Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibu and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $428 a month against $866 in Sibu, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Sibu
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Sibu Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Sibu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$866

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Sibu versus $428 in Dhaka.

Sibu $866
Dhaka $428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,293 in Sibu versus $724 in Dhaka.

Sibu $1,293
Dhaka $724

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,720 in Sibu versus $1,019 in Dhaka.

Sibu $1,720
Dhaka $1,019

Living in Sibu is roughly 102% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sibu 36% lower, Dhaka 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.16 MYR 8.82

$2.50 ৳309

-13.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.47 MYR 79.4

$13.26 ৳1,638

46.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.21 MYR 17.18

$4.99 ৳616

-15.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 ৳602

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 ৳511

Cappuccino

$2.38 MYR 9.70

$2.35 ৳291

1.28%

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

$0.67 MYR 2.74

$0.33 ৳41.07

103.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 MYR 0.93

$0.16 ৳19.62

43.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MYR 11.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 MYR 17.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 MYR 7.33

$0.85 ৳105

111.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 MYR 3.65

$0.63 ৳77.9

41.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.80

$0.67 ৳83.1

149.25%

Eggs

$2.24 MYR 9.16

$1.19 ৳147

88.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.65 MYR 47.53

$8.83 ৳1,092

31.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.84 MYR 15.66

$3.30 ৳408

16.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 MYR 39.55

$6.41 ৳792

51.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 MYR 15.16

$2.75 ৳340

35.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.26

$0.94 ৳116

62.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 MYR 9.55

$2.37 ৳293

-1.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.62

$0.64 ৳79.1

115.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.58

$0.26 ৳32.25

330.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.29

$0.49 ৳60.6

165.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.76

$0.30 ৳37.63

290.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.22

$0.30 ৳37.49

80.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.24 ৳1,512

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.43 ৳671

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 ৳807

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 MYR 18.48

$3.17 ৳392

42.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.28 MYR 74.6

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 MYR 11.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MYR 18.38

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 MYR 3.40

$0.38 ৳47.44

118.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.85 MYR 56.5

$23.06 ৳2,849

-39.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 MYR 5.70

$1.17 ৳145

19.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 MYR 2.18

$0.38 ৳46.99

42.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.01 MYR 32.68

$3.28 ৳405

144.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 MYR 3.28

$1.11 ৳137

-27.93%

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

$49.1K MYR 200.3K

$29.1K ৳3.6M

68.66%

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

$35.6K MYR 145.4K

$32.9K ৳4.1M

8.28%

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

$49.59 MYR 202

$46.77 ৳5,779

6.03%

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

$7.14 MYR 29.14

$4.51 ৳557

58.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.47 MYR 108

$11.22 ৳1,387

135.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.94 MYR 110

$16.43 ৳2,031

63.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.44 MYR 26.26

$14.87 ৳1,838

-56.69%

Cinema Ticket

$3.74 MYR 15.24

$4.20 ৳519

-10.95%

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

$181 MYR 739

$91.6 ৳11.3K

97.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,906 MYR 28.2K

$2,596 ৳320.8K

166.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 MYR 226

$16.63 ৳2,055

233.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.48 MYR 124

$19.80 ৳2,447

53.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 MYR 364

$46.87 ৳5,791

90.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.2 MYR 307

$37.00 ৳4,572

103.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 MYR 1,386

$148 ৳18.2K

130.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 MYR 1,150

$70.8 ৳8,743

298.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 MYR 2,437

$432 ৳53.4K

38.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 MYR 1,841

$213 ৳26.3K

112.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,782 MYR 7,272

$1,605 ৳198.4K

11.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$966 MYR 3,941

$751 ৳92.8K

28.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$496 MYR 2,021

$245 ৳30.3K

102.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

10.67

-61.95%

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

Last update for Sibu: October 18, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sibu

$282 32.6%

Dhaka

$71 16.5% 74.9% $211

Groceries & Markets

Sibu

$247 28.5%

Dhaka

$123 28.8% 50.1% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Sibu

$113 13%

Dhaka

$54 12.6% 51.9% $59

Eating Out

Sibu

$85 9.9%

Dhaka

$65 15.2% 23.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sibu

$83 9.6%

Dhaka

$63 14.6% 24.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Sibu

$34 4%

Dhaka

$25 5.8% 27.8% $9.6

Getting Around

Sibu

$21 2.5%

Dhaka

$28 6.5% 30.2% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $340 in Sibu and $148 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sibu pays 102% 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: $19.00 in Sibu vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $247 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sibu

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

04:27 4:27 AM

02:27 2:27 AM

2 h behind Sibu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

198,239

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 20, 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 20, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Sibu Dhaka 3,320 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sibu
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

Sibu vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 102% higher in Sibu, 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: $340 in Sibu versus $148 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $866 per month in Sibu versus $428 in Dhaka – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 66% less than in Sibu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Dhaka gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Sibu 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 102% less than in Sibu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.