Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $1,635 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,635

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,635 in Tokyo versus $426 in Dhaka.

Tokyo $1,635
Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Tokyo versus $735 in Dhaka.

Tokyo $2,608
Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,581 in Tokyo versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

Tokyo $3,581
Dhaka $1,043

Living in Tokyo is roughly 284% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tokyo is 22% above, Dhaka is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.64 ¥1,207

$2.49 ৳306

206.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.51 ¥6,087

$13.06 ৳1,605

194.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 ¥799

$4.83 ৳594

4.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$3.61 ¥570

$2.34 ৳287

54.27%

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

$1.62 ¥257

$0.30 ৳37.39

440.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥135

$0.16 ৳19.96

437.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 ¥583

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 ¥834

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 ¥242

$0.80 ৳98.1

91.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥278

$0.65 ৳79.3

170.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 ¥883

$0.71 ৳87.3

687.32%

Eggs

$2.24 ¥354

$1.21 ৳149

85.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ¥1,684

$8.67 ৳1,065

22.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.60 ¥1,043

$3.21 ৳395

105.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.74 ¥2,646

$6.70 ৳823

149.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.86 ¥768

$2.73 ৳335

78.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 ¥371

$0.88 ৳109

167.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 ¥684

$2.37 ৳291

82.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.28 ¥835

$0.65 ৳79.6

712.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.41 ¥539

$0.24 ৳29.20

1320.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 ¥504

$0.49 ৳60.7

551.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ¥187

$0.32 ৳38.88

268.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥131

$0.30 ৳37.31

176.67%

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 ৳819

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥607

$3.23 ৳396

18.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 ¥1,466

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥259

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ¥434

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ¥204

$0.42 ৳52.1

207.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.1 ¥9,819

$22.54 ৳2,770

175.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 ¥487

$1.19 ৳147

158.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 ¥507

$0.40 ৳48.60

702.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.41 ¥2,909

$3.35 ৳411

449.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥169

$1.15 ৳141

-6.96%

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

$22.2K ¥3.5M

$30.3K ৳3.7M

-26.82%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$33.0K ৳4.1M

-53.72%

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

$148 ¥23.3K

$46.32 ৳5,692

218.65%

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

$21.97 ¥3,472

$4.33 ৳532

407.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.43 ¥4,810

$10.63 ৳1,306

186.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 ¥10.3K

$16.37 ৳2,012

297.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.55 ¥4,039

$16.14 ৳1,983

58.30%

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 ¥2,034

$4.13 ৳508

211.62%

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

$1,360 ¥215.0K

$90.7 ৳11.1K

1399.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K ¥2.9M

$2,649 ৳325.5K

590.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 ¥8,932

$16.48 ৳2,025

242.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.16 ¥5,241

$21.00 ৳2,580

57.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$50.3 ৳6,175

28.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 ¥11.3K

$36.46 ৳4,480

96.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ¥201.5K

$152 ৳18.6K

740.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 ¥111.0K

$73.6 ৳9,044

854.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 ¥405.5K

$436 ৳53.6K

488.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 ¥234.0K

$214 ৳26.3K

592.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,152 ¥1.4M

$1,622 ৳199.3K

464.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,191 ¥662.4K

$761 ৳93.5K

450.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,998 ¥473.8K

$249 ৳30.6K

1104.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

10.48

-78.53%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$702 42.2%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 89.5% $629

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$325 19.5%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 62.3% $202

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 12%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 69.4% $139

Eating Out

Tokyo

$158 9.5%

Dhaka

$64 15% 59.4% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$102 6.1%

Dhaka

$56 13% 45% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$91 5.5%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 72.9% $66

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.2%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 68.3% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Tokyo and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 1104% 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: $39.00 in Tokyo vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

11:48 11:48 AM

08:48 8:48 AM

3 h behind Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.64 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 JPY in detail →

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Tokyo Dhaka 4,900 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Tokyo vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 284% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1104% higher in Tokyo, 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: $1,275 in Tokyo versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,635 per month in Tokyo versus $426 in Dhaka – a 284% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 176% less than in Tokyo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $426 in Dhaka versus $1,635 in Tokyo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dhaka is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tokyo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tokyo 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 284% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.