Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Northam and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $428 a month against $2,498 in Northam, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Northam, Australia
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Northam
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,498
/mo nomad
Dhaka
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$428
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,498 in Northam versus $428 in Dhaka.

  • Northam $2,498
  • Dhaka $428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,618 in Northam versus $724 in Dhaka.

  • Northam $3,618
  • Dhaka $724

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,737 in Northam versus $1,019 in Dhaka.

  • Northam $4,737
  • Dhaka $1,019

Living in Northam is roughly 483% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Northam is 84% above, Dhaka is 68% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Northam
Dhaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.97 A$28.37
$2.50 ৳309
698.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.1 A$121
$13.26 ৳1,642
541.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.55 A$15.00
$4.99 ৳618
111.42%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.87 ৳604
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.14 ৳513
-
Cappuccino
$4.48 A$6.36
$2.35 ৳291
90.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 A$4.03
$0.33 ৳41.19
760.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 A$3.25
$0.16 ৳19.68
1331.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.30 A$11.79
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.10 A$11.51
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Northam
Dhaka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 A$2.48
$0.85 ৳106
104.71%
White Bread (500g)
$2.58 A$3.66
$0.63 ৳78.1
309.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.98 A$2.82
$0.67 ৳83.3
195.52%
Eggs
$4.48 A$6.36
$1.19 ৳147
276.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.37 A$9.05
$8.83 ৳1,095
-27.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 A$12.96
$3.30 ৳409
176.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.08 A$20.01
$6.41 ৳794
119.66%
Apples (1kg)
$2.73 A$3.88
$2.75 ৳341
-0.73%
Banana (1kg)
$3.25 A$4.62
$0.94 ৳116
245.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.44 A$4.89
$2.37 ৳294
45.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.92 A$6.99
$0.64 ৳79.3
668.75%
Potato (1kg)
$2.89 A$4.11
$0.26 ৳32.34
1011.54%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 A$2.81
$0.49 ৳60.8
302.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.25 A$3.20
$0.30 ৳37.73
650.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.73 A$1.04
$0.30 ৳37.59
143.33%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$12.24 ৳1,516
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$5.43 ৳673
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.53 ৳809
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$41.37 A$58.8
$3.17 ৳393
1205.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.49 A$4.96
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.40 A$6.25
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 A$4.99
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Northam
Dhaka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.92 A$4.15
$0.38 ৳47.57
668.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$80.6 A$114
$23.06 ৳2,857
249.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.53 A$5.02
$1.17 ৳146
201.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 A$2.07
$0.38 ৳47.12
284.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.14 A$58.5
$3.28 ৳406
1154.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 A$1.91
$1.11 ৳138
21.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K A$38.2K
$29.1K ৳3.6M
-7.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.5K A$41.9K
$32.9K ৳4.1M
-10.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Northam
Dhaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$196 A$278
$46.77 ৳5,794
318.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.09 A$34.24
$4.51 ৳558
434.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.3 A$91.4
$11.22 ৳1,391
473.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Northam
Dhaka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.5 A$80.2
$16.43 ৳2,036
243.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.81 A$25.31
$14.87 ৳1,843
19.77%
Cinema Ticket
$17.30 A$24.59
$4.20 ৳520
311.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Northam
Dhaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,328 A$3,307
$91.6 ৳11.3K
2441.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.2K A$33.0K
$2,596 ৳321.7K
793.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Northam
Dhaka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.3 A$110
$16.63 ৳2,061
364.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.3 A$94.2
$19.80 ৳2,454
234.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$123 A$174
$46.87 ৳5,807
161.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$161 A$229
$37.00 ৳4,584
335.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Northam
Dhaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,391 A$1,976
$148 ৳18.3K
841.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 A$1,691
$70.8 ৳8,767
1582.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,173 A$3,088
$432 ৳53.6K
402.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,783 A$2,533
$213 ৳26.4K
738.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,780 A$8,213
$1,605 ৳198.9K
260.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,889 A$6,947
$751 ৳93.0K
551.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Northam
Dhaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$245 ৳30.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.91
10.67
-44.61%

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

Last update for Northam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Northam
$1.2K
Dhaka
$71 94.1% $1.1K
Eating Out
Northam
$323
Dhaka
$65 79.9% $258
Groceries & Markets
Northam
$314
Dhaka
$123 60.8% $191
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Northam
$284
Dhaka
$63 78% $222
Clothing & Footwear
Northam
$192
Dhaka
$54 71.8% $138
Getting Around
Northam
$103
Dhaka
$28 73.2% $75
Sport & Entertainment
Northam
$91
Dhaka
$25 72.7% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,391 in Northam and $148 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Northam vs $13 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Northam
🇧🇩 Dhaka
🕒 Local time
07:53 7:53 AM
05:53 5:53 AM
2 h behind Northam
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,000
21,741,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.628 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.07 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Northam Dhaka 6,770 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Northam
  • 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
Northam vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dhaka cheaper than Northam?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 483% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,747 in Northam and $642 in Dhaka 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.
What is the rent difference between Northam and Dhaka?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,391 in Northam versus $148 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Northam and in Dhaka?
All in, you’ll spend $2,498 per month in Northam versus $428 in Dhaka – a 483% 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 71% less than in Northam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Northam or in Dhaka?
At $428 in Dhaka versus $2,498 in Northam, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Northam. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Northam or in Dhaka?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Northam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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