Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rajshahi and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Rajshahi: $319 a month against $406 in Dhaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

15

Cost of Living Index in Rajshahi
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Rajshahi Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Rajshahi

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$319

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $319 in Rajshahi versus $406 in Dhaka.

Rajshahi $319
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $502 in Rajshahi versus $687 in Dhaka.

Rajshahi $502
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $686 in Rajshahi versus $969 in Dhaka.

Rajshahi $686
Dhaka $969

Living in Rajshahi costs roughly 21% less than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rajshahi 76% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$0.84 ৳104

$2.28 ৳282

-63.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.99 ৳987

$12.33 ৳1,523

-35.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.81 ৳348

$3.95 ৳488

-28.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.95 ৳488

$4.48 ৳554

-11.83%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ৳275

$4.13 ৳510

-46.25%

Cappuccino

$1.37 ৳169

$2.28 ৳281

-39.91%

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

$0.33 ৳41.00

$0.33 ৳40.88

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.16

$0.16 ৳19.86

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 ৳84.8

$0.85 ৳104

-18.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 ৳78.7

$0.60 ৳74.5

6.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.2

$0.69 ৳85.4

-8.70%

Eggs

$1.14 ৳141

$1.23 ৳152

-7.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.84 ৳1,092

$8.80 ৳1,087

0.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 ৳393

$3.33 ৳412

-4.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.58 ৳813

$6.63 ৳819

-0.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 ৳320

$2.85 ৳352

-9.12%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 ৳118

$0.90 ৳111

5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 ৳59.0

$0.63 ৳78.4

-23.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.36

$0.24 ৳29.59

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.1

$0.46 ৳57.3

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳39.00

$0.35 ৳42.79

-8.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.44

$0.28 ৳34.24

7.14%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.27 ৳1,516

$12.11 ৳1,496

1.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 ৳197

$5.31 ৳656

-69.87%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ৳256

$6.42 ৳794

-67.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 ৳411

$3.28 ৳405

1.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.07 ৳8.48

$0.42 ৳52.3

-83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.24 ৳1,513

$22.43 ৳2,772

-45.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ৳37.85

$0.39 ৳48.71

-20.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 ৳117

$3.28 ৳406

-71.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ৳141

$1.10 ৳136

3.64%

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

$29.9K ৳3.7M

$29.4K ৳3.6M

1.48%

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

$32.5K ৳4.0M

$32.2K ৳4.0M

1.16%

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

$44.85 ৳5,542

$38.28 ৳4,729

17.16%

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

$4.12 ৳509

$4.09 ৳506

0.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.36 ৳1,281

$9.02 ৳1,114

14.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.93 ৳733

$13.66 ৳1,688

-56.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳511

$4.11 ৳508

0.49%

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

$13.45 ৳1,662

$90.7 ৳11.2K

-85.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$688 ৳85.0K

$2,591 ৳320.2K

-73.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$7.11 ৳878

$17.06 ৳2,108

-58.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.66 ৳1,812

$21.38 ৳2,641

-31.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.27 ৳3,123

$51.4 ৳6,355

-50.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$21.41 ৳2,646

$36.78 ৳4,545

-41.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$74.5 ৳9,199

$133 ৳16.4K

-44.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$46.35 ৳5,727

$65.1 ৳8,041

-28.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$377 ৳46.6K

-64.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.0 ৳11.9K

$192 ৳23.8K

-50.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$495 ৳61.1K

$1,621 ৳200.3K

-69.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 ৳282.2K

$760 ৳93.9K

200.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$219 ৳27.1K

$246 ৳30.4K

-10.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

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

Last update for Rajshahi: 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

Rajshahi

$119 37.5%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 3.5% $4.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rajshahi

$59 18.6%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 13.4% $7.9

Accommodation & Living

Rajshahi

$46 14.5%

Dhaka

$65 16% 40.4% $19

Eating Out

Rajshahi

$33 10.5%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 77.5% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Rajshahi

$31 9.7%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 85% $26

Getting Around

Rajshahi

$15 4.8%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 79.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Rajshahi

$14 4.5%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 54.2% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $74.5 in Rajshahi and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhaka pays 12% 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 Rajshahi vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $119 vs $124 per month, with Rajshahi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Rajshahi

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

12:29 12:29 PM

Same time as Rajshahi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

451,425

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Rajshahi vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rajshahi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Dhaka. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $74.5 in Rajshahi versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $319 per month in Rajshahi versus $406 in Dhaka – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rajshahi runs roughly 83% less than in Dhaka. 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 Rajshahi 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, Rajshahi 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 Rajshahi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Dhaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.