Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rawang and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $741 in Rawang, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Rawang
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Rawang Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

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Rawang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$741

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $741 in Rawang versus $406 in Dhaka.

Rawang $741
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,183 in Rawang versus $687 in Dhaka.

Rawang $1,183
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,624 in Rawang versus $969 in Dhaka.

Rawang $1,624
Dhaka $969

Living in Rawang is roughly 83% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rawang 45% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 MYR 15.31

$2.28 ৳282

64.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.68 MYR 80.3

$12.33 ৳1,523

59.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.04 MYR 20.55

$3.95 ৳488

27.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.20

$2.28 ৳281

31.14%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.38

$0.33 ৳40.88

151.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.61

$0.16 ৳19.86

143.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.25 MYR 17.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 MYR 17.89

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 MYR 7.96

$0.85 ৳104

129.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$0.60 ৳74.5

73.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.19

$0.69 ৳85.4

155.07%

Eggs

$2.23 MYR 9.08

$1.23 ৳152

81.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.15 MYR 57.7

$8.80 ৳1,087

60.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.48 MYR 18.29

$3.33 ৳412

34.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.85 MYR 40.19

$6.63 ৳819

48.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 MYR 12.49

$2.85 ৳352

7.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 MYR 7.49

$0.90 ৳111

104.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 MYR 10.73

$2.34 ৳289

12.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.89

$0.63 ৳78.4

128.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 MYR 5.37

$0.24 ৳29.59

450.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.43

$0.46 ৳57.3

189.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MYR 4.80

$0.35 ৳42.79

237.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.34

$0.28 ৳34.24

103.57%

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)

$4.54 MYR 18.53

$3.28 ৳405

38.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.13 MYR 78.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 MYR 12.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 MYR 20.75

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MYR 3.12

$0.42 ৳52.3

83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.31 MYR 50.2

$22.43 ৳2,772

-45.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.77

$1.19 ৳147

39.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.52

$0.39 ৳48.71

-5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.88 MYR 28.05

$3.28 ৳406

109.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 MYR 3.64

$1.10 ৳136

-19.09%

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

$42.4K MYR 173.0K

$29.4K ৳3.6M

44.08%

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

$34.7K MYR 141.4K

$32.2K ৳4.0M

7.77%

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

$36.56 MYR 149

$38.28 ৳4,729

-4.49%

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

$9.78 MYR 39.90

$4.09 ৳506

139.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.31 MYR 120

$9.02 ৳1,114

224.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.87 MYR 163

$13.66 ৳1,688

191.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.13 MYR 29.08

$10.21 ৳1,261

-30.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.90 MYR 19.99

$4.11 ৳508

19.22%

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

$301 MYR 1,227

$90.7 ৳11.2K

231.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K MYR 44.6K

$2,591 ৳320.2K

321.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 MYR 244

$17.06 ৳2,108

250.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.75 MYR 146

$21.38 ৳2,641

67.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.6 MYR 337

$51.4 ৳6,355

60.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 MYR 289

$36.78 ৳4,545

92.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$140 MYR 569

$133 ৳16.4K

4.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$103 MYR 421

$65.1 ৳8,041

58.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 MYR 2,354

$377 ৳46.6K

52.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 MYR 945

$192 ৳23.8K

20.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,051 MYR 8,368

$1,621 ৳200.3K

26.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,090 MYR 4,445

$760 ৳93.9K

43.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,035 MYR 4,223

$246 ৳30.4K

320.62%

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 Rawang: 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

Rawang

$266 35.9%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 53.5% $142

Eating Out

Rawang

$116 15.6%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 48.8% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Rawang

$112 15.1%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 49.1% $55

Accommodation & Living

Rawang

$103 13.9%

Dhaka

$65 16% 37% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rawang

$76 10.2%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 32.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Rawang

$50 6.7%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 55.9% $28

Getting Around

Rawang

$19 2.6%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 44.5% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $140 in Rawang and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rawang pays 321% 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: $20.00 in Rawang vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Rawang

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

11:23 11:23 AM

09:23 9:23 AM

2 h behind Rawang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000

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

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Between locations

Rawang Dhaka 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Rawang
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

Rawang vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 321% higher in Rawang, 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: $140 in Rawang versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $741 per month in Rawang versus $406 in Dhaka – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 82% less than in Rawang. 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, Rawang 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 83% less than in Rawang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.