For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $1,191 in Shiga, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shiga and in Dhaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,191 in Shiga versus $406 in Dhaka.
Shiga $1,191
Dhaka $406
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,880 in Shiga versus $687 in Dhaka.
Shiga $1,880
Dhaka $687
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,568 in Shiga versus $969 in Dhaka.
Shiga $2,568
Dhaka $969
🌍
Living in Shiga is roughly 194% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Shiga12% lower, Dhaka70% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Shiga
Dhaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.14¥970
$2.28৳282
169.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.73¥5,013
$12.33৳1,523
157.34%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.96¥783
$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
$2.90¥458
$2.28৳281
27.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28¥202
$0.33৳40.88
287.88%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69¥108
$0.16৳19.86
331.25%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.69¥425
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.50¥554
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Shiga
Dhaka
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.28¥203
$0.85৳104
50.59%
White Bread(500g)
$1.29¥204
$0.60৳74.5
115.00%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.81¥602
$0.69৳85.4
452.17%
Eggs
$2.05¥325
$1.23৳152
66.67%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.35¥1,478
$8.80৳1,087
6.25%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.43¥1,490
$3.33৳412
183.18%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$18.30¥2,891
$6.63৳819
176.02%
Apples(1kg)
$3.26¥515
$2.85৳352
14.39%
Banana(1kg)
$2.01¥318
$0.90৳111
123.33%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.04¥322
$2.34৳289
-12.82%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.10¥647
$0.63৳78.4
550.79%
Potato(1kg)
$1.57¥248
$0.24৳29.59
554.17%
Onion(1kg)
$1.17¥184
$0.46৳57.3
154.35%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.30¥205
$0.35৳42.79
271.43%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.86¥136
$0.28৳34.24
207.14%
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)
$3.88¥614
$3.28৳405
18.29%
Wine(Bottle)
$9.26¥1,462
-
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95¥308
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14¥495
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Shiga
Dhaka
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.10¥174
$0.42৳52.3
161.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$52.9¥8,350
$22.43৳2,772
135.62%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.70¥584
$1.19৳147
210.92%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$3.09¥488
$0.39৳48.71
692.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$21.14¥3,340
$3.28৳406
544.51%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.04¥165
$1.10৳136
-5.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.7K¥3.4M
$29.4K৳3.6M
-26.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.1K¥2.4M
$32.2K৳4.0M
-52.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shiga
Dhaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$137¥21.6K
$38.28৳4,729
257.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.21¥3,825
$4.09৳506
491.93%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.71¥2,955
$9.02৳1,114
107.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Shiga
Dhaka
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$52.5¥8,288
$13.66৳1,688
284.04%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.21৳1,261
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.77¥1,859
$4.11৳508
186.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Shiga
Dhaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$518¥81.8K
$90.7৳11.2K
470.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$12.8K¥2.0M
$2,591৳320.2K
395.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Shiga
Dhaka
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.28¥7,469
$17.06৳2,108
177.14%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.38¥4,800
$21.38৳2,641
42.10%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$73.6¥11.6K
$51.4৳6,355
43.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.0¥14.4K
$36.78৳4,545
147.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Shiga
Dhaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$536¥84.7K
$133৳16.4K
302.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$329¥52.1K
$65.1৳8,041
406.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,113¥175.8K
$377৳46.6K
194.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$724¥114.3K
$192৳23.8K
275.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,138¥653.7K
$1,621৳200.3K
155.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,525¥241.0K
$760৳93.9K
100.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Shiga
Dhaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,192¥188.3K
$246৳30.4K
384.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
2.21
10.48
-78.91%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Shiga: October 12, 2026
Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Shiga
$330 27.7%
Dhaka
$65 16% ↓ 80.2%$264
🛒Groceries & Markets
Shiga
$293 24.6%
Dhaka
$124 30.5% ↓ 57.9%$170
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shiga
$180 15.1%
Dhaka
$51 12.7% ↓ 71.4%$129
🍽Eating Out
Shiga
$127 10.7%
Dhaka
$59 14.6% ↓ 53.3%$68
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Shiga
$109 9.2%
Dhaka
$57 14.1% ↓ 47.7%$52
🚌Getting Around
Shiga
$76 6.4%
Dhaka
$27 6.7% ↓ 64.3%$49
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Shiga
$76 6.4%
Dhaka
$22 5.4% ↓ 71.2%$54
🏠Accommodation & Living
Shiga
$724 28.2%
Dhaka
$192 19.9% ↓ 73.4%$531
🛒Groceries & Markets
Shiga
$680 26.5%
Dhaka
$304 31.4% ↓ 55.2%$376
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shiga
$204 8%
Dhaka
$55 5.7% ↓ 72.8%$149
🍽Eating Out
Shiga
$411 16%
Dhaka
$180 18.6% ↓ 56.2%$231
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Shiga
$242 9.4%
Dhaka
$127 13.1% ↓ 47.7%$116
🚌Getting Around
Shiga
$155 6%
Dhaka
$55 5.7% ↓ 64.2%$100
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Shiga
$152 * 5.9%
Dhaka
$54 5.6% ↓ 64.5%$98
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 $536 in Shiga and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Shiga pays 384% 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: $32.00 in Shiga vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.
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
Shiga vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dhaka cheaper than Shiga?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 194% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Shiga or Dhaka?
Average pay runs 384% higher in Shiga, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Shiga and Dhaka?
Rent for a central apartment: $536 in Shiga versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Shiga and in Dhaka?
All in, you'll spend $1,191 per month in Shiga versus $406 in Dhaka – a 194% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 136% less than in Shiga. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Shiga or in Dhaka?
At $406 in Dhaka versus $1,191 in Shiga, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Shiga. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Shiga 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, Shiga or Dhaka?
Safety-wise, Shiga 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 194% less than in Shiga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.