Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Bintulu

For one person, living is cheaper in Bintulu: $849 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Bintulu
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Bintulu Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Bintulu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Bintulu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Bintulu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $849 in Bintulu.

Austin, TX $2,704
Bintulu $849

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,312 in Bintulu.

Austin, TX $4,133
Bintulu $1,312

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,775 in Bintulu.

Austin, TX $5,562
Bintulu $1,775

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 218% more expensive than in Bintulu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Bintulu is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$3.95 MYR 16.13

411.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$18.43 MYR 75.3

361.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$5.79 MYR 23.63

113.30%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.99 MYR 12.20

82.94%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$0.63 MYR 2.59

506.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.38 MYR 1.54

557.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.98 MYR 12.17

170.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$5.17 MYR 21.12

73.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.15 MYR 8.77

-47.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.37 MYR 5.59

175.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.32 MYR 5.41

146.21%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.16 MYR 8.83

91.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$16.81 MYR 68.6

-22.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$3.48 MYR 14.19

311.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$5.90 MYR 24.11

170.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.76 MYR 7.19

148.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.02 MYR 4.18

42.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.76 MYR 7.17

157.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.13 MYR 4.60

270.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.51 MYR 2.08

415.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.19 MYR 4.85

98.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.69 MYR 2.84

155.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.42 MYR 1.71

414.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.18 MYR 17.08

134.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$19.74 MYR 80.6

-25.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.01 MYR 12.29

-7.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.00 MYR 8.17

74.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.20 MYR 4.91

24.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$16.62 MYR 67.9

143.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.02 MYR 4.18

161.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.83 MYR 3.39

90.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$2.50 MYR 10.21

1311.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.63 MYR 2.57

57.14%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.8K $35.8K

$44.5K MYR 181.7K

-19.53%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.2K $27.2K

$38.5K MYR 157.0K

-29.35%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 $219

$59.2 MYR 242

270.26%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.0 $58.0

$31.51 MYR 129

84.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$29.98 MYR 122

128.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$66.4 MYR 271

-12.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$12.43 MYR 50.8

19.23%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$4.33 MYR 17.67

226.33%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,509 $1,509

$124 MYR 508

1113.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$7,230 MYR 29.5K

196.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$64.2 MYR 262

-19.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$36.02 MYR 147

22.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$80.5 MYR 329

5.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$90.8 MYR 371

15.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$220 MYR 898

778.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$157 MYR 642

708.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$485 MYR 1,979

657.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$333 MYR 1,361

657.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,730 MYR 7,062

340.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,137 MYR 4,644

181.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$598 MYR 2,441

753.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.5

50.89%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Bintulu

$157 18.5% 87.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Bintulu

$232 27.4% 42.3% $170

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Bintulu

$114 13.5% 67.2% $234

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Bintulu

$121 14.2% 65.1% $225

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Bintulu

$122 14.4% 5.1% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Bintulu

$75 8.9% 12.8% $11

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Bintulu

$27 3.1% 53.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $220 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 754% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $18.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $232 per month, with Bintulu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇾 Bintulu

🕒 Local time

05:12 5:12 AM

18:12 6:12 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

240,172

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

MYR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Bintulu 15,060 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Bintulu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Bintulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bintulu wins on cost – living expenses run 218% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bintulu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 754% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $220 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $849 in Bintulu – a 218% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bintulu runs roughly 144% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $849 in Bintulu versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bintulu but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Bintulu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Bintulu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bintulu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 218% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.