Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Semenyih and Dhaka
For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $428 a month against $958 in Semenyih, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Semenyih and in Dhaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $958 in Semenyih versus $428 in Dhaka.
Semenyih $958
Dhaka $428
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,428 in Semenyih versus $724 in Dhaka.
Semenyih $1,428
Dhaka $724
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,899 in Semenyih versus $1,019 in Dhaka.
Semenyih $1,899
Dhaka $1,019
🌍
Living in Semenyih is roughly 124% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Semenyih29% lower, Dhaka68% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Semenyih
Dhaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.71MYR 15.14
$2.50৳309
48.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.05MYR 73.6
$13.26৳1,638
36.12%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$5.05MYR 20.59
$4.99৳616
1.20%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.87৳602
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.14৳511
-
Cappuccino
$2.90MYR 11.83
$2.35৳291
23.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64MYR 2.61
$0.33৳41.07
93.94%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59MYR 2.42
$0.16৳19.62
268.75%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.29MYR 17.49
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.07MYR 24.78
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Semenyih
Dhaka
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.69MYR 6.88
$0.85৳105
98.82%
White Bread(500g)
$1.00MYR 4.09
$0.63৳77.9
58.73%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.43MYR 5.85
$0.67৳83.1
113.43%
Eggs
$1.72MYR 7.02
$1.19৳147
44.54%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$18.23MYR 74.4
$8.83৳1,092
106.46%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.66MYR 19.00
$3.30৳408
41.21%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.49MYR 42.80
$6.41৳792
63.65%
Apples(1kg)
$3.24MYR 13.23
$2.75৳340
17.82%
Banana(1kg)
$1.70MYR 6.92
$0.94৳116
80.85%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.82MYR 15.60
$2.37৳293
61.18%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.62MYR 6.62
$0.64৳79.1
153.13%
Potato(1kg)
$1.43MYR 5.83
$0.26৳32.25
450.00%
Onion(1kg)
$1.68MYR 6.84
$0.49৳60.6
242.86%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.38MYR 5.62
$0.30৳37.63
360.00%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51MYR 2.07
$0.30৳37.49
70.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
-
$12.24৳1,512
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$5.43৳671
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.53৳807
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.24MYR 17.30
$3.17৳392
33.75%
Wine(Bottle)
$13.80MYR 56.3
-
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.87MYR 11.71
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12MYR 12.73
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Semenyih
Dhaka
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.75MYR 3.05
$0.38৳47.44
97.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.19MYR 49.73
$23.06৳2,849
-47.14%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.94MYR 3.82
$1.17৳145
-19.66%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.71MYR 2.89
$0.38৳46.99
86.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$9.73MYR 39.70
$3.28৳405
196.65%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.52MYR 2.13
$1.11৳137
-53.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.0KMYR 171.4K
$29.1K৳3.6M
44.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.2KMYR 143.8K
$32.9K৳4.1M
7.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Semenyih
Dhaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$53.1MYR 217
$46.77৳5,779
13.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.18MYR 45.59
$4.51৳557
147.89%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.15MYR 115
$11.22৳1,387
150.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Semenyih
Dhaka
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$40.45MYR 165
$16.43৳2,031
146.20%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.15MYR 29.18
$14.87৳1,838
-51.92%
Cinema Ticket
$5.04MYR 20.54
$4.20৳519
20.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Semenyih
Dhaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$161MYR 657
$91.6৳11.3K
75.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$4,497MYR 18.3K
$2,596৳320.8K
73.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Semenyih
Dhaka
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9MYR 220
$16.63৳2,055
223.87%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$16.40MYR 66.9
$19.80৳2,447
-17.17%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$80.2MYR 327
$46.87৳5,791
71.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.2MYR 405
$37.00৳4,572
168.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Semenyih
Dhaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$401MYR 1,635
$148৳18.2K
171.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$299MYR 1,219
$70.8৳8,743
322.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$689MYR 2,813
$432৳53.4K
59.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$476MYR 1,940
$213৳26.3K
123.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,017MYR 8,228
$1,605৳198.4K
25.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,075MYR 4,386
$751৳92.8K
43.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Semenyih
Dhaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$668MYR 2,724
$245৳30.3K
172.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.06
10.67
-61.95%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Semenyih: October 20, 2026
Last update for Dhaka: October 19, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Semenyih
$299 31.2%
Dhaka
$71 16.5% ↓ 76.3%$228
🛒Groceries & Markets
Semenyih
$266 27.8%
Dhaka
$123 28.8% ↓ 53.7%$143
🍽Eating Out
Semenyih
$118 12.3%
Dhaka
$65 15.2% ↓ 44.9%$53
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Semenyih
$112 11.7%
Dhaka
$54 12.6% ↓ 51.8%$58
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Semenyih
$92 9.7%
Dhaka
$63 14.6% ↓ 32.4%$30
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Semenyih
$51 5.3%
Dhaka
$25 5.8% ↓ 50.9%$26
🚌Getting Around
Semenyih
$20 2.1%
Dhaka
$28 6.5% ↑ 40.8%$8
🏠Accommodation & Living
Semenyih
$476 25.1%
Dhaka
$213 20.9% ↓ 55.3%$263
🛒Groceries & Markets
Semenyih
$603 31.8%
Dhaka
$303 29.8% ↓ 49.7%$300
🍽Eating Out
Semenyih
$318 16.7%
Dhaka
$196 19.2% ↓ 38.5%$122
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Semenyih
$250 13.2%
Dhaka
$120 11.8% ↓ 51.8%$129
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Semenyih
$104 5.5%
Dhaka
$67 6.6% ↓ 35.3%$37
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Semenyih
$108 5.7%
Dhaka
$65 6.3% ↓ 40.4%$44
🚌Getting Around
Semenyih
$41 2.2%
Dhaka
$56 5.5% ↑ 37.5%$15
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Semenyih and $148 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Semenyih pays 173% 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: $18.00 in Semenyih vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.
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
Semenyih vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dhaka cheaper than Semenyih?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 124% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Semenyih or Dhaka?
Average pay runs 173% higher in Semenyih, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Semenyih and Dhaka?
Rent for a central apartment: $401 in Semenyih versus $148 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Semenyih and in Dhaka?
All in, you'll spend $958 per month in Semenyih versus $428 in Dhaka – a 124% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 89% less than in Semenyih. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Semenyih or in Dhaka?
At $428 in Dhaka versus $958 in Semenyih, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Semenyih. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Semenyih or in Dhaka?
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.
Which city is safer, Semenyih or Dhaka?
Safety-wise, Semenyih 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Semenyih. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.