Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Putrajaya and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $818 in Putrajaya, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Putrajaya
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Putrajaya Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

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Putrajaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$818

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $818 in Putrajaya versus $406 in Dhaka.

Putrajaya $818
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,232 in Putrajaya versus $687 in Dhaka.

Putrajaya $1,232
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,646 in Putrajaya versus $969 in Dhaka.

Putrajaya $1,646
Dhaka $969

Living in Putrajaya is roughly 102% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Putrajaya 39% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.78 MYR 15.41

$2.28 ৳282

65.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.39 MYR 75.0

$12.33 ৳1,523

49.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.67

$3.95 ৳488

15.95%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$2.86 MYR 11.68

$2.28 ৳281

25.44%

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

$0.80 MYR 3.28

$0.33 ৳40.88

142.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$0.16 ৳19.86

143.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 MYR 14.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 MYR 18.52

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MYR 6.83

$0.85 ৳104

96.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 MYR 4.49

$0.60 ৳74.5

83.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.00

$0.69 ৳85.4

113.04%

Eggs

$1.67 MYR 6.82

$1.23 ৳152

35.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 MYR 32.00

$8.80 ৳1,087

-10.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 MYR 19.09

$3.33 ৳412

40.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 MYR 39.05

$6.63 ৳819

44.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 MYR 9.82

$2.85 ৳352

-15.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.15

$0.90 ৳111

67.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 MYR 9.23

$2.34 ৳289

-3.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.65

$0.63 ৳78.4

158.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 MYR 5.37

$0.24 ৳29.59

450.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.11

$0.46 ৳57.3

226.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MYR 5.43

$0.35 ৳42.79

280.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.22

$0.28 ৳34.24

92.86%

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)

$4.29 MYR 17.50

$3.28 ৳405

30.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 MYR 54.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 MYR 12.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 MYR 12.74

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MYR 2.84

$0.42 ৳52.3

64.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 MYR 50.8

$22.43 ৳2,772

-44.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MYR 3.92

$1.19 ৳147

-19.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MYR 1.96

$0.39 ৳48.71

23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.93 MYR 40.51

$3.28 ৳406

202.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 MYR 3.01

$1.10 ৳136

-32.73%

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

$42.5K MYR 173.3K

$29.4K ৳3.6M

44.30%

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

$34.5K MYR 140.7K

$32.2K ৳4.0M

7.23%

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

$53.4 MYR 218

$38.28 ৳4,729

39.42%

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

$11.10 MYR 45.29

$4.09 ৳506

171.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.49 MYR 91.7

$9.02 ৳1,114

149.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.53 MYR 145

$13.66 ৳1,688

160.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.63 MYR 39.28

$10.21 ৳1,261

-5.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 MYR 19.88

$4.11 ৳508

18.49%

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

$506 MYR 2,063

$90.7 ৳11.2K

457.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,463 MYR 18.2K

$2,591 ৳320.2K

72.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 MYR 225

$17.06 ৳2,108

223.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.63 MYR 67.9

$21.38 ৳2,641

-22.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MYR 326

$51.4 ৳6,355

55.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MYR 355

$36.78 ৳4,545

136.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 MYR 1,420

$133 ৳16.4K

161.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$228 MYR 932

$65.1 ৳8,041

250.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$644 MYR 2,628

$377 ৳46.6K

70.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 MYR 1,516

$192 ৳23.8K

93.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,622 MYR 10.7K

$1,621 ৳200.3K

61.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,765 MYR 7,202

$760 ৳93.9K

132.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,043 MYR 4,255

$246 ৳30.4K

323.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

10.48

-61.26%

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

Last update for Putrajaya: October 10, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Putrajaya

$228 27.9%

Dhaka

$65 16% 71.5% $163

Groceries & Markets

Putrajaya

$221 27%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 44% $97

Eating Out

Putrajaya

$110 13.5%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 46.2% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Putrajaya

$107 13.1%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 46.9% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Putrajaya

$87 10.6%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 40.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Putrajaya

$45 5.5%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 51.6% $23

Getting Around

Putrajaya

$19 2.3%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 46.8% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $348 in Putrajaya and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Putrajaya pays 324% 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 Putrajaya vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Putrajaya

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

15:06 3:06 PM

13:06 1:06 PM

2 h behind Putrajaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,202

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

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Highest

Between locations

Putrajaya Dhaka 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Putrajaya
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

Putrajaya vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 324% higher in Putrajaya, 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: $348 in Putrajaya versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $818 per month in Putrajaya versus $406 in Dhaka – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 80% less than in Putrajaya. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Putrajaya 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 102% less than in Putrajaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.