Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,250 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Shanghai versus $426 in Dhaka.

Shanghai $1,250
Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,019 in Shanghai versus $735 in Dhaka.

Shanghai $2,019
Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,789 in Shanghai versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

Shanghai $2,789
Dhaka $1,043

Living in Shanghai is roughly 193% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shanghai 7% lower, Dhaka 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ¥30.45

$2.49 ৳306

82.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.52 ¥198

$13.06 ৳1,605

126.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥34.13

$4.83 ৳594

5.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥22.92

$2.34 ৳287

46.15%

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

$0.61 ¥4.12

$0.30 ৳37.39

103.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.41

$0.16 ৳19.96

125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.33

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.48

$0.80 ৳98.1

132.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ¥13.47

$0.65 ৳79.3

209.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.84

$0.71 ৳87.3

43.66%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.48

$1.21 ৳149

42.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ¥115

$8.67 ৳1,065

98.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.43

$3.21 ৳395

4.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.7

$6.70 ৳823

91.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ¥14.54

$2.73 ৳335

-20.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.67

$0.88 ৳109

97.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.99

$2.37 ৳291

-18.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$0.65 ৳79.6

158.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.18

$0.24 ৳29.20

220.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.22

$0.49 ৳60.7

89.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$0.32 ৳38.88

93.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.30 ৳37.31

93.33%

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)

$3.83 ¥25.64

$3.23 ৳396

18.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ¥73.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.60

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.73

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.42 ৳52.1

40.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.27 ¥203

$22.54 ৳2,770

34.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$1.19 ৳147

73.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.40 ৳48.60

17.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ¥58.9

$3.35 ৳411

162.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.53

$1.15 ৳141

10.43%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$30.3K ৳3.7M

-35.31%

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

$18.6K ¥124.4K

$33.0K ৳4.1M

-43.76%

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

$57.2 ¥383

$46.32 ৳5,692

23.55%

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

$8.06 ¥53.9

$4.33 ৳532

86.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ¥70.4

$10.63 ৳1,306

-1.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥433

$16.37 ৳2,012

294.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 ¥118

$16.14 ৳1,983

9.23%

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 ¥59.1

$4.13 ৳508

114.04%

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

$1,437 ¥9,620

$90.7 ৳11.1K

1484.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥187.9K

$2,649 ৳325.5K

959.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥366

$16.48 ৳2,025

231.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 ¥244

$21.00 ৳2,580

73.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

$50.3 ৳6,175

49.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥696

$36.46 ৳4,480

185.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ¥6,956

$152 ৳18.6K

584.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ¥3,940

$73.6 ৳9,044

699.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ¥16.6K

$436 ৳53.6K

470.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 ¥8,282

$214 ৳26.3K

478.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥90.9K

$1,622 ৳199.3K

737.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,191 ¥41.4K

$761 ৳93.5K

713.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$249 ৳30.6K

588.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

10.48

-67.94%

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

Last update for Shanghai: 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

Shanghai

$589 47.1%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 87.5% $515

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 48.2% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Dhaka

$56 13% 54.1% $66

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.6%

Dhaka

$64 15% 40.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$82 6.6%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 70.1% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 19.2% $15

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 25.9% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,039 in Shanghai and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 589% 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: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

09:08 9:08 AM

07:08 7:08 AM

2 h behind Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.149 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 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 CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Shanghai Dhaka 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
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

Shanghai vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 193% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 589% higher in Shanghai, 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: $1,039 in Shanghai versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,250 per month in Shanghai versus $426 in Dhaka – a 193% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 34% less than in Shanghai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,250 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. 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.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 193% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.