Chattogram

Cost of Living inChattogram, Bangladesh

Chittagong, Bangladesh3.9MLower middle incomeRemote-work friendly

Image credit: Zitu.madcap0901125

Purchasing Power vs. United States

Your money goes 4.8x further

Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Bangladesh: $8,487/capita.

How Far Your Money Goes

Prices are 77% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).

Using the country-level NYC comparison for now. We do not have a defensible city-level aggregate cost index for this city yet.

Overall
4.4x further
Prices are 77% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Rent
38x further
Prices are 97% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Groceries
3.7x further
Prices are 73% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Restaurants
5.7x further
Prices are 83% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).

Income Category

Lower Middle
World Bank GNI

Happiness

3.9 / 10

#127 globally

GDP per Capita

$8,487
PPP, International $

City Population

3.9M

Child Education

Public-school quality + expat access, alongside international and private school cost β€” the two paths a relocating family weighs.

Public schools

Public-schooling rules are set nationally for Bangladesh; Chattogram-specific enrollment notes are still being verified.

Limited public-school fit

Quality

Limited public-school fit

Expat access

Possible, but a hard fit for expats

hard

Instruction

Bangla

Language fit is more manageable.

PISA / outcomes

Qualitative only

Using curated quality notes for now.

Why this quality rating

Bangladesh has a large public system with meaningful variation between urban and rural schools. Dhaka has far stronger private and international options than the state system for families wanting predictable English-friendly schooling.

Why the expat-access rating looks like this

Resident foreign families may be able to enroll, but Bangla-medium instruction and uneven infrastructure make the public route difficult for most internationally mobile households.

❓ Homeschooling

Not specifically regulated

Bangladesh requires compulsory primary education but does not have a specific homeschooling framework. Many expat families in Dhaka homeschool through accredited foreign programs without interference. No formal registration or approval process exists.

Homeschool legality in Bangladesh β€” check current regulations before committing.

Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)

International & private schools

Median tuition
3 schools listed
$2,037/yr
IB1British1Other1

Childcare & Domestic Help

Estimate-only country fallback for the family-support costs we track in Bangladesh.

Full-time nanny (5 days)

$180-$275

Estimate-only country fallback

Live-in / 24-7 nanny

$300-$450

Estimate-only country fallback

Source: curated family relocation research(derived country fallback)

Getting Around

Neighborhood mobility profiles are rolling out city by city.Chattogram is still missing a verified walkability, transit, airport, and rideshare profile.

Healthcare

System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Bangladesh.

Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.

4 facilities tracked
Facilities updated 2 months ago

Healthcare system

Limited

Coverage looks thinner, doctor staffing is lighter, and hospital capacity looks tighter weigh on this rating.

Public care

Limited

Public coverage looks thinner, public funding looks lighter, and patients still shoulder a meaningful share of costs weigh on this rating.

Private care

Limited

The tracked private-style network still looks thin and self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.

UHC coverage

54/100

2023

Physicians

0.72/1k

2023

Hospital beds

0.92/1k

2023

Out of pocket

79%

2023

Outcome signals

Life expectancy

74.9 yrs

2024

Maternal mortality

115/100k

2023

Neonatal mortality

17.9/1k

2024

International patient readiness

Limited

Price transparency is still sparse and headline outcomes are less reassuring weigh on this rating.

Pricing transparency

Limited

Published self-pay prices are scarce and few facilities expose web pages we can verify weigh on this rating.

Facility coverage

Hospital: 4

Self-pay pricing visibility

No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Bangladesh yet.

This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.

Notable facilities

Pioneer hospital and diagnostic center Ltd.
Hospital Β· Emergency
Appolo Diagnostic Center , OS
Hospital Β· Emergency
Pioneer hospital And diagnostic center Ltd. , OS
Hospital Β· Emergency
Cosmic diagnostic Center
Hospital Β· Emergency

System metrics: World Bank WDI Β· Updated 2026-06-01

Safety & Governance

City-level perceived-crime data is not sourced for Chattogram yet. Showing Bangladesh national safety and governance signals until a matched city row lands.

Street Safety

Safety Index33/100
Crime Index67/100

Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.

Political Stability

Political Stability-0.99

World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.

Wages by Sector

SectorMedian
Administrative & Support Servicesβ€”
Agriculture & Farmingβ€”
Arts, Entertainment & Recreationβ€”
Constructionβ€”
Educationβ€”
Finance & Insuranceβ€”
Healthcare & Social Workβ€”
Hospitality & Food Serviceβ€”
Information & Technologyβ€”
Manufacturingβ€”
Mining & Quarryingβ€”
Other Servicesβ€”
Professional & Scientific Servicesβ€”
Public Administration & Defenceβ€”
Real Estateβ€”
Retail & Wholesale Tradeβ€”
Transport & Logisticsβ€”
Utilitiesβ€”

2024 annual wages in Chattogram, Bangladesh Β· Source: BBS (region-adjusted)

Price Comparison vs. US

bread 500g
$0.61Estimated82% cheaper
budget hotel
$10.00Estimated72% cheaper
childcare preschool
$418.36Estimated73% cheaper
eggs dozen
$2.65Estimated45% cheaper
gasoline liter
$1.52Estimated48% more
inexpensive meal
$9.89Estimated53% cheaper
internet 60mbps
$22.07Estimated67% cheaper
International School (Annual)
$2036.84Estimated93% cheaper
luxury hotel
$150.00Estimated69% cheaper
milk liter
$1.24Estimated2% more
monthly pass
$27.46Estimated60% cheaper
rent 1br
$544.51Estimated70% cheaper
rent 3br
$933.82Estimated71% cheaper
taxi km
$0.41Estimated78% cheaper
utilities basic
$129.69Estimated39% cheaper

Visa Information (US passport)

Short-stay entry

visa on arrival

US passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival.

Quick comparison FAQ

Structured from the deltas already shown on this page β€” no invented facts, no extra data sources.

How far does your money go in Chattogram compared with the US?

Your money goes about 4.8x further in Chattogram than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate. We are using the country-level cost index for Bangladesh here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.

Is Chattogram cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?

Chattogram is cheaper overall than New York City β€” overall living costs are about 77% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City) for Chattogram. We are using the country-level cost index for Bangladesh here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.

How does rent in Chattogram compare with New York City?

Rent in Chattogram is about 97% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City). We are using the country-level cost index for Bangladesh here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.

How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Chattogram?

Groceries in Chattogram are about 73% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 83% cheaper than the same benchmark. We are using the country-level cost index for Bangladesh here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.

About Chattogram

Chattogram is Bangladesh's second city and the country's principal port, handling the majority of national maritime trade through its Bay of Bengal frontage in the southeast. It is the commercial and industrial counterweight to Dhaka, with a heavy concentration of shipbreaking, garments, and shipping-services employment. For international relocators it functions almost entirely as a corporate or NGO posting; the foreign community is small and concentrated around shipping, energy, and humanitarian work. Bengali is essential with English used in business, the tropical monsoon climate brings heavy rain from June to October, and the broader Chattogram region is exposed to cyclone risk that has shaped both infrastructure planning and disaster preparedness for decades.

Tropical climate: hot, humid, monsoon season May-OctoberInternet: 4G/5G available but inconsistent for remote workExpat community: small, growing; less established than DhakaWalkability: moderate; chaotic traffic, some pedestrian-friendly zonesFood scene: excellent local seafood, street food cultureNightlife: limited; few international bars, more local venuesCoworking: minimal options; most work from cafΓ©s or hotelsSafety: generally safe but petty theft and pickpocketing in crowded areas