Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz, Laguna and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $626 in Santa Cruz, Laguna, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz, Laguna
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Santa Cruz, Laguna Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

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Santa Cruz, Laguna

🇵🇭 Philippines

$626

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $626 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $406 in Dhaka.

Santa Cruz, Laguna $626
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $931 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $687 in Dhaka.

Santa Cruz, Laguna $931
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,236 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $969 in Dhaka.

Santa Cruz, Laguna $1,236
Dhaka $969

Living in Santa Cruz, Laguna is roughly 54% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Cruz, Laguna 54% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.57 ₱99.0

$2.28 ৳282

-31.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.09 ₱509

$12.33 ৳1,523

-34.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.76 ₱174

$3.95 ৳488

-30.13%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$1.78 ₱112

$2.28 ৳281

-21.93%

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

$0.38 ₱23.98

$0.33 ৳40.88

15.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₱14.42

$0.16 ৳19.86

43.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱62.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₱62.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ₱103

$0.85 ৳104

91.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ₱72.9

$0.60 ৳74.5

93.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₱63.3

$0.69 ৳85.4

44.93%

Eggs

$1.55 ₱97.5

$1.23 ৳152

26.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.65 ₱293

$8.80 ৳1,087

-47.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.50 ₱220

$3.33 ৳412

5.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.07 ₱445

$6.63 ৳819

6.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 ₱92.1

$2.85 ৳352

-48.77%

Banana (1kg)

$0.46 ₱28.85

$0.90 ৳111

-48.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 ₱91.0

$2.34 ৳289

-38.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.2

$0.63 ৳78.4

61.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱111

$0.24 ৳29.59

633.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 ₱109

$0.46 ৳57.3

278.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ₱41.99

$0.35 ৳42.79

91.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.46

$0.28 ৳34.24

89.29%

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)

$2.89 ₱182

$3.28 ৳405

-11.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.60 ₱541

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₱61.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ₱131

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.40

$0.42 ৳52.3

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.41 ₱718

$22.43 ৳2,772

-49.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.2

$1.19 ৳147

-31.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.39 ৳48.71

-41.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ₱121

$3.28 ৳406

-41.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.7

$1.10 ৳136

13.64%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$29.4K ৳3.6M

-27.98%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$32.2K ৳4.0M

-40.15%

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

$85.1 ₱5,359

$38.28 ৳4,729

122.36%

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

$17.58 ₱1,107

$4.09 ৳506

329.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.61 ₱1,487

$9.02 ৳1,114

161.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.48 ₱1,982

$13.66 ৳1,688

130.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.14 ₱261

$10.21 ৳1,261

-59.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.13 ₱323

$4.11 ৳508

24.82%

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

$134 ₱8,442

$90.7 ৳11.2K

47.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₱675.9K

$2,591 ৳320.2K

314.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.89 ₱1,819

$17.06 ৳2,108

69.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.72 ₱1,242

$21.38 ৳2,641

-7.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.5 ₱4,565

$51.4 ৳6,355

40.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.8 ₱3,515

$36.78 ৳4,545

51.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$242 ₱15.2K

$133 ৳16.4K

82.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 ₱9,895

$65.1 ৳8,041

141.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 ₱29.9K

$377 ৳46.6K

26.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 ₱19.0K

$192 ৳23.8K

56.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,296 ₱144.5K

$1,621 ৳200.3K

41.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$886 ₱55.8K

$760 ৳93.9K

16.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

10.48

-35.59%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz, Laguna: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$157 25.1%

Dhaka

$65 16% 58.6% $92

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$156 24.9%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 20.6% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$126 20.2%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 59.3% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$80 12.7%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 28.4% $23

Eating Out

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$52 8.2%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 15.2% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$42 6.7%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 47.6% $20

Getting Around

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$14 2.3%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 92% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $242 in Santa Cruz, Laguna and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $8.00 in Santa Cruz, Laguna vs $12.00 in Dhaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $156 vs $124, with Dhaka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Santa Cruz, Laguna

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

02:47 2:47 AM

00:47 12:47 AM

2 h behind Santa Cruz, Laguna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,574

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Cruz, Laguna Dhaka 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz, Laguna
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

Santa Cruz, Laguna vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $940 in Santa Cruz, Laguna and $609 in Dhaka to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $242 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $626 per month in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $406 in Dhaka – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 97% less than in Santa Cruz, Laguna. 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.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.