Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,822 in Seoul versus $426 in Dhaka.

Seoul $1,822
Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Seoul versus $735 in Dhaka.

Seoul $2,847
Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,872 in Seoul versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

Seoul $3,872
Dhaka $1,043

Living in Seoul is roughly 327% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 36% above, Dhaka is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$2.49 ৳306

265.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩90.0K

$13.06 ৳1,605

413.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,964

$4.83 ৳594

53.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,482

$2.34 ৳287

74.36%

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

$1.60 ₩2,146

$0.30 ৳37.39

433.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,081

$0.16 ৳19.96

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,898

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,974

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,748

$0.80 ৳98.1

156.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,139

$0.65 ৳79.3

373.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,659

$0.71 ৳87.3

492.96%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,795

$1.21 ৳149

195.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$8.67 ৳1,065

107.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$3.21 ৳395

231.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.5K

$6.70 ৳823

294.63%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,969

$2.73 ৳335

171.79%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,743

$0.88 ৳109

301.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,884

$2.37 ৳291

147.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,554

$0.65 ৳79.6

880.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,040

$0.24 ৳29.20

1462.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,345

$0.49 ৳60.7

408.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,920

$0.32 ৳38.88

812.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,545

$0.30 ৳37.31

283.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.07 ৳1,483

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 ৳677

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳819

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,418

$3.23 ৳396

1.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,064

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,408

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,529

$0.42 ৳52.1

171.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩61.1K

$22.54 ৳2,770

101.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,674

$1.19 ৳147

192.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩805

$0.40 ৳48.60

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$3.35 ৳411

159.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,008

$1.15 ৳141

30.43%

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

$29.1K ₩39.1M

$30.3K ৳3.7M

-3.88%

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

$28.2K ₩37.9M

$33.0K ৳4.1M

-14.65%

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

$209 ₩280.5K

$46.32 ৳5,692

350.93%

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

$35.13 ₩47.2K

$4.33 ৳532

711.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$10.63 ৳1,306

99.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩77.0K

$16.37 ৳2,012

250.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$16.14 ৳1,983

-1.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$4.13 ৳508

174.33%

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

$1,902 ₩2.6M

$90.7 ৳11.1K

1996.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$2,649 ৳325.5K

750.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩79.1K

$16.48 ৳2,025

257.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.1K

$21.00 ৳2,580

52.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.2K

$50.3 ৳6,175

39.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.8K

$36.46 ৳4,480

126.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$152 ৳18.6K

483.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩837.5K

$73.6 ৳9,044

747.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$436 ৳53.6K

472.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$214 ৳26.3K

496.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.1M

$1,622 ৳199.3K

1740.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$761 ৳93.5K

1456.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$249 ৳30.6K

1365.62%

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 Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 88.2% $550

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 74.4% $357

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 76.9% $204

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Dhaka

$64 15% 65% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Dhaka

$56 13% 49% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 69.2% $55

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 51.5% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Seoul and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 1366% 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: $67.0 in Seoul vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $479 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

11:50 11:50 AM

08:50 8:50 AM

3 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Dhaka 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
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

Seoul vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 327% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1366% higher in Seoul, 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: $885 in Seoul versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,822 per month in Seoul versus $426 in Dhaka – a 327% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 102% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,822 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Seoul. 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, Seoul 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 327% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.