Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tainan and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $1,068 in Tainan, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Tainan
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Tainan Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Tainan

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,068

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,068 in Tainan versus $406 in Dhaka.

Tainan $1,068
Dhaka $406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,837 in Tainan versus $687 in Dhaka.

Tainan $1,837
Dhaka $687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,606 in Tainan versus $969 in Dhaka.

Tainan $2,606
Dhaka $969

Living in Tainan is roughly 163% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tainan 21% lower, Dhaka 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 NT$121

$2.28 ৳282

64.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.62 NT$799

$12.33 ৳1,523

99.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.79 NT$155

$3.95 ৳488

21.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$3.27 NT$106

$2.28 ৳281

43.42%

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

$0.95 NT$30.66

$0.33 ৳40.88

187.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 NT$20.54

$0.16 ৳19.86

293.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$92.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 NT$113

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$100

$0.85 ৳104

263.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 NT$57.5

$0.60 ৳74.5

195.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 NT$102

$0.69 ৳85.4

356.52%

Eggs

$2.75 NT$89.3

$1.23 ৳152

123.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.50 NT$632

$8.80 ৳1,087

121.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.88 NT$320

$3.33 ৳412

196.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.04 NT$682

$6.63 ৳819

217.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 NT$161

$2.85 ৳352

74.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 NT$92.7

$0.90 ৳111

217.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$97.4

$2.34 ৳289

28.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 NT$145

$0.63 ৳78.4

611.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 NT$86.4

$0.24 ৳29.59

1008.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 NT$73.6

$0.46 ৳57.3

393.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 NT$55.3

$0.35 ৳42.79

388.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$37.31

$0.28 ৳34.24

310.71%

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)

$3.81 NT$124

$3.28 ৳405

16.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 NT$452

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$53.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 NT$70.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.68

$0.42 ৳52.3

45.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.89 NT$1,099

$22.43 ৳2,772

51.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 NT$82.2

$1.19 ৳147

112.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.92

$0.39 ৳48.71

97.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 NT$186

$3.28 ৳406

75.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.90

$1.10 ৳136

-8.18%

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

$32.8K NT$1.1M

$29.4K ৳3.6M

11.45%

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

$24.1K NT$780.6K

$32.2K ৳4.0M

-25.16%

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

$87.2 NT$2,828

$38.28 ৳4,729

127.82%

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

$17.51 NT$568

$4.09 ৳506

328.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.30 NT$691

$9.02 ৳1,114

136.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.65 NT$1,480

$13.66 ৳1,688

234.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 NT$311

$4.11 ৳508

133.58%

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

$433 NT$14.1K

$90.7 ৳11.2K

377.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,413 NT$175.5K

$2,591 ৳320.2K

108.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 NT$2,050

$17.06 ৳2,108

270.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.20 NT$1,271

$21.38 ৳2,641

83.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 NT$2,716

$51.4 ৳6,355

62.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,353

$36.78 ৳4,545

181.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 NT$9,624

$133 ৳16.4K

123.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 NT$6,470

$65.1 ৳8,041

206.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 NT$27.4K

$377 ৳46.6K

123.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 NT$22.6K

$192 ৳23.8K

261.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 NT$133.7K

$1,621 ৳200.3K

154.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,022 NT$98.0K

$760 ৳93.9K

297.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,376 NT$44.6K

$246 ৳30.4K

459.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

10.48

-77.10%

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

Last update for Tainan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tainan

$393 36.9%

Dhaka

$124 30.5% 68.6% $270

Accommodation & Living

Tainan

$200 18.7%

Dhaka

$65 16% 67.4% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Tainan

$130 12.2%

Dhaka

$57 14.1% 56.3% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tainan

$126 11.8%

Dhaka

$51 12.7% 59.2% $75

Eating Out

Tainan

$111 10.4%

Dhaka

$59 14.6% 46.5% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Tainan

$65 6.1%

Dhaka

$22 5.4% 66.2% $43

Getting Around

Tainan

$43 4%

Dhaka

$27 6.7% 36.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $297 in Tainan and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tainan pays 459% 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: $25.00 in Tainan vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $124 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Tainan

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

06:48 6:48 AM

2 h behind Tainan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,886,033

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tainan Dhaka 3,040 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tainan
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

Tainan vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 163% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 459% higher in Tainan, 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: $297 in Tainan versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,068 per month in Tainan versus $406 in Dhaka – a 163% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 51% less than in Tainan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $406 in Dhaka versus $1,068 in Tainan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Tainan. 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, Tainan 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 163% less than in Tainan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.