Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Semarang and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $599 in Semarang, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Semarang
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Semarang Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

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Semarang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$599

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $599 in Semarang versus $406 in Dhaka.

Semarang $599
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $945 in Semarang versus $687 in Dhaka.

Semarang $945
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,292 in Semarang versus $969 in Dhaka.

Semarang $1,292
Dhaka $969

Living in Semarang is roughly 48% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Semarang 56% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.39 Rp 25.0K

$2.28 ৳282

-39.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.63 Rp 191.3K

$12.33 ৳1,523

-13.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.07 Rp 55.3K

$3.95 ৳488

-22.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$1.28 Rp 23.1K

$2.28 ৳281

-43.86%

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

$0.48 Rp 8,633

$0.33 ৳40.88

45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 Rp 3,641

$0.16 ৳19.86

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 Rp 29.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 Rp 61.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 Rp 19.3K

$0.85 ৳104

25.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

$0.60 ৳74.5

48.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$0.69 ৳85.4

13.04%

Eggs

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

$1.23 ৳152

0.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.99 Rp 71.9K

$8.80 ৳1,087

-54.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.44 Rp 44.0K

$3.33 ৳412

-26.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.53 Rp 135.5K

$6.63 ৳819

13.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 Rp 37.3K

$2.85 ৳352

-27.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$0.90 ৳111

41.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 33.2K

$2.34 ৳289

-21.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 Rp 26.8K

$0.63 ৳78.4

136.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

$0.24 ৳29.59

470.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$0.46 ৳57.3

330.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 Rp 16.3K

$0.35 ৳42.79

157.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 Rp 7,529

$0.28 ৳34.24

50.00%

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)

$1.96 Rp 35.3K

$3.28 ৳405

-40.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.63 Rp 443.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 Rp 36.1K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 Rp 3,778

$0.42 ৳52.3

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.21 Rp 255.8K

$22.43 ৳2,772

-36.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,539

$1.19 ৳147

-60.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 Rp 4,808

$0.39 ৳48.71

-30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 Rp 49.0K

$3.28 ৳406

-17.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

$1.10 ৳136

-25.45%

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

$25.2K Rp 453.9M

$29.4K ৳3.6M

-14.33%

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

$32.3K Rp 581.4M

$32.2K ৳4.0M

0.43%

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

$85.9 Rp 1.5M

$38.28 ৳4,729

124.43%

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

$2.64 Rp 47.5K

$4.09 ৳506

-35.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.37 Rp 348.6K

$9.02 ৳1,114

114.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.70 Rp 372.6K

$13.66 ৳1,688

51.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.68 Rp 84.2K

$10.21 ৳1,261

-54.16%

Cinema Ticket

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

$4.11 ৳508

-46.72%

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

$51.1 Rp 920.3K

$90.7 ৳11.2K

-43.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,063 Rp 37.1M

$2,591 ৳320.2K

-20.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.51 Rp 639.1K

$17.06 ৳2,108

108.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.67 Rp 534.1K

$21.38 ৳2,641

38.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$51.4 ৳6,355

10.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.38 Rp 690.8K

$36.78 ৳4,545

4.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 Rp 4.1M

$133 ৳16.4K

73.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 Rp 2.5M

$65.1 ৳8,041

111.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 Rp 9.0M

$377 ৳46.6K

31.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 Rp 6.8M

$192 ৳23.8K

96.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,211 Rp 21.8M

$1,621 ৳200.3K

-25.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$825 Rp 14.9M

$760 ৳93.9K

8.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$191 Rp 3.4M

$246 ৳30.4K

-22.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.82

10.48

-15.84%

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

Last update for Semarang: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Semarang

$186 31%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 33.4% $62

Accommodation & Living

Semarang

$138 23%

Dhaka

$65 16% 52.7% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Semarang

$108 18%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 52.4% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Semarang

$72 12.1%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 21.1% $15

Eating Out

Semarang

$53 8.9%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 11.4% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Semarang

$25 4.2%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 12.7% $3.2

Getting Around

Semarang

$17 2.8%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 61.9% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $231 in Semarang and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhaka pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $11.00 in Semarang vs $12.00 in Dhaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $186 vs $124, with Dhaka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Semarang

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

17:39 5:39 PM

16:39 4:39 PM

1 h behind Semarang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,555,984

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Semarang Dhaka 4,050 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Semarang
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

Semarang vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% 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: $231 in Semarang versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $599 per month in Semarang versus $406 in Dhaka – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 58% less than in Semarang. 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 48% less than in Semarang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.