---
title: "Living in Khulna as a digital nomad: cost, safety, visa, internet"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/khulna
description: "River port at the edge of the Sundarbans mangroves"
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Khulna, Bangladesh

Khulna scores 39.1/100 for digital nomads under balanced weights, ranking 1444 of 1501 cities. Expect about $950 per month (country-level estimate), no dedicated nomad visa, and a measured median download speed of 5.7 Mbps.

Khulna is a river port in Bangladesh's southwest and the usual starting point for boat trips into the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest on earth, with the UNESCO-listed mosques of Bagerhat nearby. Since the Padma Bridge opened in 2022, Dhaka is a few hours away by road. It is very cheap but humid and flood-prone, with few cafés, coworking spaces or English speakers.

Known for: Sundarbans boat trips, Bagerhat Mosque City, Shrimp and jute trade, Padma Bridge road to Dhaka.

## Scores (balanced weights, 0–100)

| Factor | Score |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | 39.1 |
| Cost of living | 77 |
| Safety | 55 |
| Healthcare | 57 |
| Internet | 40 |
| Visa ease | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 5 |
| Climate | 42 |
| Air quality | 0 |
| Quality of life | 43 |

## The numbers behind the scores

| Metric | Value | Level | As of | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $950 | country | 2026-09 | [^2] |
| Central 1-bedroom rent | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Outskirts 1-bedroom rent (basis of the monthly total) | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Homicide rate (per 100k) | 1.76 | country | 2023 | [^4] |
| Political stability (0–100) | 49.1 | country | 2025 | [^5] |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 54 | country | 2023 | [^6] |
| Life expectancy (years) | 72.7 | country | 2023 | [^7] |
| Median download (Mbps) | 5.7 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Median upload (Mbps) | 11.6 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Starlink residential service | Available | country | 2026-10 | [^9] |
| Nomad visa | none listed | country | 2026-07 | [^10] |
| Entry for US / EU / UK passports | visa on arrival / visa on arrival / visa on arrival | country | 2026-02 | [^11] |
| Non-stop destinations (JSR) | 3 | city | 2026-10 | [^12] |
| Restaurants within 3 km of the centre (OpenStreetMap) | 13 | city | 2026-11 | [^16] |
| Walkability / transit (1–5) | 2 / 1 | editorial | 2026-09 | [^13] |
| Comfortable months | 5 of 12 | city | 2001–2020 | [^14] |
| Annual mean PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 82.3 | city | 2023 | [^15] |
| Human Development Index | 0.685 | country | 2023 | [^17] |
| English proficiency band | low | country | 2024 | [^18] |

## Tax on income from abroad

**Worldwide tax after 183 days; work done in Bangladesh pays up to 30%, but freelancing is exempt to June 2027.** Residents (183 days in the July–June income year, or 90 days plus 365 over the prior four years) are taxed on worldwide income at 0%–30%; the first Tk 400,000 is tax-free. Pay for work done in Bangladesh is local income even from a foreign employer. Freelancing and content-creation income paid via banks is exempt until 30 June 2027. Dividends pay 15%. No wealth or inheritance tax, but a 10%–35% surcharge on tax above Tk 4 crore of net wealth.

| Question | Answer |
| --- | --- |
| How residents are taxed | worldwide income |
| Remote work for foreign clients or employers | taxed (0%–30% progressive (35% top band from July 2027)) |
| Investments and pensions from abroad | taxed (15% on dividends; 0%–30% on interest, rent and pensions) |
| Wealth | no wealth tax; no inheritance tax |
| Tax resident after | 183 days a year |
| Top income tax rate | 30% |

Residency: The income year runs from 1 July to 30 June, and tax is assessed in the assessment (tax) year that starts the next 1 July (Income Tax Act, 2023, section 2(15) and 2(24)). You are resident for an income year if you are in Bangladesh for 183 days or more in total during it, or for 90 days or more in it after spending 365 days or more in total in Bangladesh during the 4 years before (section 2(45)). There is no home, domicile or centre-of-interests test. So a visitor on a 30-day visa on arrival stays non-resident, but someone returning for about 100 days every year becomes resident in the fifth year. A non-resident foreigner is taxed only on income arising in Bangladesh (section 26(1)(b)), at a flat 30% with no tax-free band, and that includes pay for work done while in the country (section 27(a)). A non-resident individual with no fixed base in Bangladesh does not have to file a return (section 166(2)(h)).

