Moving to Bangladesh from South Africa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Africa to Bangladesh — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Africa to Bangladesh, you would find that Bangladesh is 67.1% cheaper than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,200,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly BDT2,950,000 in Bangladesh to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Bengali. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Dhaka averages 87°F vs 71°F in Johannesburg, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Bangladesh cheaper than South Africa?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 70.5% less
Groceries
pay 44.5% less
Transportation
pay 43.4% less
Housing
pay 82.1% less
Childcare
pay 81.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 30.8% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Bangladesh?
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,200,000 → BDT2,950,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Bangladesh
Calculate with your salary →Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Bangladesh cost about 42% less than cities in South Africa.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Bangladesh
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Africa and Bangladesh stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Bangladesh performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Bangladesh generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
South Africa generally does better on environment, though Bangladesh leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
South Africa generally does better on infrastructure, though Bangladesh leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Bangladesh generally does better on employment & economy, though South Africa leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
South Africa generally does better on family life, though Bangladesh leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), South African Revenue Service (2017), National Board of Revenue (NBR), Bangladesh (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Bangladesh vs South Africa
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Johannesburg | Dhaka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 84°/61°F (29°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 66°/45°F (19°/7°C) | 91°/76°F (33°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 67°/44°F (20°/7°C) | 89°/79°F (32°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/19°C) |
View all months
| Month | Johannesburg | Dhaka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.7°C) | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.7°C) |
| Feb | 77°/57°F (25.1°/14.1°C) | 83°/60°F (28.1°/15.5°C) |
| Mar | 75°/56°F (24.0°/13.1°C) | 90°/69°F (32.4°/20.3°C) |
| Apr | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.3°C) | 93°/74°F (33.8°/23.6°C) |
| May | 66°/45°F (18.9°/7.2°C) | 91°/76°F (32.9°/24.5°C) |
| Jun | 61°/39°F (16.0°/4.1°C) | 90°/79°F (32.2°/26.1°C) |
| Jul | 62°/39°F (16.7°/4.1°C) | 89°/79°F (31.4°/26.2°C) |
| Aug | 67°/43°F (19.4°/6.2°C) | 89°/79°F (31.6°/26.3°C) |
| Sep | 73°/49°F (22.8°/9.3°C) | 89°/79°F (31.8°/25.9°C) |
| Oct | 75°/52°F (23.8°/11.2°C) | 89°/75°F (31.6°/23.8°C) |
| Nov | 76°/55°F (24.2°/12.7°C) | 85°/67°F (29.6°/19.2°C) |
| Dec | 77°/57°F (25.2°/13.9°C) | 80°/58°F (26.4°/14.3°C) |
South African Weather ServiceCan you move from South Africa to Bangladesh?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa and Bangladesh. To live, work, or study long-term in Bangladesh, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Bangladesh's immigration authority.
South Africa passport holder visiting Bangladesh
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Bangladesh passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Bangladesh than South Africa?
Generally yes: Bangladesh runs about 67% cheaper than South Africa on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Bangladesh?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ZAR1,200,000 comparable salary, that's around BDT737,500 in Bangladesh for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Bangladesh?
With 8.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Bangladesh can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in South Africa and Bangladesh.
Is Bangladesh safe for expats?
Bangladesh performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Bangladesh is 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 43.7 in South Africa.
How is healthcare in Bangladesh compared to South Africa?
Bangladesh generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Bangladesh, compared to 7.9 in South Africa. Bangladesh scores 52 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Bangladesh compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Dhaka is 87°F, compared to 71°F in Johannesburg. Dhaka receives around 84.8 in of rainfall per year, while Johannesburg gets 28.1 in.
What language do they speak in Bangladesh?
The official language in Bangladesh is Bengali. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Bangladesh
At a Glance
ZA
|
BD
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,747,319 | 175,686,899 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Bangladeshi Taka (BDT) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Bengali |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +27 | +880 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 999 |