Popular cities
Colombo vs Dhaka cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฑ๐ฐ Colombo
๐ง๐ฉ Dhaka
At a glance
- Where Dhaka is clearly cheaper: Street food (70%โ), Entry ticket (67%โ), Convenience store (55%โ)
- Where Colombo is clearly cheaper: Beer (63%โ), Transit (46%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Colombo is easier to travel (2.4 vs 3.4). Biggest gap: safety โ Colombo 2 vs Dhaka 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Colombo | Dhaka | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rs 1,000$3.33 | เงณ 250$2.05 | Dhaka โ39% |
| Street food1 item | Rs 500$1.67 | เงณ 60$0.49 | Dhaka โ70% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rs 4,000$13.3 | เงณ 1,000$8.2 | Dhaka โ39% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rs 1,000$3.33 | เงณ 260$2.13 | Dhaka โ36% |
| Beerone bottle | Rs 1,000$3.33 | เงณ 1,100$9.02 | Colombo โ63% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rs 2,500$8.33 | เงณ 1,000$8.2 | similar |
| Bottled water | Rs 80$0.27 | เงณ 20$0.16 | Dhaka โ39% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rs 220$0.73 | เงณ 40$0.33 | Dhaka โ55% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rs 600$2 | เงณ 280$2.3 | Colombo โ13% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rs 300$1 | เงณ 80$0.66 | Dhaka โ34% |
| Transitone ride | Rs 40$0.13 | เงณ 30$0.25 | Colombo โ46% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rs 3,000$10 | เงณ 700$5.74 | Dhaka โ43% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rs 15,000$50 | เงณ 5,000$41 | Dhaka โ18% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rs 90,000$300 | เงณ 17,000$139 | Dhaka โ54% |
| Laundry | Rs 400$1.33 | เงณ 100$0.82 | Dhaka โ39% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rs 2,000$6.67 | เงณ 450$3.69 | Dhaka โ45% |
| Haircutcut | Rs 1,000$3.33 | เงณ 200$1.64 | Dhaka โ51% |
| Massage1 hour | Rs 6,000$20 | เงณ 2,500$20.5 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | Rs 8,000$26.7 | เงณ 3,000$24.6 | Dhaka โ8% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rs 3,750$12.5 | เงณ 500$4.1 | Dhaka โ67% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Colombo or Dhaka?
Dhaka is 30% cheaper than Colombo. Daily budget $86.7 vs $66.7; a month $1,268 vs $795.
Which is easier to travel, Colombo or Dhaka?
Colombo is easier: Colombo 2.4/5 vs Dhaka 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Colombo and Dhaka?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Colombo is about $1,268 and Dhaka about $795 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.