Remote work: A resident is taxed on all income wherever it arises (Income Tax Act, 2023, section 26(1)(a)), and employment income earned in Bangladesh is Bangladeshi income wherever it is paid (section 27(a)), so a salary from a foreign employer for work done from Bangladesh is taxed even before you become resident. One-third of employment income or Tk 450,000, whichever is less, is excluded (Sixth Schedule, Part 1, paragraph 27). Resident rates are 0% on the first Tk 400,000, then 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% above Tk 3,600,000, with a minimum tax of Tk 5,000 (Tk 1,000 for first-time filers) once income passes the threshold. Freelancers and content creators whose business income is paid by bank transfer can use the exemption under paragraph 21 until 30 June 2027 (see regimes); a salary does not qualify. Banks deduct 5% (7.5% until 30 June 2026) from remittances from abroad for services a resident performs for a foreign person, but not from exempt paragraph 21 income (section 124). Under section 170 as replaced in 2026, individuals file in the tax year after the income year: filing from 1 July to 30 September earns a rebate of 5% of the tax or Tk 25,000, whichever is less, and filing from 1 January costs extra tax. Tax paid abroad is credited under a tax treaty (section 247) or, with no treaty, at the lower of the two average rates (section 246). This profile found no mandatory social-security contribution on salaries in the laws reviewed.

Investments: Residents are taxed on foreign dividends, interest, rent, capital gains and pensions (Income Tax Act, 2023, section 26(1)(a)). From 1 July 2026 an individual's dividends are taxed at 15% (Seventh Schedule, paragraph 2, replaced by Finance Act, 2026, section 158). The definition of dividend in section 2(81) is not limited to Bangladeshi companies, so this profile reads the 15% as covering foreign dividends too, but the NBR circular does not say so expressly. Interest, rent and pensions are added to other income and taxed at 0%–30%. Only pensions from the Government or an approved pension fund are exempt (Sixth Schedule, Part 1, paragraph 4), and the Act does not say whether that covers a foreign pension. Capital gains on assets held more than 5 years pay 15%; within 5 years they are taxed at normal rates (Seventh Schedule, paragraph 1). Gains on shares of listed companies are exempt up to Tk 5,000,000 (50 lakh) for individuals and taxed at 15% above that (Sixth Schedule paragraph 36 and Seventh Schedule paragraph 1(b)); the Act does not say whether a foreign stock exchange counts. Since July 2026, gains on selling personal gold, jewellery, gems and precious metals pay 5%. The exemption for income earned abroad and remitted home (paragraph 17) is only for Bangladeshi citizens. Foreign tax is credited under sections 246 and 247.

On the nomad visa: Bangladesh has no digital nomad or remote-work visa. Eligible nationals can get a single-entry visa on arrival for up to 30 days for tourism, business or investment, and the police Special Branch strongly advises getting a visa in advance for longer stays. Until you pass the 183-day (or 90-plus-365-day) test you are non-resident: foreign investment income is not taxed, but pay for work you do while in Bangladesh is Bangladeshi income, taxed at a flat 30%.

