Cost of Living Comparison Between Bayan Lepas and La Paz Cost of Living Comparison Between Bayan Lepas and La Paz

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $807 in Bayan Lepas versus $1,207 in La Paz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,303 in Bayan Lepas versus $2,003 in La Paz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,799 in Bayan Lepas versus $2,799 in La Paz.

Living in Bayan Lepas costs roughly 33% less than in La Paz, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bayan Lepas 40% lower, La Paz 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 MYR 13.98

$9.51 MX$165

-62.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.22 MYR 76.1

$53.4 MX$928

-64.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.17 MYR 16.51

$7.95 MX$138

-47.55%

Cappuccino

$2.68 MYR 10.63

$2.91 MX$50.6

-7.90%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.08

$1.67 MX$29.08

-53.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 MYR 2.28

$1.04 MX$18.00

-44.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 MYR 18.40

$2.20 MX$38.32

111.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 MYR 18.56

$5.40 MX$93.9

-13.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 MYR 9.77

$1.61 MX$28.00

53.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 MYR 3.36

$2.50 MX$43.40

-66.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MYR 5.62

$1.61 MX$28.08

-11.80%

Eggs

$1.73 MYR 6.87

$2.41 MX$41.86

-28.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.75 MYR 58.4

$8.25 MX$144

78.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MYR 18.07

$7.98 MX$139

-42.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.54 MYR 25.89

$10.68 MX$186

-38.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 MYR 11.63

$2.65 MX$46.17

10.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 MYR 6.16

$1.44 MX$25.12

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 MYR 11.48

$1.73 MX$30.05

67.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.75

$1.64 MX$28.46

-26.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 MYR 4.06

$1.87 MX$32.44

-44.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 MYR 3.99

$1.99 MX$34.60

-49.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MYR 2.49

$1.22 MX$21.17

-48.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MYR 2.45

$0.97 MX$16.95

-36.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.93 MYR 19.53

$4.22 MX$73.5

16.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.37 MYR 80.7

$17.35 MX$302

17.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 MYR 11.17

$1.57 MX$27.27

79.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MYR 5.02

$2.75 MX$47.89

-53.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MYR 2.63

$0.62 MX$10.71

6.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.21 MYR 56.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 MYR 5.89

$2.63 MX$45.77

-43.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MYR 3.91

$1.53 MX$26.63

-35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 MYR 22.81

$8.08 MX$141

-28.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 MYR 2.27

$1.36 MX$23.58

-58.09%

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

$35.6K MYR 141.1K

$21.1K MX$366.5K

69.10%

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

$29.7K MYR 117.7K

$22.5K MX$391.1K

32.16%

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

$33.70 MYR 133

$55.9 MX$972

-39.69%

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

$11.21 MYR 44.38

$22.40 MX$390

-49.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.67 MYR 121

$29.78 MX$518

2.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.32 MYR 124

$36.37 MX$632

-13.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.39 MYR 17.40

$16.12 MX$280

-72.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 MYR 16.42

$4.52 MX$78.6

-8.19%

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

$237 MYR 938

$205 MX$3,565

15.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,200 MYR 28.5K

$3,629 MX$63.1K

98.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.43 MYR 152

$53.2 MX$926

-27.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.60 MYR 101

$40.17 MX$699

-36.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.2 MYR 250

$87.9 MX$1,529

-28.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 MYR 313

$80.1 MX$1,393

-1.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$187 MYR 740

$765 MX$13.3K

-75.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$215 MYR 850

$497 MX$8,642

-56.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 MYR 1,837

$1,784 MX$31.0K

-73.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 MYR 2,172

$1,085 MX$18.9K

-49.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,000 MX$34.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,274 MX$22.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,021 MYR 4,044

$804 MX$14.0K

26.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

11.5

-71.30%

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

Last update for Bayan Lepas: April 20, 2026

Last update for La Paz: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $187 in Bayan Lepas and $765 in La Paz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bayan Lepas pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19 in Bayan Lepas vs $53 in La Paz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $265 per month, with Bayan Lepas cheaper across the board.

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

Bayan Lepas vs La Paz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bayan Lepas and La Paz differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($807 vs $1,207 including rent). Bayan Lepas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bayan Lepas pays 27% more on average, 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: $187 in Bayan Lepas versus $765 in La Paz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $237 in Bayan Lepas versus $205 in La Paz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bayan Lepas – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $53.0 in La Paz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $807 in Bayan Lepas versus $1,207 in La Paz, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bayan Lepas but tight or insufficient in La Paz. The gap between the two cities makes Bayan Lepas 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, Bayan Lepas and La Paz 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 Bayan Lepas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in La Paz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.