Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Miri and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $814 in Miri, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Miri
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Miri Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Miri

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$814

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $814 in Miri versus $426 in Dhaka.

Miri $814
Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,247 in Miri versus $735 in Dhaka.

Miri $1,247
Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,680 in Miri versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

Miri $1,680
Dhaka $1,043

Living in Miri is roughly 91% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Miri 39% lower, Dhaka 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 MYR 14.02

$2.49 ৳305

37.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.16 MYR 49.65

$13.06 ৳1,604

-6.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 MYR 18.58

$4.83 ৳594

-5.80%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.30 MYR 9.40

$2.34 ৳287

-1.71%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.17

$0.30 ৳37.38

160.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.24

$0.16 ৳19.96

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MYR 12.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 MYR 15.59

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MYR 5.72

$0.80 ৳98.1

75.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 MYR 7.40

$0.65 ৳79.3

178.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 MYR 3.85

$0.71 ৳87.2

32.39%

Eggs

$3.50 MYR 14.27

$1.21 ৳149

189.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 MYR 19.58

$3.21 ৳395

49.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.10 MYR 61.6

$6.70 ৳823

125.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MYR 8.01

$0.88 ৳108

122.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.5

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.19

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.87

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.47

$0.30 ৳37.30

20.00%

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 ৳818

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MYR 17.77

$3.23 ৳396

34.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.28 MYR 78.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 MYR 12.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 MYR 9.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$0.42 ৳52.1

21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.41 MYR 58.8

$22.54 ৳2,769

-36.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.87

$1.19 ৳147

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 MYR 2.60

$0.40 ৳48.58

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 MYR 24.71

$3.35 ৳411

80.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 MYR 2.64

$1.15 ৳141

-43.48%

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

$51.0K MYR 208.3K

$30.3K ৳3.7M

68.40%

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

$32.7K MYR 133.3K

$33.0K ৳4.1M

-1.15%

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

$49.79 MYR 203

$46.32 ৳5,690

7.49%

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

$9.53 MYR 38.91

$4.33 ৳531

120.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.24 MYR 136

$10.63 ৳1,306

212.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.63 MYR 121

$16.37 ৳2,011

81.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.17 MYR 25.21

$16.14 ৳1,982

-61.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.45 MYR 18.18

$4.13 ৳508

7.75%

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

$102 MYR 416

$90.7 ৳11.1K

12.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,641 MYR 27.1K

$2,649 ৳325.4K

150.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.13 MYR 180

$16.48 ৳2,024

167.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.74 MYR 92.9

$21.00 ৳2,579

8.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.2 MYR 230

$50.3 ৳6,173

11.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.80 MYR 175

$36.46 ৳4,478

17.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$341 MYR 1,390

$152 ৳18.6K

124.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 MYR 1,145

$73.6 ৳9,041

281.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 MYR 2,435

$436 ৳53.5K

36.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 MYR 2,425

$214 ৳26.3K

177.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,219 MYR 4,977

$1,622 ৳199.2K

-24.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$671 MYR 2,741

$761 ৳93.5K

-11.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$692 MYR 2,826

$249 ৳30.6K

177.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

10.48

-60.69%

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

Last update for Miri: 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

Miri

$280 35.2%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 73.8% $207

Groceries & Markets

Miri

$194 * 24.4%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 36.8% $71

Eating Out

Miri

$96 12%

Dhaka

$64 15% 32.7% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Miri

$93 11.6%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 33.8% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Miri

$75 9.4%

Dhaka

$56 13% 25.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Miri

$39 4.8%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 36% $14

Getting Around

Miri

$21 2.6%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 31.6% $6.6

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 $341 in Miri and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miri pays 178% 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: $12.00 in Miri vs $13.00 in Dhaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $194 vs $123, with Dhaka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Miri

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

11:58 11:58 AM

09:58 9:58 AM

2 h behind Miri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,877

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 = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 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

Miri Dhaka 3,320 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Miri
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

Miri vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 178% higher in Miri, 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: $341 in Miri versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $814 per month in Miri versus $426 in Dhaka – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 56% less than in Miri. 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.

Safety-wise, Miri 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 91% less than in Miri. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.