Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,143 in Taichung, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Taichung
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Taichung Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Taichung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,143

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,143 in Taichung versus $426 in Dhaka.

Taichung $1,143
Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,887 in Taichung versus $735 in Dhaka.

Taichung $1,887
Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,631 in Taichung versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

Taichung $2,631
Dhaka $1,043

Living in Taichung is roughly 168% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.68 NT$149

$2.49 ৳305

87.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.12 NT$1,025

$13.06 ৳1,604

145.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 NT$155

$4.83 ৳594

0.41%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.75 NT$87.6

$2.34 ৳287

17.52%

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

$1.03 NT$32.80

$0.30 ৳37.38

243.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 NT$23.56

$0.16 ৳19.96

362.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 NT$49.69

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NT$88.7

Milk (1 liter)

$3.27 NT$104

$0.80 ৳98.1

308.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 NT$56.2

$0.65 ৳79.3

170.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 NT$84.7

$0.71 ৳87.2

274.65%

Eggs

$2.62 NT$83.7

$1.21 ৳149

116.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.33 NT$936

$8.67 ৳1,065

238.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.13 NT$259

$3.21 ৳395

153.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 NT$547

$6.70 ৳823

155.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NT$135

$2.73 ৳335

54.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 NT$61.3

$0.88 ৳108

118.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NT$95.3

$2.37 ৳291

26.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 NT$68.6

$0.65 ৳79.5

230.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 NT$38.28

$0.24 ৳29.19

400.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$62.9

$0.49 ৳60.6

302.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 NT$76.7

$0.32 ৳38.87

650.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 NT$28.80

$0.30 ৳37.30

200.00%

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 ৳818

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 NT$120

$3.23 ৳396

16.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.53 NT$495

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 NT$52.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 NT$78.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 NT$23.05

$0.42 ৳52.1

71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.97 NT$1,020

$22.54 ৳2,769

41.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 NT$86.1

$1.19 ৳147

126.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 NT$29.49

$0.40 ৳48.58

130.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.61 NT$307

$3.35 ৳411

186.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.76

$1.15 ৳141

-10.43%

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

$33.0K NT$1.1M

$30.3K ৳3.7M

9.05%

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

$22.7K NT$725.9K

$33.0K ৳4.1M

-31.13%

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

$127 NT$4,037

$46.32 ৳5,690

173.12%

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

$14.84 NT$474

$4.33 ৳531

242.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.00 NT$670

$10.63 ৳1,306

97.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 NT$1,052

$16.37 ৳2,011

101.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.63 NT$371

$16.14 ৳1,982

-27.94%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 NT$320

$4.13 ৳508

142.62%

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

$347 NT$11.1K

$90.7 ৳11.1K

282.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K NT$537.2K

$2,649 ৳325.4K

535.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 NT$2,314

$16.48 ৳2,024

339.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.93 NT$1,147

$21.00 ৳2,579

71.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 NT$2,738

$50.3 ৳6,173

70.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 NT$3,727

$36.46 ৳4,478

220.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 NT$12.6K

$152 ৳18.6K

160.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 NT$8,722

$73.6 ৳9,041

271.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 NT$38.8K

$436 ৳53.5K

179.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 NT$24.7K

$214 ৳26.3K

262.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,642 NT$275.8K

$1,622 ৳199.2K

432.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,368 NT$171.3K

$761 ৳93.5K

605.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,432 NT$45.7K

$249 ৳30.6K

475.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

10.48

-78.34%

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

Last update for Taichung: October 4, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Taichung

$379 32.8%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 67.7% $256

Accommodation & Living

Taichung

$273 23.7%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 73.1% $200

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taichung

$162 14.1%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 62.3% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Taichung

$140 12.1%

Dhaka

$56 13% 60.1% $84

Eating Out

Taichung

$105 9.1%

Dhaka

$64 15% 39% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Taichung

$53 4.6%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 53.5% $28

Getting Around

Taichung

$42 3.7%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 35% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Taichung and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taichung pays 475% 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 Taichung vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taichung

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

13:17 1:17 PM

11:17 11:17 AM

2 h behind Taichung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,767,239

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.79 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.79 TWD (100 TWD = 2.79 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 TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Taichung Dhaka 3,070 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Taichung
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

Taichung vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 168% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 475% higher in Taichung, 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: $396 in Taichung versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,143 per month in Taichung versus $426 in Dhaka – a 168% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 42% less than in Taichung. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,143 in Taichung, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Taichung. 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.

Safety-wise, Taichung 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 168% less than in Taichung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.