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: $812 in Bayan Lepas versus $1,218 in La Paz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,327 in Bayan Lepas versus $1,996 in La Paz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,842 in Bayan Lepas versus $2,774 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 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 MYR 14.30

$10.06 MX$176

-65.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.98 MYR 77.0

$52.4 MX$915

-63.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.20 MYR 17.05

$8.05 MX$140

-47.83%

Cappuccino

$2.77 MYR 11.25

$2.95 MX$51.5

-6.10%

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

$0.81 MYR 3.30

$1.74 MX$30.35

-53.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.17

$0.98 MX$17.04

-45.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.84 MYR 19.62

$2.22 MX$38.81

118.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 MYR 19.47

$5.57 MX$97.2

-13.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 MYR 10.02

$1.56 MX$27.31

58.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 MYR 3.64

$2.64 MX$46.05

-65.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.44

$1.63 MX$28.46

-17.79%

Eggs

$1.72 MYR 6.98

$2.33 MX$40.67

-26.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.85 MYR 60.3

$8.08 MX$141

83.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.64 MYR 18.83

$8.10 MX$141

-42.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.72 MYR 27.28

$10.54 MX$184

-36.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MYR 11.84

$2.60 MX$45.44

12.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 MYR 6.52

$1.44 MX$25.18

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 MYR 12.15

$1.74 MX$30.32

71.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.81

$1.67 MX$29.11

-29.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 MYR 3.98

$1.86 MX$32.46

-47.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.26

$2.00 MX$34.89

-47.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 MYR 2.48

$1.22 MX$21.27

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 MYR 2.62

$0.98 MX$17.15

-33.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.90 MYR 19.87

$4.20 MX$73.4

16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.11 MYR 81.6

$17.46 MX$305

15.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 MYR 11.28

$1.57 MX$27.34

77.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 MYR 5.31

$2.82 MX$49.27

-53.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MYR 2.68

$0.66 MX$11.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.08 MYR 57.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 MYR 6.36

$2.54 MX$44.34

-38.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 MYR 4.18

$1.54 MX$26.84

-33.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 MYR 24.59

$8.36 MX$146

-27.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 MYR 2.34

$1.34 MX$23.31

-56.72%

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

$35.6K MYR 144.5K

$21.0K MX$367.2K

69.30%

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

$29.5K MYR 119.9K

$22.2K MX$387.6K

33.06%

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

$34.16 MYR 139

$55.7 MX$972

-38.64%

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

$11.40 MYR 46.26

$22.41 MX$391

-49.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MYR 122

$29.86 MX$521

0.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.71 MYR 129

$35.34 MX$617

-10.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.55 MYR 18.47

$15.81 MX$276

-71.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 MYR 16.39

$4.54 MX$79.3

-11.01%

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

$237 MYR 963

$204 MX$3,555

16.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,168 MYR 29.1K

$3,602 MX$62.9K

99.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.65 MYR 153

$52.0 MX$908

-27.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 MYR 106

$39.82 MX$695

-34.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.3 MYR 249

$91.2 MX$1,592

-32.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 MYR 319

$80.5 MX$1,405

-2.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$192 MYR 780

$780 MX$13.6K

-75.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$211 MYR 858

$495 MX$8,638

-57.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$466 MYR 1,890

$1,737 MX$30.3K

-73.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 MYR 2,293

$1,106 MX$19.3K

-48.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,937 MX$33.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,233 MX$21.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$999 MYR 4,056

$800 MX$14.0K

24.96%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for La Paz: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $192 in Bayan Lepas and $780 in La Paz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bayan Lepas pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Bayan Lepas vs $52.0 in La Paz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $266 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 ($812 vs $1,218 including rent). Bayan Lepas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bayan Lepas pays 25% 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: $192 in Bayan Lepas versus $780 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 $204 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 $52.0 in La Paz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $812 in Bayan Lepas versus $1,218 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.