Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Xiamen and Dhaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $842 in Xiamen, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Xiamen
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Xiamen Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Xiamen

🇨🇳 China

$842

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $842 in Xiamen versus $426 in Dhaka.

Xiamen $842
Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,338 in Xiamen versus $735 in Dhaka.

Xiamen $1,338
Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Xiamen versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

Xiamen $1,835
Dhaka $1,043

Living in Xiamen is roughly 97% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Xiamen 37% lower, Dhaka 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.01 ¥20.10

$2.49 ৳305

20.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.67 ¥158

$13.06 ৳1,604

81.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.85

$4.83 ৳594

10.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.51 ¥16.78

$2.34 ৳287

7.26%

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

$0.47 ¥3.14

$0.30 ৳37.38

56.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.37

$0.16 ৳19.96

118.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ¥9.86

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ¥19.97

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥9.78

$0.80 ৳98.1

82.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 ¥15.20

$0.65 ৳79.3

249.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.55

$0.71 ৳87.2

38.03%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥10.92

$1.21 ৳149

34.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 ¥79.9

$8.67 ৳1,065

37.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.52 ¥16.83

$3.21 ৳395

-21.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$6.70 ৳823

75.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 ¥17.05

$2.73 ৳335

-6.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$0.88 ৳108

67.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.09

$2.37 ৳291

-29.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 ¥13.19

$0.65 ৳79.5

203.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.86

$0.24 ৳29.19

329.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.18

$0.49 ৳60.6

271.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 ¥6.05

$0.32 ৳38.87

184.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ¥3.31

$0.30 ৳37.30

63.33%

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)

$3.06 ¥20.47

$3.23 ৳396

-5.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 ¥75.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥5.40

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥11.37

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 ¥1.07

$0.42 ৳52.1

-61.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.10 ¥80.9

$22.54 ৳2,769

-46.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$1.19 ৳147

23.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.40 ৳48.58

-27.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.34 ¥49.07

$3.35 ৳411

119.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.78

$1.15 ৳141

13.91%

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

$19.3K ¥128.8K

$30.3K ৳3.7M

-36.40%

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

$17.3K ¥115.4K

$33.0K ৳4.1M

-47.73%

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

$44.42 ¥297

$46.32 ৳5,690

-4.10%

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

$8.81 ¥58.9

$4.33 ৳531

103.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.23 ¥68.3

$10.63 ৳1,306

-3.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.22 ¥322

$16.37 ৳2,011

194.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.59 ¥70.8

$16.14 ৳1,982

-34.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.22 ¥68.3

$4.13 ৳508

147.46%

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

$488 ¥3,264

$90.7 ৳11.1K

438.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ¥161.3K

$2,649 ৳325.4K

811.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.84 ¥260

$16.48 ৳2,024

135.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.49 ¥190

$21.00 ৳2,579

35.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 ¥703

$50.3 ৳6,173

109.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 ¥565

$36.46 ৳4,478

131.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 ¥2,283

$152 ৳18.6K

125.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 ¥1,798

$73.6 ৳9,041

265.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ¥5,511

$436 ৳53.5K

89.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$547 ¥3,655

$214 ৳26.3K

155.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,597 ¥57.5K

$1,622 ৳199.2K

430.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,684 ¥31.3K

$761 ৳93.5K

515.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,138 ¥7,607

$249 ৳30.6K

357.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

10.48

-66.98%

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

Last update for Xiamen: 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

Xiamen

$269 32.2%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 72.6% $195

Groceries & Markets

Xiamen

$216 25.8%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 43.2% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Xiamen

$116 13.9%

Dhaka

$56 13% 51.7% $60

Eating Out

Xiamen

$87 10.4%

Dhaka

$64 15% 26.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Xiamen

$69 8.2%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 64.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Xiamen

$63 7.6%

Dhaka

$61 14.3% 3.4% $2.2

Getting Around

Xiamen

$16 1.9%

Dhaka

$27 6.4% 75.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $342 in Xiamen and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Xiamen pays 357% 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: $24.00 in Xiamen vs $13.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $123 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Xiamen

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

13:17 1:17 PM

11:17 11:17 AM

2 h behind Xiamen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,531,000

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 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 CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Xiamen Dhaka 2,810 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Xiamen
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

Xiamen vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 357% higher in Xiamen, 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: $342 in Xiamen versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $842 per month in Xiamen versus $426 in Dhaka – a 97% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 86% less than in Xiamen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Xiamen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.