CrossBorders
Take the quiz
Head-to-head

Dhaka vs Kathmandu

Bangladesh flagDhakaNepal flagKathmandu

Dhaka and Kathmandu are compared across affordability, safety, healthcare, career, culture and food, and public life. Kathmandu has the broader all-round edge, while Dhaka leads on career. The better fit depends on which of those relocation priorities matters most.

How they compare

AffordabilitySafetyHealthcareCareerCulturePublic life
  • Dhaka
  • Kathmandu
Affordability
72
73
Safety
53
64
Healthcare
43
45
Career
38
35
Culture & food
51
64
Public life & spaces
19
30
Overall
43
48

Objective 0–100 scores from source-backed CrossBorders data. Green marks the category leader; gold is the overall leader.

Built for you, not the average
Dhaka or Kathmandu? Depends on you.

The scores above weigh every category equally. Your life doesn't. Answer a few questions and we'll rank all 283 cities around your budget, work, and dealbreakers, and call the winner for you.

Answer a few quick questions and get your personal winner out of 283 cities.

Get my personal ranking

Category by category

Is Dhaka or Kathmandu cheaper to live in?

Dhaka 72Kathmandu 73

Kathmandu has the lower open-market one-bedroom rent on a new lease, at about €162 per month, compared with €202 in Dhaka. Against one typical employee's mean net pay, Dhaka is beyond local pay at the 120% ceiling, with the underlying burden possibly higher, while Kathmandu is solo unlikely at roughly 109%.

Is Dhaka or Kathmandu safer?

Dhaka 53Kathmandu 64

Kathmandu leads. Homicide is low in both, but Dhaka's political instability and dangerous roads weigh it down further than Kathmandu's own shaky political backdrop and chaotic traffic.

Does Dhaka or Kathmandu have better healthcare?

Dhaka 43Kathmandu 45

Close and weak in both, with Kathmandu slightly ahead. Doctors are in short supply and serious cases often mean traveling elsewhere from either city, though private clinics serving foreigners are affordable in both.

Is Dhaka or Kathmandu better for your career?

Dhaka 38Kathmandu 35

Dhaka is marginally ahead, though both rank among the thinnest job markets measured — neither offers much beyond garments and development work in Dhaka's case, or a near-absent professional scene in Kathmandu's.

Does Dhaka or Kathmandu have a better food and culture scene?

Dhaka 51Kathmandu 64

Kathmandu's clearest win, and the widest gap in the set. Its temples, courtyards and living ritual give it a cultural depth that rivals any city in the region, edging out Dhaka's more modest restaurant and arts scene.

Does Dhaka or Kathmandu have better public spaces and street life?

Dhaka 19Kathmandu 30

Kathmandu leads. Its Durbar Square temple plazas stand out amid the dust and post-quake disrepair, while Dhaka's extreme density leaves almost no genuine shared public space at all.

The verdict

Choose Kathmandu for the broader all-round balance, especially if affordability matters most. Choose Dhaka if career matters more. Compare their rent burden and day-to-day strengths before deciding.

Not sure which fits you?
Stop comparing averages. Compare against you.

Dhaka vs Kathmandu looks different once your budget, work, and dealbreakers are in the mix. Answer a few questions and we'll weigh 109 metrics across 283 cities around your answers.

Take the free questionnaire

Explore each city

Bangladesh flagLiving in DhakaNepal flagLiving in Kathmandu

More comparisons

Delhi vs DhakaDelhi vs KathmanduDhaka vs HyderabadDhaka vs Kolkata
Before you commit
Spend a week in Kathmandu first.

The fastest way to test a shortlist is to go. A week on the ground tells you things no ranking can.

See places to stay in Kathmandu →

Partner links — we may earn a commission. Never affects your ranking.