Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skudai and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $422 a month against $900 in Skudai, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Skudai, Malaysia
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Skudai
🇲🇾 Malaysia
$900
/mo nomad
Dhaka
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$422
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $900 in Skudai versus $422 in Dhaka.

  • Skudai $900
  • Dhaka $422

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,370 in Skudai versus $728 in Dhaka.

  • Skudai $1,370
  • Dhaka $728

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,840 in Skudai versus $1,033 in Dhaka.

  • Skudai $1,840
  • Dhaka $1,033

Living in Skudai is roughly 113% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skudai 34% lower, Dhaka 69% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Skudai
Dhaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.63 MYR 14.84
$2.40 ৳297
51.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.25 MYR 74.6
$12.93 ৳1,603
41.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.90 MYR 20.05
$4.78 ৳593
2.51%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.92 ৳610
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.96 ৳490
-
Cappuccino
$2.87 MYR 11.73
$2.38 ৳295
20.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MYR 3.40
$0.30 ৳37.09
176.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.45 MYR 1.83
$0.17 ৳21.31
164.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.33 MYR 13.62
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.62 MYR 22.97
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Skudai
Dhaka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 MYR 7.11
$0.79 ৳97.5
120.25%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 MYR 4.18
$0.63 ৳78.3
61.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 MYR 6.06
$0.72 ৳89.1
105.56%
Eggs
$1.66 MYR 6.78
$1.18 ৳147
40.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.64 MYR 39.43
$8.73 ৳1,082
10.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.20 MYR 13.09
$3.30 ৳409
-3.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.61 MYR 39.28
$6.64 ৳824
44.73%
Apples (1kg)
$3.42 MYR 13.98
$2.80 ৳347
22.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 MYR 6.94
$0.86 ৳107
97.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.61 MYR 10.68
$2.32 ৳287
12.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.64 MYR 6.69
$0.61 ৳75.7
168.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.41 MYR 5.75
$0.23 ৳28.29
513.04%
Onion (1kg)
$1.73 MYR 7.08
$0.48 ৳59.9
260.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 MYR 5.59
$0.33 ৳41.23
315.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 MYR 2.09
$0.30 ৳37.56
70.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$12.23 ৳1,516
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$5.23 ৳649
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.51 ৳807
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.28 MYR 17.49
$3.29 ৳408
30.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.83 MYR 56.5
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.74 MYR 11.19
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 MYR 12.22
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Skudai
Dhaka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.83 MYR 3.40
$0.41 ৳51.3
102.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.95 MYR 44.78
$21.27 ৳2,637
-48.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.01 MYR 4.13
$1.18 ৳147
-14.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.36 MYR 1.46
$0.38 ৳47.16
-5.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.03 MYR 36.92
$3.27 ৳406
176.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.86 MYR 3.51
$1.16 ৳143
-25.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.3K MYR 181.0K
$29.9K ৳3.7M
48.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.0K MYR 147.2K
$32.5K ৳4.0M
10.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Skudai
Dhaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$48.79 MYR 199
$46.86 ৳5,810
4.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.16 MYR 33.38
$4.31 ৳535
89.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.88 MYR 110
$11.09 ৳1,375
142.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Skudai
Dhaka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.95 MYR 151
$17.52 ৳2,172
110.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.55 MYR 30.86
$17.67 ৳2,190
-57.27%
Cinema Ticket
$4.93 MYR 20.17
$4.31 ৳534
14.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Skudai
Dhaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$235 MYR 962
$139 ৳17.2K
69.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,393 MYR 18.0K
$2,570 ৳318.6K
70.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Skudai
Dhaka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.5 MYR 206
$16.32 ৳2,024
209.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$16.62 MYR 68.0
$19.36 ৳2,401
-14.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.2 MYR 316
$45.97 ৳5,699
68.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.4 MYR 349
$36.74 ৳4,555
132.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Skudai
Dhaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$357 MYR 1,461
$145 ৳18.0K
146.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$311 MYR 1,270
$68.1 ৳8,445
356.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$650 MYR 2,659
$461 ৳57.1K
41.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$565 MYR 2,310
$232 ৳28.8K
143.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,956 MYR 7,997
$1,575 ৳195.3K
24.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,161 MYR 4,746
$789 ৳97.9K
47.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Skudai
Dhaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$245 ৳30.3K
-
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 Skudai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Skudai
$311
Dhaka
$68 78.1% $243
Groceries & Markets
Skudai
$226
Dhaka
$122 45.9% $104
Eating Out
Skudai
$111
Dhaka
$64 42.5% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Skudai
$103
Dhaka
$53 48.5% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Skudai
$84
Dhaka
$62 25.7% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Skudai
$47
Dhaka
$26 44.2% $21
Getting Around
Skudai
$17
Dhaka
$26 52.4% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $357 in Skudai and $145 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18 in Skudai vs $13 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $122 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇾 Skudai
🇧🇩 Dhaka
🕒 Local time
01:04 1:04 AM
23:04 11:04 PM
2 h behind Skudai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
159,733
21,741,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.57 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.07 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Skudai Dhaka 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Skudai
  • 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
Skudai vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dhaka cheaper than Skudai?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 113% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,349 in Skudai and $633 in Dhaka to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Skudai and Dhaka?
Rent for a central apartment: $357 in Skudai versus $145 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Skudai and in Dhaka?
All in, you’ll spend $900 per month in Skudai versus $422 in Dhaka – a 113% 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 Skudai runs roughly 49% less than in Dhaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
Is $1,000 enough for either Skudai or Dhaka?
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.
Is it better to live in Skudai 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.

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