Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seongnam and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $1,405 in Seongnam, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Seongnam
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,405
/mo nomad
Dhaka
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$406
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,405 in Seongnam versus $406 in Dhaka.

  • Seongnam $1,405
  • Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,330 in Seongnam versus $687 in Dhaka.

  • Seongnam $2,330
  • Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,255 in Seongnam versus $969 in Dhaka.

  • Seongnam $3,255
  • Dhaka $969

Living in Seongnam is roughly 246% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seongnam is 4% above, Dhaka is 70% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Seongnam
Dhaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.61 ₩8,817
$2.28 ৳281
189.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.26 ₩53.7K
$12.33 ৳1,518
226.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.67 ₩8,901
$3.95 ৳487
68.86%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.48 ৳552
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.13 ৳508
-
Cappuccino
$4.16 ₩5,547
$2.28 ৳280
82.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₩2,127
$0.33 ৳40.74
381.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 ₩1,097
$0.16 ৳19.80
412.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.56 ₩4,744
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.81 ₩5,083
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Seongnam
Dhaka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.26 ₩3,016
$0.85 ৳104
165.88%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 ₩4,112
$0.60 ৳74.3
413.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.59 ₩4,795
$0.69 ৳85.1
420.29%
Eggs
$3.61 ₩4,820
$1.23 ৳152
193.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.24 ₩12.3K
$8.80 ৳1,084
5.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.73 ₩10.3K
$3.33 ৳411
132.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.02 ₩28.0K
$6.63 ৳816
217.04%
Apples (1kg)
$7.75 ₩10.3K
$2.85 ৳351
171.93%
Banana (1kg)
$3.42 ₩4,568
$0.90 ৳111
280.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.87 ₩7,835
$2.34 ৳288
150.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.99 ₩9,321
$0.63 ৳78.2
1009.52%
Potato (1kg)
$3.60 ₩4,810
$0.24 ৳29.49
1400.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.52 ₩3,366
$0.46 ৳57.1
447.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.80 ₩3,737
$0.35 ৳42.64
700.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 ₩1,773
$0.28 ৳34.12
375.00%
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)
$3.45 ₩4,599
$3.28 ৳404
5.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.42 ₩24.6K
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.09 ₩2,786
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 ₩2,430
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Seongnam
Dhaka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.03 ₩1,373
$0.42 ৳52.1
145.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$22.43 ৳2,762
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.64 ₩4,858
$1.19 ৳147
205.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.66 ₩879
$0.39 ৳48.54
69.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.86 ₩11.8K
$3.28 ৳404
170.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 ₩1,817
$1.10 ৳135
23.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.3K ₩39.1M
$29.4K ৳3.6M
-0.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.4K ₩37.9M
$32.2K ৳4.0M
-11.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seongnam
Dhaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$207 ₩276.8K
$38.28 ৳4,713
442.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.39 ₩48.5K
$4.09 ৳504
789.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.67 ₩27.6K
$9.02 ৳1,110
129.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Seongnam
Dhaka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.6 ₩68.8K
$13.66 ৳1,682
277.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.09 ₩16.1K
$10.21 ৳1,257
18.41%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 ₩14.7K
$4.11 ৳506
167.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Seongnam
Dhaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$532 ₩709.4K
$90.7 ৳11.2K
485.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.7K ₩23.6M
$2,591 ৳319.1K
582.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Seongnam
Dhaka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 ₩76.9K
$17.06 ৳2,100
237.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.21 ₩43.0K
$21.38 ৳2,632
50.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$69.7 ₩92.9K
$51.4 ৳6,333
35.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$81.8 ₩109.2K
$36.78 ৳4,529
122.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Seongnam
Dhaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$478 ₩637.6K
$133 ৳16.4K
259.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$366 ₩488.6K
$65.1 ৳8,014
462.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,168 ₩1.6M
$377 ৳46.5K
209.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,035 ₩1.4M
$192 ৳23.7K
437.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,163 ₩9.6M
$1,621 ৳199.7K
341.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,429 ₩7.2M
$760 ৳93.6K
614.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Seongnam
Dhaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$246 ৳30.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.08
10.48
-61.07%

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

Last update for Seongnam: 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
Seongnam
$423
Dhaka
$124 70.8% $300
Accommodation & Living
Seongnam
$366
Dhaka
$65 82.2% $301
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seongnam
$265
Dhaka
$51 80.6% $213
Eating Out
Seongnam
$158
Dhaka
$59 62.4% $98
Clothing & Footwear
Seongnam
$109
Dhaka
$57 47.5% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Seongnam
$74
Dhaka
$22 70.2% $52
Getting Around
Seongnam
$11 *
Dhaka
$27 147% $16

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 $478 in Seongnam and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Seongnam vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $423 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇰🇷 Seongnam
🇧🇩 Dhaka
🕒 Local time
06:36 6:36 AM
03:36 3:36 AM
3 h behind Seongnam
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
967,510
21,741,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Seongnam Dhaka 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Seongnam
  • 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
Seongnam vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dhaka cheaper than Seongnam?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 246% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,108 in Seongnam 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.
What is the rent difference between Seongnam and Dhaka?
Rent for a central apartment: $478 in Seongnam versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $532 in Seongnam versus $90.7 in Dhaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Seongnam or in Dhaka?
Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $40.00 in Seongnam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Seongnam or in Dhaka?
At $406 in Dhaka versus $1,405 in Seongnam, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Seongnam. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Seongnam 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, Seongnam or Dhaka?
Safety-wise, Seongnam 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 246% less than in Seongnam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Seongnam vs other spots: cost of living compared

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