Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangalore and Labuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Bangalore: $552 a month against $1,020 in Labuan, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in Bangalore
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Bangalore Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Labuan
Learn more

Labuan Living Index

Jump to prices

Bangalore

🇮🇳 India

$552

/mo nomad

Labuan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bangalore and in Labuan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $552 in Bangalore versus $1,020 in Labuan.

Bangalore $552
Labuan $1,020

Estimated couple costs with rent: $936 in Bangalore versus $1,487 in Labuan.

Bangalore $936
Labuan $1,487

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,320 in Bangalore versus $1,953 in Labuan.

Bangalore $1,320
Labuan $1,953

Living in Bangalore costs roughly 46% less than in Labuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangalore 59% lower, Labuan 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.20 ₹304

$5.52 MYR 22.53

-42.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.72 ₹1,683

$24.16 MYR 98.6

-26.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.74 ₹451

$6.66 MYR 27.19

-28.83%

Cappuccino

$2.24 ₹213

$3.93 MYR 16.05

-43.00%

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

$0.38 ₹36.16

$1.06 MYR 4.34

-64.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ₹11.88

$0.45 MYR 1.83

-71.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 ₹217

$3.72 MYR 15.19

-38.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 ₹351

$4.53 MYR 18.48

-18.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.63 ₹60.1

$1.82 MYR 7.43

-65.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 ₹55.6

$1.04 MYR 4.26

-43.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 ₹77.2

$1.49 MYR 6.07

-45.64%

Eggs

$1.12 ₹106

$2.10 MYR 8.58

-46.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 ₹567

$16.82 MYR 68.6

-64.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.75 ₹356

$4.42 MYR 18.03

-15.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.50 MYR 38.76

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ₹266

$3.17 MYR 12.95

-11.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 ₹72.6

$1.83 MYR 7.46

-58.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 ₹112

$2.39 MYR 9.75

-50.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.38 ₹36.11

$1.76 MYR 7.17

-78.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 ₹35.71

$1.39 MYR 5.68

-72.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.08

$1.03 MYR 4.20

-65.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 ₹40.06

$1.18 MYR 4.81

-64.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₹30.82

$0.54 MYR 2.20

-40.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 ₹456

$5.04 MYR 20.57

-4.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.31 ₹884

$16.29 MYR 66.5

-42.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₹185

$3.21 MYR 13.11

-39.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₹285

$4.39 MYR 17.90

-31.66%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.37 ₹605

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₹50.9

$0.78 MYR 3.17

-30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.55 ₹1,477

$10.66 MYR 43.48

45.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ₹97.2

$1.34 MYR 5.47

-23.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.63

$0.48 MYR 1.97

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 ₹194

$6.48 MYR 26.43

-68.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹105

$0.88 MYR 3.58

25.00%

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

$12.5K ₹1.2M

$44.0K MYR 179.5K

-71.51%

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

$18.7K ₹1.8M

$32.5K MYR 132.7K

-42.43%

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

$30.94 ₹2,938

$48.90 MYR 199

-36.73%

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

$4.10 ₹389

$9.68 MYR 39.49

-57.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.39 ₹987

$27.69 MYR 113

-62.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.87 ₹1,792

$41.60 MYR 170

-54.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 ₹550

$7.68 MYR 31.32

-24.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.82 ₹457

$4.29 MYR 17.51

12.35%

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

$102 ₹9,658

$208 MYR 849

-51.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,257 ₹309.3K

$7,011 MYR 28.6K

-53.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.54 ₹3,185

$55.8 MYR 228

-39.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.76 ₹2,921

$30.07 MYR 123

2.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.7 ₹5,002

$87.0 MYR 355

-39.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.37 ₹3,834

$81.8 MYR 334

-50.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 ₹29.1K

$433 MYR 1,768

-29.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 ₹16.7K

$342 MYR 1,397

-48.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 ₹74.2K

$641 MYR 2,614

21.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ₹45.8K

$464 MYR 1,892

3.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,857 ₹176.3K

$2,282 MYR 9,308

-18.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,074 ₹102.0K

$1,136 MYR 4,636

-5.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$940 ₹89.2K

$374 MYR 1,525

151.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.46

4.06

108.37%

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

Last update for Bangalore: October 10, 2026

Last update for Labuan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bangalore

$176 31.9%

Labuan

$342 33.6% 94.7% $167

Groceries & Markets

Bangalore

$124 22.4%

Labuan

$264 25.9% 114% $141

Eating Out

Bangalore

$88 15.9%

Labuan

$145 14.2% 65.6% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Bangalore

$71 12.8%

Labuan

$115 11.2% 61.8% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangalore

$45 8.2%

Labuan

$86 8.5% 89.9% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Bangalore

$29 5.2%

Labuan

$50 4.9% 76.1% $22

Getting Around

Bangalore

$20 3.7%

Labuan

$18 1.7% 13.4% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $307 in Bangalore and $433 in Labuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangalore pays 151% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $18.00 in Bangalore vs $24.00 in Labuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $264 per month, with Bangalore cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Bangalore

🇲🇾 Labuan

🕒 Local time

10:52 10:52 AM

13:22 1:22 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bangalore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,495,492

95,120

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bangalore Labuan 4,210 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bangalore
Labuan

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

Bangalore vs Labuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bangalore wins on cost – living expenses run 85% lower than in Labuan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bangalore the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 151% higher in Bangalore, 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: $307 in Bangalore versus $433 in Labuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bangalore runs roughly 46% less than in Labuan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $102 in Bangalore versus $208 in Labuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $552 in Bangalore versus $1,020 in Labuan, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bangalore but tight or insufficient in Labuan. The gap between the two cities makes Bangalore the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bangalore delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $552 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bangalore hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bangalore and Labuan 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 Bangalore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Labuan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.