Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pontianak and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $484 in Pontianak, rent and utilities included – about $940 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Pontianak
Learn more

Pontianak Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

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Pontianak

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$484

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $484 in Pontianak versus $406 in Dhaka.

Pontianak $484
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $600 in Pontianak versus $687 in Dhaka.

Pontianak $600
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $717 in Pontianak versus $969 in Dhaka.

Pontianak $717
Dhaka $969

Living in Pontianak is roughly 19% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pontianak 64% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.77 Rp 31.9K

$2.28 ৳282

-22.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.14 Rp 146.4K

$12.33 ৳1,523

-33.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$3.95 ৳488

-24.30%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

$2.28 ৳281

-45.61%

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

$0.46 Rp 8,327

$0.33 ৳40.88

39.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 Rp 3,762

$0.16 ৳19.86

31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 Rp 50.6K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 Rp 67.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 Rp 19.4K

$0.85 ৳104

27.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

$0.60 ৳74.5

136.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 Rp 16.9K

$0.69 ৳85.4

36.23%

Eggs

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

$1.23 ৳152

21.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 Rp 59.7K

$3.33 ৳412

-0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 Rp 54.8K

$2.85 ৳352

7.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.6K

$0.90 ৳111

113.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.6K

$2.34 ৳289

-5.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 Rp 8,633

$0.28 ৳34.24

71.43%

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)

$2.82 Rp 50.7K

$3.28 ৳405

-14.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.55 Rp 405.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 Rp 32.0K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 Rp 40.1K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,796

$0.42 ৳52.3

-35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$1.10 ৳136

-33.64%

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

$29.4K ৳3.6M

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

$32.2K ৳4.0M

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

$68.5 Rp 1.2M

$38.28 ৳4,729

78.92%

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

$5.51 Rp 99.2K

$4.09 ৳506

34.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.14 Rp 398.4K

$9.02 ৳1,114

145.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.86 Rp 429.5K

$13.66 ৳1,688

74.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.79 Rp 212.2K

$10.21 ৳1,261

15.48%

Cinema Ticket

$3.73 Rp 67.1K

$4.11 ৳508

-9.25%

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

$90.7 ৳11.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.12 Rp 596.2K

$17.06 ৳2,108

94.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.53 Rp 603.5K

$21.38 ৳2,641

56.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$133 ৳16.4K

27.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 Rp 2.0M

$65.1 ৳8,041

73.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$262 Rp 4.7M

$246 ৳30.4K

6.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

-4.58%

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

Last update for Pontianak: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pontianak

$151 * 31.2%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 18.1% $27

Accommodation & Living

Pontianak

$113 23.3%

Dhaka

$65 16% 42.3% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pontianak

$96 19.8%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 46.5% $45

Eating Out

Pontianak

$62 12.8%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 4.4% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Pontianak

$31 6.5%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 30.1% $9.4

Clothing & Footwear

Pontianak

$30 * 6.2%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 90% $27

Getting Around

Pontianak

$1.1 * 0.2%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 2451% $26

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 $169 in Pontianak and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pontianak pays 6% 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: $8.00 in Pontianak vs $12.00 in Dhaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $151 vs $124, with Dhaka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Pontianak

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

14:48 2:48 PM

13:48 1:48 PM

1 h behind Pontianak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

672,440

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pontianak Dhaka 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Pontianak
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

Pontianak vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Pontianak, 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: $169 in Pontianak versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Pontianak. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $8.00 in Pontianak. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 19% less than in Pontianak. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.