Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Putian and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $428 a month against $518 in Putian, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Putian despite lower rent and utilities.

Putian
🇨🇳 China
$518
/mo nomad
Dhaka
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$428
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $518 in Putian versus $428 in Dhaka.

  • Putian $518
  • Dhaka $428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $854 in Putian versus $724 in Dhaka.

  • Putian $854
  • Dhaka $724

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,190 in Putian versus $1,019 in Dhaka.

  • Putian $1,190
  • Dhaka $1,019

Living in Putian is roughly 21% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Putian 62% lower, Dhaka 68% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Putian
Dhaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.21 ¥14.79
$2.50 ৳309
-11.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.26 ¥156
$13.26 ৳1,638
75.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.17 ¥34.57
$4.99 ৳616
3.61%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.87 ৳602
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.14 ৳511
-
Cappuccino
$2.44 ¥16.32
$2.35 ৳291
3.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 ¥2.88
$0.33 ৳41.07
30.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 ¥1.92
$0.16 ৳19.62
81.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.77 ¥5.16
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 ¥19.58
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Putian
Dhaka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 ¥9.82
$0.85 ৳105
72.94%
White Bread (500g)
$2.25 ¥15.07
$0.63 ৳77.9
257.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.93 ¥6.19
$0.67 ৳83.1
38.81%
Eggs
$1.58 ¥10.58
$1.19 ৳147
32.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.73 ¥78.4
$8.83 ৳1,092
32.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.43 ¥16.22
$3.30 ৳408
-26.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.18 ¥81.4
$6.41 ৳792
90.02%
Apples (1kg)
$2.55 ¥17.03
$2.75 ৳340
-7.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 ¥9.49
$0.94 ৳116
51.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.70 ¥11.34
$2.37 ৳293
-28.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.98 ¥13.25
$0.64 ৳79.1
209.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.02 ¥6.79
$0.26 ৳32.25
292.31%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 ¥11.86
$0.49 ৳60.6
261.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.93 ¥6.19
$0.30 ৳37.63
210.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50 ¥3.36
$0.30 ৳37.49
66.67%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$12.24 ৳1,512
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$5.43 ৳671
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.53 ৳807
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.04 ¥20.31
$3.17 ৳392
-4.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.18 ¥74.8
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 ¥5.58
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 ¥11.44
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Putian
Dhaka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.74 ¥4.92
$0.38 ৳47.44
94.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.38 ¥150
$23.06 ৳2,849
-2.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.52 ¥10.16
$1.17 ৳145
29.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.29 ¥1.94
$0.38 ৳46.99
-23.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.02 ¥46.94
$3.28 ৳405
114.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ¥8.76
$1.11 ৳137
18.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.4K ¥129.8K
$29.1K ৳3.6M
-33.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.8K ¥118.8K
$32.9K ৳4.1M
-46.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Putian
Dhaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$44.03 ¥294
$46.77 ৳5,779
-5.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.87 ¥59.3
$4.51 ৳557
96.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.55 ¥70.6
$11.22 ৳1,387
-5.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Putian
Dhaka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$16.43 ৳2,031
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$14.87 ৳1,838
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.08 ¥67.4
$4.20 ৳519
140.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Putian
Dhaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$492 ¥3,286
$91.6 ৳11.3K
436.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.5K ¥163.6K
$2,596 ৳320.8K
842.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Putian
Dhaka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.10 ¥261
$16.63 ৳2,055
135.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.11 ¥195
$19.80 ৳2,447
47.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 ¥691
$46.87 ৳5,791
120.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.7 ¥573
$37.00 ৳4,572
131.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Putian
Dhaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$148 ৳18.2K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$70.8 ৳8,743
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$432 ৳53.4K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$213 ৳26.3K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,637 ¥17.6K
$1,605 ৳198.4K
64.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,115 ¥7,452
$751 ৳92.8K
48.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Putian
Dhaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$480 ¥3,211
$245 ৳30.3K
96.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.46
10.67
-67.57%

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

Last update for Putian: October 20, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Putian
$215
Dhaka
$123 42.8% $92
Clothing & Footwear
Putian
$116
Dhaka
$54 53.2% $62
Eating Out
Putian
$75
Dhaka
$65 13.3% $10
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Putian
$63
Dhaka
$63 1.5% $1
Getting Around
Putian
$28
Dhaka
$28 2.2% $0.6
Sport & Entertainment
Putian
$20 *
Dhaka
$25 23.2% $4.7
Accommodation & Living
Putian
- *
Dhaka
$71

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Putian pays 96% 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: $23.00 in Putian vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Putian
🇧🇩 Dhaka
🕒 Local time
04:43 4:43 AM
02:43 2:43 AM
2 h behind Putian
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,954,000
21,741,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Putian Dhaka 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Putian
  • 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
Putian vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dhaka cheaper than Putian?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Putian or Dhaka?
Average pay runs 96% higher in Putian, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What are total monthly expenses in Putian and in Dhaka?
All in, you'll spend $518 per month in Putian versus $428 in Dhaka – a 21% 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 3% less than in Putian. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 enough for either Putian or Dhaka?
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.
Is it better to live in Putian 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 21% less than in Putian. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Putian vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?