Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puchong and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $958 in Puchong, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Puchong
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Puchong Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

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Puchong

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$958

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $958 in Puchong versus $406 in Dhaka.

Puchong $958
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,421 in Puchong versus $687 in Dhaka.

Puchong $1,421
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,884 in Puchong versus $969 in Dhaka.

Puchong $1,884
Dhaka $969

Living in Puchong is roughly 136% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puchong 29% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.61 MYR 14.75

$2.28 ৳282

58.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.21 MYR 74.3

$12.33 ৳1,523

47.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 MYR 19.81

$3.95 ৳488

23.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$3.17 MYR 12.91

$2.28 ৳281

39.04%

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

$0.84 MYR 3.44

$0.33 ৳40.88

154.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.29

$0.16 ৳19.86

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.33 MYR 17.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.25 MYR 25.51

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 MYR 7.97

$0.85 ৳104

129.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 MYR 4.56

$0.60 ৳74.5

86.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.07

$0.69 ৳85.4

115.94%

Eggs

$1.56 MYR 6.35

$1.23 ৳152

26.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.26 MYR 58.2

$8.80 ৳1,087

62.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 MYR 17.62

$3.33 ৳412

29.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.76 MYR 39.81

$6.63 ৳819

47.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MYR 13.52

$2.85 ৳352

16.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MYR 7.08

$0.90 ৳111

93.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 MYR 9.24

$2.34 ৳289

-3.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.22

$0.63 ৳78.4

141.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 5.99

$0.24 ৳29.59

512.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.48

$0.46 ৳57.3

191.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MYR 4.90

$0.35 ৳42.79

242.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.25

$0.28 ৳34.24

96.43%

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)

$4.32 MYR 17.63

$3.28 ৳405

31.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.40 MYR 58.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 MYR 12.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MYR 12.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MYR 3.47

$0.42 ৳52.3

102.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.15 MYR 49.57

$22.43 ৳2,772

-45.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 MYR 4.10

$1.19 ৳147

-15.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 MYR 3.05

$0.39 ৳48.71

92.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 MYR 20.14

$3.28 ৳406

50.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.57

$1.10 ৳136

-20.91%

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

$41.7K MYR 170.2K

$29.4K ৳3.6M

41.76%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.2K

$32.2K ৳4.0M

8.38%

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

$52.1 MYR 212

$38.28 ৳4,729

36.00%

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

$9.85 MYR 40.18

$4.09 ৳506

140.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.12 MYR 115

$9.02 ৳1,114

211.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.08 MYR 131

$13.66 ৳1,688

134.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.13 MYR 29.08

$10.21 ৳1,261

-30.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MYR 20.33

$4.11 ৳508

21.17%

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

$223 MYR 911

$90.7 ৳11.2K

146.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K MYR 50.9K

$2,591 ৳320.2K

381.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 MYR 266

$17.06 ৳2,108

281.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 MYR 171

$21.38 ৳2,641

96.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 MYR 353

$51.4 ৳6,355

68.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.2 MYR 396

$36.78 ৳4,545

164.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 MYR 1,762

$133 ৳16.4K

224.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$304 MYR 1,242

$65.1 ৳8,041

367.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$670 MYR 2,735

$377 ৳46.6K

77.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MYR 1,948

$192 ৳23.8K

148.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,002 MYR 8,167

$1,621 ৳200.3K

23.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,093 MYR 4,458

$760 ৳93.9K

43.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,352 MYR 5,515

$246 ৳30.4K

449.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

10.48

-60.11%

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

Last update for Puchong: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puchong

$304 31.8%

Dhaka

$65 16% 78.6% $239

Groceries & Markets

Puchong

$249 26%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 50.3% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Puchong

$131 13.7%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 56.5% $74

Eating Out

Puchong

$121 12.7%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 51% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puchong

$90 9.4%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 42.9% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Puchong

$42 4.4%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 47.9% $20

Getting Around

Puchong

$20 2.1%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 34.5% $7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Puchong and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puchong pays 449% 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: $18.00 in Puchong vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Puchong

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

13:30 1:30 PM

2 h behind Puchong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

400,000

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 = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Puchong
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

Puchong vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 136% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 449% higher in Puchong, 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: $432 in Puchong versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $958 per month in Puchong versus $406 in Dhaka – a 136% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 85% less than in Puchong. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $406 in Dhaka versus $958 in Puchong, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Puchong. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Puchong 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 136% less than in Puchong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.