For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $550 in Yiwu, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Yiwu despite lower rent and utilities.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Yiwu and in Dhaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $550 in Yiwu versus $406 in Dhaka.
Yiwu $550
Dhaka $406
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,286 in Yiwu versus $687 in Dhaka.
Yiwu $1,286
Dhaka $687
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,022 in Yiwu versus $969 in Dhaka.
Yiwu $2,022
Dhaka $969
🌍
Living in Yiwu is roughly 36% more expensive than in Dhaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Yiwu59% lower, Dhaka70% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Yiwu
Dhaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.92¥19.54
$2.28৳281
28.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.38¥196
$12.33৳1,517
138.28%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$5.13¥34.31
$3.95৳486
29.87%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.48৳551
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.13৳508
-
Cappuccino
$3.29¥22.01
$2.28৳280
44.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.62¥4.15
$0.33৳40.72
87.88%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38¥2.55
$0.16৳19.78
137.50%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.22¥8.19
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28¥15.22
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Yiwu
Dhaka
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.85¥12.40
$0.85৳104
117.65%
White Bread(500g)
$1.96¥13.09
$0.60৳74.2
226.67%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.98¥6.58
$0.69৳85.0
42.03%
Eggs
$1.68¥11.26
$1.23৳152
36.59%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$17.54¥117
$8.80৳1,083
99.32%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.35¥22.38
$3.33৳410
0.60%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.14¥87.9
$6.63৳816
98.19%
Apples(1kg)
$2.14¥14.29
$2.85৳351
-24.91%
Banana(1kg)
$1.75¥11.68
$0.90৳111
94.44%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.95¥13.05
$2.34৳288
-16.67%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.66¥11.08
$0.63৳78.1
163.49%
Potato(1kg)
$0.82¥5.51
$0.24৳29.47
241.67%
Onion(1kg)
$0.94¥6.28
$0.46৳57.0
104.35%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.62¥4.17
$0.35৳42.61
77.14%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.59¥3.96
$0.28৳34.09
110.71%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
-
$12.11৳1,490
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$5.31৳653
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.42৳790
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.75¥25.10
$3.28৳403
14.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.78¥72.1
-
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.83¥5.56
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60¥10.67
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Yiwu
Dhaka
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.43¥2.90
$0.42৳52.1
2.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$22.43৳2,760
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.30¥8.73
$1.19৳147
9.24%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.43¥2.89
$0.39৳48.51
10.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.89¥59.4
$3.28৳404
171.04%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.27¥8.49
$1.10৳135
15.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.6K¥130.9K
$29.4K৳3.6M
-33.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.6K¥124.3K
$32.2K৳4.0M
-42.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yiwu
Dhaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$57.4¥384
$38.28৳4,710
50.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.10¥54.2
$4.09৳504
98.04%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.41¥69.6
$9.02৳1,110
15.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Yiwu
Dhaka
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$14.73¥98.5
$13.66৳1,681
7.83%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.34¥75.8
$10.21৳1,256
11.07%
Cinema Ticket
$7.22¥48.25
$4.11৳506
75.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Yiwu
Dhaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,430¥9,566
$90.7৳11.2K
1476.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$27.3K¥182.5K
$2,591৳318.8K
953.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Yiwu
Dhaka
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9¥361
$17.06৳2,099
216.00%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.73¥252
$21.38৳2,630
76.47%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$76.8¥514
$51.4৳6,329
49.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.5¥491
$36.78৳4,526
99.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Yiwu
Dhaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$446¥2,985
$133৳16.4K
235.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
-
$65.1৳8,008
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,053¥7,041
$377৳46.4K
179.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$733¥4,901
$192৳23.7K
280.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$11.8K¥78.7K
$1,621৳199.5K
625.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,921¥19.5K
$760৳93.5K
284.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Yiwu
Dhaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$748¥5,000
$246৳30.3K
203.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.36
10.48
-67.94%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Yiwu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 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
Yiwu
$238 43.2%
Dhaka
$124 30.5% ↓ 48%$114
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Yiwu
$109 19.8%
Dhaka
$57 14.1% ↓ 47.6%$52
🍽Eating Out
Yiwu
$93 16.9%
Dhaka
$59 14.6% ↓ 36.1%$34
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yiwu
$76 13.8%
Dhaka
$51 12.7% ↓ 32.3%$25
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Yiwu
$29 5.3%
Dhaka
$22 5.4% ↓ 24.9%$7.3
🚌Getting Around
Yiwu
$5.2 * 1%
Dhaka
$27 6.7% ↑ 425%$22
🏠Accommodation & Living
Yiwu
- * 0%
Dhaka
$65 16%
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Yiwu
$553 27.4%
Dhaka
$304 31.4% ↓ 45%$249
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Yiwu
$242 12%
Dhaka
$127 13.1% ↓ 47.6%$115
🍽Eating Out
Yiwu
$329 16.3%
Dhaka
$180 18.6% ↓ 45.3%$149
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yiwu
$84 4.2%
Dhaka
$55 5.7% ↓ 34%$29
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Yiwu
$70 3.5%
Dhaka
$54 5.6% ↓ 22.5%$16
🚌Getting Around
Yiwu
$11 * 0.6%
Dhaka
$55 5.7% ↑ 392%$44
🏠Accommodation & Living
Yiwu
$733 36.2%
Dhaka
$192 19.9% ↓ 73.7%$540
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $446 in Yiwu and $133 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Yiwu pays 204% 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: $29.00 in Yiwu vs $12.00 in Dhaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $124 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
Yiwu vs Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dhaka cheaper than Yiwu?
Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Yiwu or Dhaka?
Average pay runs 204% higher in Yiwu, 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 Yiwu and Dhaka?
Rent for a central apartment: $446 in Yiwu versus $133 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,430 in Yiwu versus $90.7 in Dhaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Yiwu or in Dhaka?
Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $29.00 in Yiwu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 enough for either Yiwu 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 Yiwu 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 36% less than in Yiwu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.