Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ningbo and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $682 in Ningbo, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Ningbo
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Ningbo Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Ningbo

🇨🇳 China

$682

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $682 in Ningbo versus $406 in Dhaka.

Ningbo $682
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,177 in Ningbo versus $687 in Dhaka.

Ningbo $1,177
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,672 in Ningbo versus $969 in Dhaka.

Ningbo $1,672
Dhaka $969

Living in Ningbo is roughly 68% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ningbo 49% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.91 ¥19.46

$2.28 ৳282

27.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.60 ¥198

$12.33 ৳1,523

140.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 ¥30.62

$3.95 ৳488

15.95%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.93

$2.28 ৳281

50.44%

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

$0.47 ¥3.16

$0.33 ৳40.88

42.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.16 ৳19.86

81.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.04 ¥6.93

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ¥23.04

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ¥11.88

$0.85 ৳104

109.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ¥7.78

$0.60 ৳74.5

93.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.86

$0.69 ৳85.4

5.80%

Eggs

$1.62 ¥10.86

$1.23 ৳152

31.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.79 ¥98.9

$8.80 ৳1,087

68.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.81 ¥25.45

$3.33 ৳412

14.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 ¥59.1

$6.63 ৳819

33.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.18

$2.85 ৳352

-62.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.16

$0.90 ৳111

68.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.06

$2.34 ৳289

-35.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.88

$0.63 ৳78.4

87.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ¥4.21

$0.24 ৳29.59

162.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 ¥4.99

$0.46 ৳57.3

63.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.27

$0.35 ৳42.79

82.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.59

$0.28 ৳34.24

92.86%

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)

$4.39 ¥29.33

$3.28 ৳405

33.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 ¥53.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥5.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 ¥9.51

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.42 ৳52.3

-30.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.16 ¥108

$22.43 ৳2,772

-27.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 ¥11.78

$1.19 ৳147

47.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$0.39 ৳48.71

-5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 ¥49.29

$3.28 ৳406

124.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.54

$1.10 ৳136

16.36%

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

$19.6K ¥131.4K

$29.4K ৳3.6M

-33.24%

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

$17.7K ¥118.0K

$32.2K ৳4.0M

-45.11%

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

$51.9 ¥347

$38.28 ৳4,729

35.61%

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

$6.85 ¥45.78

$4.09 ৳506

67.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.93 ¥53.0

$9.02 ৳1,114

-12.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.07 ¥168

$13.66 ৳1,688

83.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.69 ¥98.2

$10.21 ৳1,261

43.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 ¥51.6

$4.11 ৳508

87.59%

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

$929 ¥6,209

$90.7 ৳11.2K

923.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ¥105.8K

$2,591 ৳320.2K

510.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 ¥418

$17.06 ৳2,108

266.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.09 ¥181

$21.38 ৳2,641

26.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.0 ¥414

$51.4 ৳6,355

20.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 ¥350

$36.78 ৳4,545

42.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 ¥2,392

$133 ৳16.4K

168.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ¥1,198

$65.1 ৳8,041

175.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$772 ¥5,162

$377 ৳46.6K

104.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ¥3,223

$192 ৳23.8K

150.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,861 ¥25.8K

$1,621 ৳200.3K

138.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,097 ¥14.0K

$760 ৳93.9K

175.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ¥7,892

$246 ৳30.4K

379.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

10.48

-69.66%

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

Last update for Ningbo: 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

Ningbo

$190 27.9%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 35% $66

Accommodation & Living

Ningbo

$179 26.3%

Dhaka

$65 16% 63.7% $114

Eating Out

Ningbo

$93 13.7%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 36.3% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Ningbo

$92 13.5%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 37.9% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ningbo

$67 9.8%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 22.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Ningbo

$41 5.9%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 46% $19

Getting Around

Ningbo

$21 3.1%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 30.4% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $358 in Ningbo and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ningbo pays 380% 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: $30.00 in Ningbo vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Ningbo

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

17:59 5:59 PM

15:59 3:59 PM

2 h behind Ningbo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,605,689

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 19, 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 19, 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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Ningbo Dhaka 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Ningbo
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

Ningbo vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 380% higher in Ningbo, 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: $358 in Ningbo versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $682 per month in Ningbo versus $406 in Dhaka – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 39% less than in Ningbo. 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 68% less than in Ningbo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.