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Dhaka vs Kathmandu cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ง๐ฉ Dhaka
๐ณ๐ต Kathmandu
At a glance
- Where Kathmandu is clearly cheaper: Beer (63%โ), Massage (28%โ), Cocktail & wine (28%โ)
- Where Dhaka is clearly cheaper: Street food (56%โ), Entry ticket (45%โ), Convenience store (45%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Dhaka 3 vs Kathmandu 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Dhaka | Kathmandu | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | เงณ 250$2.05 | Rs 300$2.22 | Dhaka โ8% |
| Street food1 item | เงณ 60$0.49 | Rs 150$1.11 | Dhaka โ56% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | เงณ 1,000$8.2 | Rs 1,000$7.41 | Kathmandu โ10% |
| Coffeeone cup | เงณ 260$2.13 | Rs 250$1.85 | Kathmandu โ13% |
| Beerone bottle | เงณ 1,100$9.02 | Rs 450$3.33 | Kathmandu โ63% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | เงณ 1,000$8.2 | Rs 800$5.93 | Kathmandu โ28% |
| Bottled water | เงณ 20$0.16 | Rs 25$0.19 | Dhaka โ11% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | เงณ 40$0.33 | Rs 80$0.59 | Dhaka โ45% |
| Taxi5 km in town | เงณ 280$2.3 | Rs 350$2.59 | Dhaka โ11% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | เงณ 80$0.66 | Rs 150$1.11 | Dhaka โ41% |
| Transitone ride | เงณ 30$0.25 | Rs 30$0.22 | Kathmandu โ10% |
| Scooter rentalper day | เงณ 700$5.74 | Rs 1,200$8.89 | Dhaka โ35% |
| Hotel night3-star | เงณ 5,000$41 | Rs 5,000$37 | Kathmandu โ10% |
| Studio rent (month) | เงณ 17,000$139 | Rs 20,000$148 | Dhaka โ6% |
| Laundry | เงณ 100$0.82 | Rs 200$1.48 | Dhaka โ45% |
| SIM card1 week data | เงณ 450$3.69 | Rs 700$5.19 | Dhaka โ29% |
| Haircutcut | เงณ 200$1.64 | Rs 350$2.59 | Dhaka โ37% |
| Massage1 hour | เงณ 2,500$20.5 | Rs 2,000$14.8 | Kathmandu โ28% |
| Half-day tourper person | เงณ 3,000$24.6 | Rs 3,000$22.2 | Kathmandu โ10% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | เงณ 500$4.1 | Rs 1,000$7.41 | Dhaka โ45% |
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 Kathmandu?
Kathmandu is 6% cheaper than Dhaka. Daily budget $66.7 vs $62.5; a month $795 vs $749.
Which is easier to travel, Dhaka or Kathmandu?
About the same: Dhaka 3.4/5, Kathmandu 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Dhaka and Kathmandu?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Dhaka is about $795 and Kathmandu about $749 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.