Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,134 in Shenzhen, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,134

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,134 in Shenzhen versus $426 in Dhaka.

Shenzhen $1,134
Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,734 in Shenzhen versus $735 in Dhaka.

Shenzhen $1,734
Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,333 in Shenzhen versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

Shenzhen $2,333
Dhaka $1,043

Living in Shenzhen is roughly 166% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shenzhen 15% lower, Dhaka 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 ¥24.37

$2.49 ৳306

46.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.70 ¥199

$13.06 ৳1,605

127.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 ¥34.24

$4.83 ৳594

6.00%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$3.21 ¥21.50

$2.34 ৳287

37.18%

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

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.30 ৳37.39

96.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.16 ৳19.96

106.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.90

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 ¥15.00

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥10.40

$0.80 ৳98.1

93.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥10.98

$0.65 ৳79.3

152.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.30

$0.71 ৳87.3

53.52%

Eggs

$1.76 ¥11.80

$1.21 ৳149

45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.95 ¥140

$8.67 ৳1,065

141.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.38 ¥22.65

$3.21 ৳395

5.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.38 ¥96.2

$6.70 ৳823

114.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ¥15.49

$2.73 ৳335

-15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ¥10.72

$0.88 ৳109

81.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.63

$2.37 ৳291

-20.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.45

$0.65 ৳79.6

116.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.17

$0.24 ৳29.20

345.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.29

$0.49 ৳60.7

153.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.96

$0.32 ৳38.88

84.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.30 ৳37.31

96.67%

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)

$4.54 ¥30.40

$3.23 ৳396

40.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 ¥79.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥11.78

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.93

$0.42 ৳52.1

40.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 ¥147

$22.54 ৳2,770

-2.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.76

$1.19 ৳147

22.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.40 ৳48.60

-5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.13 ¥47.75

$3.35 ৳411

112.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥9.07

$1.15 ৳141

17.39%

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

$19.3K ¥129.5K

$30.3K ৳3.7M

-36.13%

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

$18.6K ¥124.4K

$33.0K ৳4.1M

-43.75%

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

$63.8 ¥427

$46.32 ৳5,692

37.72%

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

$10.04 ¥67.2

$4.33 ৳532

131.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.28 ¥109

$10.63 ৳1,306

53.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 ¥336

$16.37 ৳2,012

207.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.02 ¥114

$16.14 ৳1,983

5.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.71

$4.13 ৳508

76.27%

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

$523 ¥3,502

$90.7 ৳11.1K

476.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K ¥159.4K

$2,649 ৳325.5K

798.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ¥369

$16.48 ৳2,025

234.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 ¥271

$21.00 ৳2,580

93.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.0 ¥482

$50.3 ৳6,175

43.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 ¥618

$36.46 ৳4,480

153.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 ¥5,111

$152 ৳18.6K

403.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 ¥3,243

$73.6 ৳9,044

558.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 ¥13.0K

$436 ৳53.6K

345.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 ¥5,659

$214 ৳26.3K

295.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.0K ¥93.8K

$1,622 ৳199.3K

764.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 ¥41.1K

$761 ৳93.5K

706.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,693 ¥11.3K

$249 ৳30.6K

580.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

10.48

-68.03%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 6, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$484 42.8%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 84.8% $411

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 50.8% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Dhaka

$56 13% 52.3% $61

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$99 8.7%

Dhaka

$64 15% 34.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$90 8%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 32% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$65 5.7%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 62% $40

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.4%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 0.9% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $764 in Shenzhen and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 580% 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 Shenzhen vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

13:11 1:11 PM

11:11 11:11 AM

2 h behind Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

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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Shenzhen Dhaka 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
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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

Shenzhen vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 166% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 580% higher in Shenzhen, 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: $764 in Shenzhen versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,134 per month in Shenzhen versus $426 in Dhaka – a 166% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 3% less than in Shenzhen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,134 in Shenzhen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Shenzhen. 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 166% less than in Shenzhen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.