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Dhaka vs Dubai cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ง๐ฉ Dhaka
๐ฆ๐ช Dubai
At a glance
- Where Dhaka is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (92%โ), Entry ticket (91%โ), Street food (89%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Dubai is easier to travel (2.2 vs 3.4). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Dhaka 4 vs Dubai 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Dhaka | Dubai | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | เงณ 250$2.05 | AED 35$9.54 | Dhaka โ79% |
| Street food1 item | เงณ 60$0.49 | AED 16$4.36 | Dhaka โ89% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | เงณ 1,000$8.2 | AED 120$32.7 | Dhaka โ75% |
| Coffeeone cup | เงณ 260$2.13 | AED 22$5.99 | Dhaka โ64% |
| Beerone bottle | เงณ 1,100$9.02 | AED 45$12.3 | Dhaka โ26% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | เงณ 1,000$8.2 | AED 70$19.1 | Dhaka โ57% |
| Bottled water | เงณ 20$0.16 | AED 2$0.41 | Dhaka โ60% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | เงณ 40$0.33 | AED 4$1.09 | Dhaka โ70% |
| Taxi5 km in town | เงณ 280$2.3 | AED 20$5.45 | Dhaka โ58% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | เงณ 80$0.66 | AED 13$3.54 | Dhaka โ81% |
| Transitone ride | เงณ 30$0.25 | AED 5$1.36 | Dhaka โ82% |
| Scooter rentalper day | เงณ 700$5.74 | AED 150$40.9 | Dhaka โ86% |
| Hotel night3-star | เงณ 5,000$41 | AED 500$136 | Dhaka โ70% |
| Studio rent (month) | เงณ 17,000$139 | AED 6,500$1,771 | Dhaka โ92% |
| Laundry | เงณ 100$0.82 | AED 12$3.27 | Dhaka โ75% |
| SIM card1 week data | เงณ 450$3.69 | AED 84$22.9 | Dhaka โ84% |
| Haircutcut | เงณ 200$1.64 | AED 50$13.6 | Dhaka โ88% |
| Massage1 hour | เงณ 2,500$20.5 | AED 200$54.5 | Dhaka โ62% |
| Half-day tourper person | เงณ 3,000$24.6 | AED 340$92.6 | Dhaka โ73% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | เงณ 500$4.1 | AED 170$46.3 | Dhaka โ91% |
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, Dhaka or Dubai?
Dhaka is 82% cheaper than Dubai. Daily budget $66.7 vs $229; a month $795 vs $6,280.
Which is easier to travel, Dhaka or Dubai?
Dubai is easier: Dubai 2.2/5 vs Dhaka 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Dhaka and Dubai?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Dhaka is about $795 and Dubai about $6,280 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.