Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saitama and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $1,003 in Saitama, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Saitama
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Saitama Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Saitama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,003

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Saitama versus $406 in Dhaka.

Saitama $1,003
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,327 in Saitama versus $687 in Dhaka.

Saitama $1,327
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,650 in Saitama versus $969 in Dhaka.

Saitama $1,650
Dhaka $969

Living in Saitama is roughly 147% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Saitama 26% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 ¥869

$2.28 ৳281

141.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.36 ¥4,955

$12.33 ৳1,518

154.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.80 ¥758

$3.95 ৳487

21.52%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳552

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳508

Cappuccino

$2.92 ¥461

$2.28 ৳280

28.07%

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

$0.70 ¥111

$0.33 ৳40.74

112.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥92.0

$0.16 ৳19.80

262.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥396

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ¥511

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 ¥220

$0.85 ৳104

63.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥259

$0.60 ৳74.3

173.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 ¥436

$0.69 ৳85.1

300.00%

Eggs

$2.00 ¥315

$1.23 ৳152

62.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 ¥1,609

$8.80 ৳1,084

15.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 ¥859

$3.33 ৳411

63.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 ¥2,243

$6.63 ৳816

114.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.61 ¥887

$2.85 ৳351

96.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 ¥342

$0.90 ৳111

140.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ¥459

$2.34 ৳288

24.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 ¥678

$0.63 ৳78.2

580.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 ¥395

$0.24 ৳29.49

941.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 ¥255

$0.46 ৳57.1

250.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥205

$0.35 ৳42.64

271.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥114

$0.28 ৳34.12

157.14%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.11 ৳1,491

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.31 ৳654

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 ৳791

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥615

$3.28 ৳404

18.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.45 ¥1,018

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥284

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ¥318

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 ¥525

$0.42 ৳52.1

690.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,762

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 ¥512

$1.19 ৳147

172.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 ¥416

$0.39 ৳48.54

574.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.14 ¥3,181

$3.28 ৳404

514.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥174

$1.10 ৳135

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

$21.4K ¥3.4M

$29.4K ৳3.6M

-27.15%

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

$14.2K ¥2.2M

$32.2K ৳4.0M

-55.95%

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

$133 ¥21.0K

$38.28 ৳4,713

246.66%

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

$18.15 ¥2,867

$4.09 ৳504

343.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.67 ¥5,162

$9.02 ৳1,110

262.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 ¥9,909

$13.66 ৳1,682

359.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,257

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 ¥1,752

$4.11 ৳506

169.83%

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

$634 ¥100.1K

$90.7 ৳11.2K

598.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K ¥2.3M

$2,591 ৳319.1K

461.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.01 ¥5,531

$17.06 ৳2,100

105.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.25 ¥3,989

$21.38 ৳2,632

18.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.0 ¥8,686

$51.4 ৳6,333

6.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.6 ¥9,891

$36.78 ৳4,529

70.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$413 ¥65.3K

$133 ৳16.4K

210.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 ¥36.8K

$65.1 ৳8,014

258.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳199.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,550 ¥244.9K

$246 ৳30.3K

529.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.06

10.48

-80.34%

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

Last update for Saitama: 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

Saitama

$274 27.4%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 54.9% $151

Accommodation & Living

Saitama

$233 23.2%

Dhaka

$65 16% 72.1% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saitama

$184 18.3%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 72% $132

Eating Out

Saitama

$118 11.7%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 49.5% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Saitama

$85 8.5%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 74.2% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Saitama

$80 8%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 28.8% $23

Getting Around

Saitama

$30 * 3%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 8.1% $2.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $413 in Saitama and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saitama pays 530% 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: $31.00 in Saitama vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Saitama

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

03:03 3:03 AM

00:03 12:03 AM

3 h behind Saitama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,182,115

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.12 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.12 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.22 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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Between locations

Saitama Dhaka 4,890 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Saitama
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

Saitama vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 147% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 530% higher in Saitama, 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: $413 in Saitama versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $634 in Saitama versus $90.7 in Dhaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $31.00 in Saitama. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $406 in Dhaka versus $1,003 in Saitama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Saitama. 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, Saitama 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 147% less than in Saitama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.