How Much Does It Cost to Live In Dhaka?
Dhaka is the capital city of Bangladesh and thus the most attractive and at the same time, the most expensive place to live in, when the whole country is concerned.
Belonging to the most populated cities in the world, Dhaka can be someone’s hell and someone’s heaven, depending on the amount of money you possess and the lifestyle that you lead
Once you decide to move to the charming city of Dhaka, you should take a closer look to both the salaries and expenses that await you there.
Bangladesh : Cost of Living by City
RESTAURANTS
If you love dining out, you can find so many diverse restaurants in Dhaka.
Besides the street food which costs about $1, you can also have a delicious meal at a restaurant for not more than $3.
Those interested in more prominent restaurants would have to spend about $60 per meal.
MARKETS
Food in Dhaka is delicious and inexpensive.
TRANSPORTATION
As everything in Dhaka is based on the low wages, that is why you can experience low cots public transport system.
Monthly pass costs $18, while driving your own car would require a little bit more money, due to the fact that gasoline prices are not so low.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Again, people from other countries would find living in Dhaka inexpensive, when they compare the prices of utilities there and around the world.
However, if the garbage, heating and water take you almost whole your monthly wage, as it does in Dhaka, then that cannot be taken as cheap.
SPORTS & LEISURE
Difficult living conditions for many people in Dhaka who have wages that are lower than the average do not allow them to spend much on entertainment.
If some money is still put aside, they pay those expenses of the utmost importance.
That might be the reason of reasonable prices of fitness clubs and cinema tickets.
CLOTHING & SHOES
Clothing costs are actually quite similar to those found in some less developed countries in Europe.
If you want to buy a pair of basic jeans you will need to pay about $30.
With such low living wages that the majority of people in Dhaka have, buying clothes do not present a necessity.
RENT PER MONTH
Finding the apartment and living in Dhaka should be very important issue when settling there.
The average cost of an apartment can vary depending on the location, so you can find it at the price of $152 dollars per month in the city center, as well as for $90 out of the city.
This might not be considered expensive for someone working in the USA, but the prices are significantly too high for someone working in Bangladesh.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Dhaka
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $2.26 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $2.97 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $0.18 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $0.84 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $0.62 |
| Eggs (12) | $1.17 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $0.48 |
| Monthly Pass | $17.84 |
| Gasoline | $1.07 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $39.72 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.01 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $28.42 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $24.85 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $16.48 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $5.71 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $25.99 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $30.09 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $59.54 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $155.04 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $90.08 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $418.50 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Dhaka?
Even though the rent takes more than double of monthly salary, people in Dhaka do not spend the most money on that.
Food is of utmost importance and more than 38% of money is given for that.
The basic utilities can cost more than half of the salary workers make.
Being that not much money is left, if you have some to put aside, it is not affordable for many people to have some leisure time and pay for doing sports.
As in most of the countries, clothes are the least important expense.
Average Costs Breakdown
Dhaka: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
This is a city where minimum wage highly differs from the average monthly net salary, and that distinction reaches $300.
Thus, living conditions for all the people there are not the same.
Dhaka Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Dhaka Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: HIGH
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: HIGH
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
- MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: HIGH
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM
