Long Read

The Real Cost of Utilities and Bills in Nārāyanganj (Spoiler: It’s Cheaper Than My Stand-Up Career)

@Luna Sterling2/8/2026blog

let’s be real-i moved to nārāyanganj because dhaka laughed at my comedy. now i pay rent with tuna cans and existential dread. but hey, this textile hub’s got some surprises, like how they spell "affordable" in three different power outage languages.


*the q&a you’d get from a local if you bought them cha (and promised not to steal their wifi):

me, sweating: worth living here?

rana bhai (my landlord who 100% runs a sock puppet operation):
"listen, champ. your 1-room concrete box? ৳8k-12k/month. but add ৳300 for water that tastes like it’s been through a 1970s pipe orchestra. electricity? ৳6-8 per unit till you blast AC-then desco hits you with a bill thicker than my mustache."

wires tangling over nārāyanganj rickshaws


me: ever met anyone who didn’t complain about bills?

rana:
"only dead people. but internet’s cheap! ৳800/month for fiber that dies when it rains-and brother, it’s monsoon season. feels like living inside a dishwasher on steam mode."

overheard at the bhatiary ghat ferry terminal:
> "if you want hot water, marry a teapot. gas cylinders cost more than my daughter’s dowry."
> "true story: friend tried solar panels. pigeons now treat them like airbnb."

drunk advice from a tailor in kanchpur:
- "the power cuts schedule? ha! it’s like surprise math tests."
- "dhaka’s 20km away but feels like mars with cheaper oxygen. wanna be neighbors? c’mon, it’s half the rent."

chaotic nārāyanganj fish market


cool stuff nobody tells you:
1. monsoon floods mean free pool parties (just avoid the snake island rumors).
2. 80% humidity = instant free facials (or fungal infections).
3. job market? textile gigs pay, but you’ll memorize factory sirens like pop songs.

final verdict:* utility bills here cost less than therapy for my failed punchlines. just bring a fan, a water filter, and low standards. wanna crash? my couch smells like defeat and bargain chai.


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About the author: Luna Sterling

Writer, thinker, and occasional over-thinker.

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