4% $1.9
Getting Around
Mardan
$16
Cox's Bazar
$2 * 87.4% $14

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 $134 in Mardan and $164 in Cox’s Bazar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Mardan vs $12 in Cox’s Bazar. Groceries flip the comparison at $84 vs $108, with Mardan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇰 Mardan
🇧🇩 Cox's Bazar
🕒 Local time
00:29 12:29 AM
01:29 1:29 AM
1 h ahead of Mardan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
358,604
223,522
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.04 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mardan Cox's Bazar 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mardan
  • Cox's Bazar

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
Mardan vs Cox's Bazar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mardan and in Cox’s Bazar?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $502 in Mardan and $348 in Cox’s Bazar, so Cox’s Bazar is about 31% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Mardan compared to Cox’s Bazar?
You’d need roughly $753 in Mardan and $521 in Cox’s Bazar to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Mardan and in Cox’s Bazar?
Rent for a central apartment: $134 in Mardan versus $164 in Cox’s Bazar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Mardan pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Mardan or Cox’s Bazar?
All in, you’ll spend $502 per month in Mardan versus $348 in Cox’s Bazar – Cox’s Bazar is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $1,200 go in Mardan compared to Cox’s Bazar?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Cox’s Bazar gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Mardan and Cox’s Bazar?
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.

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