Here’s how much it costs to go backpacking in Bangladesh

From the hand of Sebastiaan: a detailed budget guide for backpacking in Bangladesh. This guide gives a breakdown of how much it costs to travel in Bangladesh, with tips on accommodation,  food and drinks, transportation, and things to do in Bangladesh. Read on for a complete guide on how much it costs to travel in Bangladesh

Bangladesh sees very few tourists. Whether it’s because of the lack of blockbuster sights—or a bad reputation—few adventurers make it here.

This is a shame, as Bangladesh has a lot to offer to the intrepid soul. Like its more famous neighbor India, Bangladesh is very easy on the wallet, and people are extremely friendly.

Below you can find my budget guide for Bangladesh with all the info a cost-savvy traveler might need.

Exchange rate used for this guide (as of March 2020): $1 = 84 Tk and €1 = 95 Tk. Prices may be rounded to make it easier to read.

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Here’s how much it costs to travel in Bangladesh

Bangladesh can be an incredibly cheap country to travel in. With lots of cheap eateries, low budget hotels, and cheap buses and ferries to get around, you can travel around Bangladesh for roughly $15-20 a day. This could be even lower if you get hosted often.

Do note that on the budget end of things, quality is often subpar. Don’t expect warm water or good hygiene standards at these levels. I’ll go into prices and the cost of travel in Bangladesh more below.

Cost of accommodation in Bangladesh

Because Bangladesh is one of the least visited countries in the world, few hotels cater specifically to travelers. There are no hostels, and usually only one or two places foreign tourists can reliably stay.

The only exception to this is probably the Shreemangal area, where there are some nice hotels that had foreign visitors in mind when they were designed.

Hotels in Bangladesh don’t offer the best value for money, and it’s possible that even mid-range hotels don’t always have hot water and good WiFi.

When looking for a place to sleep, always check the room before agreeing to anything, and ask people to show you several rooms. If you’re staying in a budget place, try to get a room away from the nearby road if you value sleeping at all. And don’t forget to ask for a discount!

Below you can find more on how much different types of accommodation cost in Bangladesh. Note that prices are usually per room, not per person.

• Budget hotels in cities: 400 – 700 Tk/€4 – 8/$4.50 – 9
• Mid-range hotels: 1,000 – 3,000 Tk/€11 – 33/$12 – 36
• Luxury hotels (4 stars+): 6,500+Tk/€70+/75+

In some cases, it’s possible to book accommodation online, especially in the mid and upper price ranges. But if you’re looking for a budget place, just walking in and asking for a room is the best option. For recommendations, check out this amazing Bangladesh travel guide with all the info you need.

Check out Booking.com to see what’s available online!

Cost of food and drinks in Bangladesh

Rejoice, you can eat and drink (nonalcoholic drinks) for next to nothing in Bangladesh. Cheap eateries galore, and you can get some damn tasty chai for about 5 takas on the street, and a local breakfast will set you back 50 takas or so. Not a bad deal methinks.

The downside of eating in cheap eateries is that hygiene standards are basically non-existent, so there’s a good chance you’ll get ill at one point or another. Ordering can be tough too, as many waiters will be too shy to actually come and take your order, or won’t listen to you when you do make an order because they have already decided that they won’t understand you.

If you want to eat in a local place, it’s best to either go with a local friend or walk into a busy place and point at whatever you want to eat. Don’t be afraid to barge into the kitchen to point at stuff if ordering turns out to be too difficult.

• Cheap  lunch or dinner: 150 – 300 Tk/€1.50 – 3/$1.75 – 3.50
• Sit down lunch or dinner at a clean place: 200 – 500 Tk/€2 – 5/$2.30 – 6
• Tea and snacks on the street: 5 – 10 Tk/€0.05 – 0.10/$0.05 – 0.10

If you want to go to fancy places, expect to pay near American prices for food and drinks.

Cost of getting around in Bangladesh

Getting around in Bangladesh can be a real challenge. It’s often difficult to know from where, or at what time, transport to your desired destination goes. Especially if you want to take a launch it can be a real nightmare to figure everything out. Check out the Bangladesh travel guide for more info.

Difficult (and terrifying) as it may be, getting around Bangladesh is pretty cheap. Within cities, you can use (cycle) rickshaws to get around for next to nothing, and getting on a bus or ferry won’t hurt your pocket either. Below you find more info on the cost of getting around Bangladesh.

• Shared rickshaw in a city: 5 – 10 Tk/€0.05 – 0.10/$0.05 – 0.10
• Bus between cities: 200 – 500 Tk/€2 – 5/$2.30 – 5.20
• Six-hour ferry ride:  200 – 400 Tk/€2 – 4/$2.30 – 4.60
• Overnight train in lower class: 400 – 700 Tk/€4 – 7.50/$4.50 – 9

Girls walking at the massive Sompur Mahavihara, ruins of a Buddhist university near Paharpur

Cost of sightseeing in Bangladesh

Bangladesh isn’t known for its must-see sights, but there is still plenty to see and do in the country. Some places are free to enter, and for some, you have to pay an entrance fee. Luckily, the best thing about Bangladesh is its amazing people, not the buildings you’ll see.

• Entrance to most Islamic sights: Free
• Entrance to most Hindu temples: Free
• Ticket fee for ticketed sights: 100 – 200 Tk/€1 – 2/$1.20 – 2.40

Cost of getting connected in Bangladesh

Connectivity in Bangladesh is spotty. Most hotels don’t have Wifi, or, when they do, it hardly works. If you want to stay connected in Bangladesh, you’ll have to get a sim card.

Although cities will have 4G connectivity, outside of cities it’s hit and miss. You can find more info in our guide on travel in Bangladesh, but expect to pay around 1,000 Tk for a sim card and enough data to last you a month.

Know before you go to Bangladesh

• As you can see, Bangladesh is a fairly cheap country. However, if you plan to visit the Sundarbans or the Chittagong Hill Tracts, expect to pay more, as you’ll be required to go with a guide or on a tour.
• Bangladesh sees few foreigners, and outside main tourist places like the Sundarbans, there is little tourist infrastructure. This makes things cheaper, but more difficult.
• Not all hotels and guest houses allow foreigners to stay. Solo female travelers in Bangladesh can find it hard to get a room in budget places.
• Most people are honest… but dishonest people are incredibly dishonest. Always double-check the price of things like bus tickets and meals, some people will try to rip you off.
• Rickshaw drivers, on the other hand, are very open to bargaining, and it’s easy to get a decent price for a rickshaw ride.

Colorful rickshaws on the streets of Old Dhaka

And there it is, a complete guide on how much it costs to travel in Bangladesh. Are you missing anything or do you have more questions? Let me know in the comments!

Getting ready for travel to Bangladesh? Don’t miss this guide to traveling by water in Bangladesh.

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