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Dhaka Prices & Cost of Living 2026
Bangladesh · Big city — Dhaka is about 81% cheaper than New York. Not just exchange rates: what a fair price is, where it turns into a rip-off, and what that means in your money.
Dhaka prices at a glance
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Dhaka travel difficulty
CNG auto-rickshaws refuse meters; cycle rickshaws need haggling
English in hotels and Gulshan; street signs and drivers in Bangla
Extreme traffic; use Metro Line 6, Uber or Pathao cars
Cards at hotels, malls, Gulshan restaurants; cash elsewhere
Rising robbery and snatching; protests can turn violent; US Level 3
Good to knowAvoid airport transfers at night; book Uber/Pathao cars instead of CNGs
Handy apps: Uber · Pathao
Visas depend on your passport, so they are not scored. Felt different on the ground? Tell other travelers below. Travel difficulty in South Asia › Difficulty ranking for 502 cities ›
In your money
Dhaka is about 81% cheaper than New York
Based on 8 things travelers buy most, compared with New York. Each pair of bars is the same purchase in both cities, converted to your currency. Set your own city and currency in “My basis” above.
Dhaka in numbers
- 🍜48 local meals
- ☕46 coffees
- 🍺11 beers
- 🚕43 5-km taxi rides
- 💆4.8 h of massage
- 🏨2.4 hotel nights
- Local meal1 h 44 min · New York 52 min
- Coffee1 h 48 min · New York 15 min
- Beer7 h 37 min · New York 23 min
- Taxi1 h 56 min · New York 59 min
- Street food#2 cheapest
- Haircut#5 cheapest
- Bottled water#16 cheapest
- Beer#22 priciest
- Cocktail & wine#238 priciest
Dhaka price guide & rip-off thresholds
Dhaka travel budget
Per person per day, estimated. Flights and shopping not included.
See 4-day, 1-week and 1-month budget tables › · Plan a multi-city trip budget ›
How to spend money in Dhaka
Live prices reported in Dhaka
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FAQ
Is Dhaka cheaper than New York?
Across 8 things travelers buy most (meals, coffee, beer, taxis, hotels…), Dhaka is about 81% cheaper than New York. A local meal is about ৳250 (≈ $2.05) and a coffee about ৳260 (≈ $2.13).
How hard is Dhaka to travel?
Averaging rip-offs, language, getting around, payments and safety, Dhaka scores 3.4/5 — 'hard'. The main thing to watch is rip-offs & haggling (4/5): CNG auto-rickshaws refuse meters; cycle rickshaws need haggling. Tip: Avoid airport transfers at night; book Uber/Pathao cars instead of CNGs
Is Dhaka good for first-time travelers?
It is doable, but go prepared (3.4/5). Rip-offs & haggling: CNG auto-rickshaws refuse meters; cycle rickshaws need haggling. Safety: Rising robbery and snatching; protests can turn violent; US Level 3. Tip: Avoid airport transfers at night; book Uber/Pathao cars instead of CNGs
What is a realistic daily budget for Dhaka?
Mid-range (3-star hotel, local meals plus a dinner out, two taxi rides) is about $66.7 a day. Guesthouses and street food bring it to about $20.5; 4-star and restaurants push it to about $161.
How much does it cost to live in Dhaka for a month?
A short-term studio (about $316) plus food, transport and a SIM (about $480) comes to roughly $795 a month. A local long-term lease (studio about ৳17,000) brings it down a lot.
How much should a taxi cost in Dhaka?
For 5 km in town, expect ৳224 – ৳448; anything above ৳538 is suspicious.
Where do these numbers come from?
Base prices start from public cost-of-living data; once 3+ traveler reports come in, the app blends in the median of what people actually paid.
Fair range & rip-off line — each item gets its own spread (tight for transit, wide for street food). Above 1.2× the top of the fair range is flagged as a likely rip-off.
Budgets add up item prices for the lifestyle described above. Peak season and prime tourist spots run higher.
Exchange rate as of October 2026: 1 USD = ৳122. Last updated 2026-10-05.