Schemes for newcomers:

- **Freelancing, content creation and IT-enabled services exemption (Sixth Schedule, Part 1, paragraph 21)** (no fixed end): The income is excluded from total income, so it pays no income tax instead of up to 30%, for income from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2027; the Finance Act, 2026 changed the list but not the end date. Banks do not deduct the 5% source tax on these remittances (section 124). You still have to file a return (section 166(1)(d)). Who qualifies: Resident individuals, foreigners included, and non-resident Bangladeshis with business income from the listed services: freelancing and content creation (the wording since 1 July 2026, replacing "IT freelancing"), software development, software as a service, mobile app and website development, digital graphics design, data entry, data analytics, AI and blockchain solutions, cyber security, call centres and similar. All income, spending and investment of the business must go through bank transfers. A salary from an employer is employment income and does not qualify.
- **Foreign income of Bangladeshi citizens (Sixth Schedule, Part 1, paragraph 17)** (no fixed end): Income earned abroad and brought into Bangladesh through legal remittance channels is excluded from total income, and banks do not deduct source tax on it (section 124). Pay for work done while in Bangladesh is earned in Bangladesh (section 27(a)), so this helps mainly with income from work or investments abroad. Who qualifies: Individual taxpayers who are Bangladeshi citizens, such as returning members of the diaspora. Foreign nationals cannot use it.

Official sources: [Income Tax Act, 2023 (Act No. XII of 2023), Authentic English Text (S.R.O. No. 404-Law/2025, Bangladesh Gazette Extraordinary, 16 October 2025)](https://nbr.gov.bd/uploads/acts/Income_tax_act_2023.pdf) (National Board of Revenue (nbr.gov.bd), read 2026-10-27); [Finance Act, 2026 (Act No. 96 of 2026, Bangladesh Gazette Extraordinary, 30 June 2026)](https://nbr.gov.bd/uploads/acts/Finance_Act_2026.pdf) (National Board of Revenue (nbr.gov.bd), read 2026-10-27); [Income Tax Circular 2026-2027 (Aykor Paripatra), 2 September 2026](https://nbr.gov.bd/uploads/news-scroller/Aykor_Poripothro_2026-2027_BG_Press_Modify_Copy.pdf) (National Board of Revenue, Tax Policy Wing (nbr.gov.bd), read 2026-10-27); [Gift Tax Act, 1990 (Act No. 44 of 1990)](https://nbr.gov.bd/uploads/acts/22.pdf) (National Board of Revenue (nbr.gov.bd), text from the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, read 2026-10-27); [Visa on Arrival (VOA) General Instructions](https://voa.specialbranch.gov.bd/public/voa-instructions.html) (Special Branch, Bangladesh Police (voa.specialbranch.gov.bd), read 2026-10-27).

Not yet reviewed by a person. General information, not tax advice. US citizens are taxed by the US wherever they live.

## Climate (2001–2020 normals)

| Month | Mean °C | Rain mm | Humidity % | Comfortable |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jan | 17.7 | 9 | 61 | yes |
| Feb | 22.4 | 21 | 50 | yes |
| Mar | 27.7 | 36 | 48 | yes |
| Apr | 31 | 77 | 58 | no |
| May | 30.8 | 195 | 70 | no |
| Jun | 29.3 | 283 | 84 | no |
| Jul | 28.4 | 374 | 89 | no |
| Aug | 28.2 | 319 | 90 | no |
| Sep | 27.7 | 245 | 90 | no |
| Oct | 26.1 | 171 | 85 | no |
| Nov | 22.2 | 30 | 78 | yes |
| Dec | 18.4 | 15 | 73 | yes |

## Airports and nonstop flights

| Airport | IATA | Nonstop destinations | International | From US airports |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jashore Airport | JSR | 3 | 0 | 0 |

Unique destinations across all airports: 3, of which 0 international (Wikipedia, 2026-10).

## Similar cities

- [Chattogram](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/chittagong) (40.2) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/chittagong-vs-khulna)
- [Dhaka](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/dhaka) (39.9) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/dhaka-vs-khulna)
- [Rajshahi](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/rajshahi) (40.4) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/khulna-vs-rajshahi)
- [Gorakhpur](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/gorakhpur) (41.4) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/gorakhpur-vs-khulna)
- [Biratnagar](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/biratnagar) (42) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/biratnagar-vs-khulna)

## FAQ

### How much does it cost to live in Khulna as a digital nomad?

A single person typically spends about $950 per month in Khulna (a country-level estimate for Bangladesh). That is a 77/100 cost score, where 100 is the cheapest city in the dataset.

