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Dhaka vs Kuala Lumpur cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ง๐ฉ Dhaka
๐ฒ๐พ Kuala Lumpur
At a glance
- Where Kuala Lumpur is clearly cheaper: Beer (54%โ)
- Where Dhaka is clearly cheaper: Street food (77%โ), Studio rent (month) (70%โ), Haircut (65%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Kuala Lumpur is easier to travel (2.2 vs 3.4). Biggest gap: safety โ Dhaka 4 vs Kuala Lumpur 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Dhaka | Kuala Lumpur | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | เงณ 250$2.05 | RM 12$2.79 | Dhaka โ27% |
| Street food1 item | เงณ 60$0.49 | RM 9$2.09 | Dhaka โ77% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | เงณ 1,000$8.2 | RM 45$10.5 | Dhaka โ22% |
| Coffeeone cup | เงณ 260$2.13 | RM 14$3.26 | Dhaka โ35% |
| Beerone bottle | เงณ 1,100$9.02 | RM 18$4.19 | Kuala Lumpur โ54% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | เงณ 1,000$8.2 | RM 40$9.3 | Dhaka โ12% |
| Bottled water | เงณ 20$0.16 | RM 1.8$0.42 | Dhaka โ61% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | เงณ 40$0.33 | RM 3.5$0.81 | Dhaka โ60% |
| Taxi5 km in town | เงณ 280$2.3 | RM 13$3.02 | Dhaka โ24% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | เงณ 80$0.66 | RM 7$1.63 | Dhaka โ60% |
| Transitone ride | เงณ 30$0.25 | RM 2.5$0.58 | Dhaka โ58% |
| Scooter rentalper day | เงณ 700$5.74 | RM 50$11.6 | Dhaka โ51% |
| Hotel night3-star | เงณ 5,000$41 | RM 220$51.2 | Dhaka โ20% |
| Studio rent (month) | เงณ 17,000$139 | RM 2,000$465 | Dhaka โ70% |
| Laundry | เงณ 100$0.82 | RM 6$1.4 | Dhaka โ41% |
| SIM card1 week data | เงณ 450$3.69 | RM 25$5.81 | Dhaka โ37% |
| Haircutcut | เงณ 200$1.64 | RM 20$4.65 | Dhaka โ65% |
| Massage1 hour | เงณ 2,500$20.5 | RM 90$20.9 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | เงณ 3,000$24.6 | RM 150$34.9 | Dhaka โ30% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | เงณ 500$4.1 | RM 34$7.91 | Dhaka โ48% |
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 Kuala Lumpur?
Dhaka is 39% cheaper than Kuala Lumpur. Daily budget $66.7 vs $85.3; a month $795 vs $1,611.
Which is easier to travel, Dhaka or Kuala Lumpur?
Kuala Lumpur is easier: Kuala Lumpur 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 Kuala Lumpur?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Dhaka is about $795 and Kuala Lumpur about $1,611 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.