Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,062 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

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Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,062

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,062 in Petaling Jaya versus $426 in Dhaka.

Petaling Jaya $1,062
Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,529 in Petaling Jaya versus $735 in Dhaka.

Petaling Jaya $1,529
Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,997 in Petaling Jaya versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

Petaling Jaya $1,997
Dhaka $1,043

Living in Petaling Jaya is roughly 149% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Petaling Jaya 21% lower, Dhaka 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.71 MYR 15.15

$2.49 ৳305

49.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.45 MYR 99.8

$13.06 ৳1,604

87.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.87 MYR 19.88

$4.83 ৳594

0.83%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.21

$2.34 ৳287

27.78%

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

$0.88 MYR 3.59

$0.30 ৳37.38

193.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MYR 1.80

$0.16 ৳19.96

175.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MYR 13.60

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 MYR 23.21

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.90

$0.80 ৳98.1

141.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.20

$0.65 ৳79.3

58.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.89

$0.71 ৳87.2

102.82%

Eggs

$1.76 MYR 7.18

$1.21 ৳149

45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.66 MYR 39.44

$8.67 ৳1,065

11.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 MYR 13.54

$3.21 ৳395

3.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.54 MYR 38.94

$6.70 ৳823

42.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 MYR 14.05

$2.73 ৳335

26.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.89

$0.88 ৳108

119.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 MYR 11.31

$2.37 ৳291

16.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.47

$0.65 ৳79.5

181.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MYR 8.80

$0.24 ৳29.19

795.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MYR 8.23

$0.49 ৳60.6

310.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 MYR 5.85

$0.32 ৳38.87

346.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.25

$0.30 ৳37.30

83.33%

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)

$4.57 MYR 18.66

$3.23 ৳396

41.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.30 MYR 78.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 MYR 11.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MYR 18.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 MYR 4.92

$0.42 ৳52.1

185.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.40 MYR 50.6

$22.54 ৳2,769

-44.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MYR 5.09

$1.19 ৳147

5.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

$0.40 ৳48.58

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.73 MYR 35.64

$3.35 ৳411

160.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.58

$1.15 ৳141

-23.48%

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

$41.1K MYR 167.8K

$30.3K ৳3.7M

35.65%

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

$32.6K MYR 133.2K

$33.0K ৳4.1M

-1.26%

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

$48.53 MYR 198

$46.32 ৳5,690

4.77%

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

$8.08 MYR 33.00

$4.33 ৳531

86.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.83 MYR 110

$10.63 ৳1,306

152.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 MYR 211

$16.37 ৳2,011

216.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.16 MYR 12.89

$16.14 ৳1,982

-80.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MYR 20.09

$4.13 ৳508

19.13%

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

$279 MYR 1,137

$90.7 ৳11.1K

207.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MYR 42.4K

$2,649 ৳325.4K

292.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 MYR 214

$16.48 ৳2,024

217.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.65 MYR 121

$21.00 ৳2,579

41.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 MYR 311

$50.3 ৳6,173

51.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 MYR 347

$36.46 ৳4,478

132.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 MYR 1,970

$152 ৳18.6K

218.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 MYR 1,651

$73.6 ৳9,041

449.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 MYR 3,391

$436 ৳53.5K

90.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 MYR 2,260

$214 ৳26.3K

158.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,121 MYR 12.7K

$1,622 ৳199.2K

92.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$952 MYR 3,888

$761 ৳93.5K

25.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,744 MYR 7,120

$249 ৳30.6K

600.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

10.48

-56.97%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 4, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Petaling Jaya

$404 38.8%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 81.8% $331

Groceries & Markets

Petaling Jaya

$250 24%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 50.9% $127

Eating Out

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.9%

Dhaka

$64 15% 43.4% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Petaling Jaya

$109 10.5%

Dhaka

$56 13% 49% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petaling Jaya

$83 8%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 26.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Petaling Jaya

$62 5.9%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 60% $37

Getting Around

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 35.5% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Petaling Jaya and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Petaling Jaya pays 600% 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: $24.00 in Petaling Jaya vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

19:33 7:33 PM

17:33 5:33 PM

2 h behind Petaling Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

771,687

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.27 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 = 0.219 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 = 7.27 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Petaling Jaya Dhaka 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Petaling Jaya
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

Petaling Jaya vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 149% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 600% higher in Petaling Jaya, 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: $482 in Petaling Jaya versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,062 per month in Petaling Jaya versus $426 in Dhaka – a 149% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 82% less than in Petaling Jaya. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,062 in Petaling Jaya, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Petaling Jaya. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dhaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Petaling Jaya, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Petaling Jaya 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 149% less than in Petaling Jaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.