### Is Khulna safe for digital nomads?

Khulna scores 55/100 on safety. Bangladesh records 1.76 homicides per 100,000 people per year (WHO, 2023) and a political-stability score of 49.1/100 (World Bank WGI). Both figures are national, so neighbourhood-level risk can differ.

### Does Bangladesh have a digital nomad visa?

No dedicated digital nomad visa was listed for Bangladesh as of 2026-07. Visitors from the US get a visa on arrival.

### How fast is the internet in Khulna?

Measured median download speed in Khulna was 5.7 Mbps (upload 11.6 Mbps) across 7,401 M-Lab tests in 2024. Measured speeds run below advertised plan speeds everywhere, so compare cities rather than reading the number as a plan.

### Is Starlink available in Khulna?

Yes. Starlink's availability map lists residential service as available in Bangladesh (checked 2026-10), so a dish can serve as a backup line in Khulna. Check the exact address on starlink.com before ordering, since capacity varies by area.

### Which airports serve Khulna and how many nonstop flights are there?

Khulna is served by Jashore Airport (JSR) with 3 nonstop destinations, of which 0 are international. 0 US airports have a nonstop link. Source: Wikipedia, 2026-10.

### When is the best time of year to be in Khulna?

The most comfortable months are Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec. Mean temperatures range from 64°F (18°C) in Jan to 88°F (31°C) in Apr (NASA POWER 2001–2020 climatology).

### Khulna or Chattogram: which is better for digital nomads?

Chattogram is the city with the closest factor profile to Khulna in this dataset. Which one wins depends on your weights; the comparison page puts every factor side by side with the numbers behind them.

## Plan a trip

[Plan a trip to Khulna](https://dashboard.navoy.io/trip/new?utm_source=nostos&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=plan_trip&utm_content=khulna&destination=Khulna%2C+Bangladesh) on Navoy, the AI travel planner behind Nostos.

## Sources

[^1]: City population (latest census or official estimate), Wikipedia (citing national statistics offices). CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^2]: 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level), WhereNext. CC BY 4.0. https://getwherenext.com/data/cost-of-living-2026 (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^3]: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows), WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^4]: Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, dataUNODC. UNODC data, free to reuse with attribution. https://data.unodc.org/datareport/hom-victim (retrieved 2026-10-12)
[^5]: Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100), World Bank. CC BY 4.0. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^6]: UHC service coverage index, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/uhc-index-of-service-coverage (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^7]: Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/life-expectancy-at-birth-(years) (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^8]: M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024), Measurement Lab. CC0 1.0. https://statistics.measurementlab.net/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^9]: Starlink availability map, SpaceX (Starlink). Factual status cited from starlink.com. https://www.starlink.com/map (retrieved 2026-10-07)
[^10]: Digital Nomad Visas 2026, WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^11]: Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations), Ilya Ilyankou (compiled from passportindex.org). MIT. https://github.com/ilyankou/passport-index-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^12]: Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables), Wikipedia contributors; countries via Wikidata. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-24)
[^13]: Walkability and transit ratings (editorial), Navoy. CC BY 4.0. https://nostos.navoy.io/methodology (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^14]: NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means), NASA Langley Research Center. Public domain (US Government). https://power.larc.nasa.gov/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^15]: SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04), Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis. CC BY 4.0. https://sites.wustl.edu/acag/surface-pm2-5/ (retrieved 2026-10-07)
[^16]: OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API), OpenStreetMap contributors. ODbL 1.0. https://overpass-api.de/ (retrieved 2026-10-02)
[^17]: Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023), United Nations Development Programme. CC BY 3.0 IGO. https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/documentation-and-downloads (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^18]: EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band), EF Education First. Proprietary; band cited as a fact with attribution. https://www.ef.com/epi/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/khulna