For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $733 in Xi'an, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Xi'an and in Dhaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $733 in Xi'an versus $426 in Dhaka.
Xi'an $733
Dhaka $426
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,128 in Xi'an versus $735 in Dhaka.
Xi'an $1,128
Dhaka $735
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,523 in Xi'an versus $1,043 in Dhaka.
Xi'an $1,523
Dhaka $1,043
🌍
Living in Xi'an is roughly 72% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Xi'an45% lower, Dhaka68% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Xi'an
Dhaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.72¥18.15
$2.49৳305
9.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.21¥122
$13.06৳1,604
39.43%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.55¥30.41
$4.83৳594
-5.80%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.93৳606
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.10৳504
-
Cappuccino
$2.16¥14.45
$2.34৳287
-7.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.41¥2.71
$0.30৳37.38
36.67%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27¥1.80
$0.16৳19.96
68.75%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.52¥10.16
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52¥10.13
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Xi'an
Dhaka
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.47¥9.82
$0.80৳98.1
83.75%
White Bread(500g)
$1.72¥11.48
$0.65৳79.3
164.62%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.89¥5.97
$0.71৳87.2
25.35%
Eggs
$1.46¥9.76
$1.21৳149
20.66%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$11.64¥77.8
$8.67৳1,065
34.26%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.16¥27.82
$3.21৳395
29.60%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.40¥69.5
$6.70৳823
55.22%
Apples(1kg)
$1.63¥10.92
$2.73৳335
-40.29%
Banana(1kg)
$1.16¥7.75
$0.88৳108
31.82%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.29¥8.60
$2.37৳291
-45.57%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.32¥8.82
$0.65৳79.5
103.08%
Potato(1kg)
$0.69¥4.62
$0.24৳29.19
187.50%
Onion(1kg)
$0.73¥4.90
$0.49৳60.6
48.98%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.61¥4.08
$0.32৳38.87
90.62%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58¥3.88
$0.30৳37.30
93.33%
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)
$3.46¥23.10
$3.23৳396
7.12%
Wine(Bottle)
$9.96¥66.6
-
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.82¥5.48
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68¥11.20
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Xi'an
Dhaka
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.29¥1.93
$0.42৳52.1
-30.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$26.12¥175
$22.54৳2,769
15.88%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.28¥8.57
$1.19৳147
7.56%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.31¥2.09
$0.40৳48.58
-22.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.51¥30.13
$3.35৳411
34.63%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.34¥8.99
$1.15৳141
16.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.1K¥127.8K
$30.3K৳3.7M
-36.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.6K¥117.5K
$33.0K৳4.1M
-46.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Xi'an
Dhaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$89.4¥597
$46.32৳5,690
92.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.09¥40.72
$4.33৳531
40.65%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.78¥72.1
$10.63৳1,306
1.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Xi'an
Dhaka
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$30.01¥201
$16.37৳2,011
83.32%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.10¥141
$16.14৳1,982
30.73%
Cinema Ticket
$5.96¥39.82
$4.13৳508
44.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Xi'an
Dhaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$692¥4,626
$90.7৳11.1K
662.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$17.5K¥116.7K
$2,649৳325.4K
559.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Xi'an
Dhaka
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$38.93¥260
$16.48৳2,024
136.23%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.83¥246
$21.00৳2,579
75.38%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$74.2¥496
$50.3৳6,173
47.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.5¥618
$36.46৳4,478
153.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Xi'an
Dhaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$310¥2,071
$152৳18.6K
104.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$178¥1,190
$73.6৳9,041
141.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$879¥5,876
$436৳53.5K
101.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$350¥2,341
$214৳26.3K
63.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,369¥15.8K
$1,622৳199.2K
46.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,647¥11.0K
$761৳93.5K
116.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Xi'an
Dhaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,069¥7,141
$249৳30.6K
329.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.35
10.48
-68.03%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Xi'an: October 4, 2026
Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Xi'an
$195 26.6%
Dhaka
$123 28.5% ↓ 37.3%$73
🏠Accommodation & Living
Xi'an
$178 24.2%
Dhaka
$74 17.1% ↓ 58.6%$104
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Xi'an
$109 14.8%
Dhaka
$56 13% ↓ 48.8%$53
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Xi'an
$106 14.5%
Dhaka
$61 14.3% ↓ 42.3%$45
🍽Eating Out
Xi'an
$75 10.2%
Dhaka
$64 15% ↓ 13.9%$10
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Xi'an
$42 5.7%
Dhaka
$25 5.7% ↓ 41.2%$17
🚌Getting Around
Xi'an
$30 4.1%
Dhaka
$27 6.4% ↓ 9%$2.7
🛒Groceries & Markets
Xi'an
$450 28.9%
Dhaka
$302 29.6% ↓ 33%$148
🏠Accommodation & Living
Xi'an
$350 22.5%
Dhaka
$214 21% ↓ 39%$136
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Xi'an
$242 15.6%
Dhaka
$124 12.2% ↓ 48.8%$118
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Xi'an
$112 7.2%
Dhaka
$66 6.4% ↓ 41.6%$47
🍽Eating Out
Xi'an
$237 15.2%
Dhaka
$193 18.9% ↓ 18.5%$44
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Xi'an
$105 6.7%
Dhaka
$65 6.4% ↓ 37.7%$40
🚌Getting Around
Xi'an
$61 3.9%
Dhaka
$56 5.5% ↓ 8.5%$5.2
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $310 in Xi'an and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Xi'an pays 329% 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: $18.00 in Xi'an vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.
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
Xi'an vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dhaka cheaper than Xi'an?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Xi'an or Dhaka?
Average pay runs 329% higher in Xi'an, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Xi'an and Dhaka?
Rent for a central apartment: $310 in Xi'an versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Xi'an and in Dhaka?
All in, you'll spend $733 per month in Xi'an versus $426 in Dhaka – a 72% 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 Dhaka runs roughly 16% less than in Xi'an. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 enough for either Xi'an 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 Xi'an 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Xi'an. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.