Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Setia Alam and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $913 in Setia Alam, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Setia Alam
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Setia Alam Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Setia Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $913 in Setia Alam versus $406 in Dhaka.

Setia Alam $913
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,358 in Setia Alam versus $687 in Dhaka.

Setia Alam $1,358
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,803 in Setia Alam versus $969 in Dhaka.

Setia Alam $1,803
Dhaka $969

Living in Setia Alam is roughly 125% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Setia Alam 32% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 MYR 19.61

$2.28 ৳282

110.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.57 MYR 100

$12.33 ৳1,523

99.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 MYR 20.22

$3.95 ৳488

25.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$2.76 MYR 11.27

$2.28 ৳281

21.05%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.23

$0.33 ৳40.88

139.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$0.16 ৳19.86

193.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.32 MYR 17.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 MYR 24.50

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MYR 6.09

$0.85 ৳104

75.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 MYR 2.92

$0.60 ৳74.5

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.59 MYR 2.42

$0.69 ৳85.4

-14.49%

Eggs

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$1.23 ৳152

-2.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.82 MYR 56.4

$8.80 ৳1,087

57.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.41 MYR 9.83

$3.33 ৳412

-27.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.41 MYR 9.83

$6.63 ৳819

-63.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.04

$2.85 ৳352

-56.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.47

$0.90 ৳111

103.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.11

$2.34 ৳289

-46.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$0.63 ৳78.4

90.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$0.24 ৳29.59

195.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 MYR 3.03

$0.46 ৳57.3

60.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$0.35 ৳42.79

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MYR 2.95

$0.28 ৳34.24

157.14%

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)

$4.32 MYR 17.64

$3.28 ৳405

31.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.60 MYR 80.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.59 MYR 14.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MYR 19.84

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.08

$0.42 ৳52.3

80.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.31 MYR 50.2

$22.43 ৳2,772

-45.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$1.19 ৳147

4.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MYR 4.88

$0.39 ৳48.71

207.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 MYR 19.49

$3.28 ৳406

45.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 MYR 1.95

$1.10 ৳136

-56.36%

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

$39.2K MYR 159.9K

$29.4K ৳3.6M

33.14%

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

$33.0K MYR 134.7K

$32.2K ৳4.0M

2.69%

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

$61.2 MYR 250

$38.28 ৳4,729

59.80%

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

$8.52 MYR 34.77

$4.09 ৳506

108.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 MYR 106

$9.02 ৳1,114

188.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.73 MYR 203

$13.66 ৳1,688

264.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.97 MYR 28.44

$10.21 ৳1,261

-31.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MYR 20.82

$4.11 ৳508

24.09%

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

$135 MYR 551

$90.7 ৳11.2K

48.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,885 MYR 32.2K

$2,591 ৳320.2K

204.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 MYR 296

$17.06 ৳2,108

325.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.31 MYR 111

$21.38 ৳2,641

27.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.8 MYR 220

$51.4 ৳6,355

4.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.56 MYR 149

$36.78 ৳4,545

-0.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 MYR 2,160

$133 ৳16.4K

298.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 MYR 1,319

$65.1 ৳8,041

396.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 MYR 3,562

$377 ৳46.6K

131.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 MYR 2,238

$192 ৳23.8K

185.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,992 MYR 8,128

$1,621 ৳200.3K

22.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,102 MYR 4,498

$760 ৳93.9K

45.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,143 MYR 4,663

$246 ৳30.4K

364.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

-61.83%

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

Last update for Setia Alam: October 10, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Setia Alam

$323 35.4%

Dhaka

$65 16% 79.9% $258

Groceries & Markets

Setia Alam

$200 21.9%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 38.2% $77

Eating Out

Setia Alam

$125 13.7%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 52.5% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Setia Alam

$96 10.5%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 46.3% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Setia Alam

$86 9.4%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 33.5% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Setia Alam

$60 6.6%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 63.5% $38

Getting Around

Setia Alam

$23 2.5%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 21% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $529 in Setia Alam and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setia Alam pays 365% 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: $25.00 in Setia Alam vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Setia Alam

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

16:17 4:17 PM

14:17 2:17 PM

2 h behind Setia Alam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,000

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 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 MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Setia Alam Dhaka 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Setia Alam
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

Setia Alam vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 125% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 365% higher in Setia Alam, 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: $529 in Setia Alam versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $913 per month in Setia Alam versus $406 in Dhaka – a 125% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 82% less than in Setia Alam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $406 in Dhaka versus $913 in Setia Alam, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Setia Alam. 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, Setia Alam 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 125% less than in Setia Alam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.