Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Bintulu

For one person, living is cheaper in Bintulu: $852 a month against $1,214 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Bali
Learn more

Bali Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Bintulu
Learn more

Bintulu Living Index

Jump to prices

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,214

/mo nomad

Bintulu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali 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 Bali and in Bintulu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,214 per month in Bali vs $852 in Bintulu, rent included.

Bali $1,214
Bintulu $852

A couple spends around $2,047 per month in Bali vs $1,331 in Bintulu, rent included.

Bali $2,047
Bintulu $1,331

A family of three spends $2,880 per month in Bali vs $1,811 in Bintulu, rent included.

Bali $2,880
Bintulu $1,811

Bali costs about 42% more than Bintulu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bali and Bintulu are more affordable than the global median – Bali 11% lower, Bintulu 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.73 Rp 49.6K

$3.94 MYR 16.06

-30.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.91 Rp 525.5K

$18.20 MYR 74.2

58.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 Rp 82.9K

$5.86 MYR 23.88

-22.18%

Cappuccino

$2.26 Rp 41.2K

$2.86 MYR 11.66

-20.98%

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

$1.43 Rp 25.9K

$0.65 MYR 2.63

120.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 Rp 12.4K

$0.41 MYR 1.66

65.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$2.85 MYR 11.63

-21.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 Rp 66.9K

$5.23 MYR 21.29

-29.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$2.14 MYR 8.73

-30.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 Rp 39.7K

$1.36 MYR 5.55

60.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 Rp 20.7K

$1.30 MYR 5.31

-12.31%

Eggs

$2.02 Rp 36.7K

$2.23 MYR 9.10

-9.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.81 Rp 305.5K

$17.47 MYR 71.2

-3.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 Rp 64.9K

$3.46 MYR 14.08

3.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.31 Rp 205.5K

$5.97 MYR 24.33

89.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 Rp 62.6K

$1.75 MYR 7.14

96.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 Rp 27.5K

$0.96 MYR 3.91

57.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.8K

$1.75 MYR 7.14

25.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 34.2K

$1.15 MYR 4.70

63.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 Rp 31.1K

$0.54 MYR 2.20

216.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 Rp 42.1K

$1.25 MYR 5.11

85.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.1K

$0.74 MYR 3.03

33.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 Rp 9,085

$0.45 MYR 1.82

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 Rp 36.9K

$4.23 MYR 17.24

-52.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.49 Rp 390.6K

$19.70 MYR 80.3

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 Rp 38.8K

$3.01 MYR 12.27

-28.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 Rp 52.1K

$1.92 MYR 7.83

49.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,571

$1.19 MYR 4.86

-78.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 160.3K

$16.02 MYR 65.3

-44.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,169

$0.95 MYR 3.86

-52.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 Rp 7,991

$0.82 MYR 3.33

-46.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 Rp 99.6K

$2.43 MYR 9.89

125.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

$0.67 MYR 2.72

32.84%

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

$24.3K Rp 441.6M

$44.9K MYR 183.0K

-45.89%

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

$31.9K Rp 580.5M

$39.0K MYR 158.9K

-18.11%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

$60.6 MYR 247

31.68%

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

$6.55 Rp 119.0K

$31.59 MYR 129

-79.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.48 Rp 335.9K

$30.39 MYR 124

-39.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.66 Rp 739.0K

$67.4 MYR 275

-39.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.93 Rp 271.3K

$12.37 MYR 50.4

20.70%

Cinema Ticket

$3.67 Rp 66.6K

$4.39 MYR 17.89

-16.40%

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

$437 Rp 7.9M

$125 MYR 509

250.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,063 Rp 92.0M

$7,223 MYR 29.4K

-29.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.62 Rp 792.8K

$64.9 MYR 264

-32.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.69 Rp 594.2K

$35.87 MYR 146

-8.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.6 Rp 1.3M

$79.9 MYR 326

-7.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.3 Rp 1.4M

$93.1 MYR 379

-20.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$984 Rp 17.9M

$222 MYR 903

344.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 Rp 10.6M

$157 MYR 640

271.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,121 Rp 56.7M

$470 MYR 1,914

564.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 Rp 26.8M

$341 MYR 1,389

332.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,447 Rp 44.5M

$1,743 MYR 7,101

40.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 Rp 35.7M

$1,142 MYR 4,655

71.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 Rp 3.9M

$621 MYR 2,531

-65.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.5

206.22%

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

Last update for Bali: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$583 48%

Bintulu

$157 18.4% 73.1% $426

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$275 22.7%

Bintulu

$235 27.6% 14.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$105 8.6%

Bintulu

$123 14.4% 16.9% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$101 8.3%

Bintulu

$123 14.5% 22.1% $22

Eating Out

Bali

$90 7.4%

Bintulu

$112 13.2% 25.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$48 4%

Bintulu

$76 8.9% 58.8% $28

Getting Around

Bali

$12 1%

Bintulu

$26 3% 107% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $984 in Bali versus $222 in Bintulu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bintulu are about 2.9 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bali versus $18 in Bintulu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $235 – making Bintulu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇲🇾 Bintulu

🕒 Local time

02:47 2:47 AM

Same time as Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

240,172

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bali Bintulu 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bali
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

Bali vs Bintulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 42% more than Bintulu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,821 per month in Bali and $1,278 in Bintulu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bintulu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $222 there versus $984 in Bali.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bali and $18 in Bintulu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,214 in Bali and $852 in Bintulu. That’s a gap of about 42%.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,214 in Bali and $852 in Bintulu. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bintulu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.