Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bintulu and Bali

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.

41

Cost of Living Index in Bintulu
Learn more

Bintulu Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Bali
Learn more

Bali Living Index

Jump to prices

Bintulu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$852

/mo nomad

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,214

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bintulu and in Bali

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

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

Bintulu $852
Bali $1,214

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

Bintulu $1,331
Bali $2,047

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

Bintulu $1,811
Bali $2,880

Bintulu is about 30% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.94 MYR 16.11

$2.73 Rp 49.2K

44.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.20 MYR 74.4

$28.91 Rp 521.1K

-37.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.86 MYR 23.95

$4.56 Rp 82.2K

28.51%

Cappuccino

$2.86 MYR 11.70

$2.26 Rp 40.8K

26.55%

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

$0.65 MYR 2.64

$1.43 Rp 25.7K

-54.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 MYR 1.67

$0.68 Rp 12.3K

-39.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 MYR 11.66

$2.23 Rp 40.1K

27.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 MYR 21.36

$3.68 Rp 66.4K

42.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 MYR 8.76

$1.49 Rp 26.8K

43.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 MYR 5.57

$2.18 Rp 39.3K

-37.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.32

$1.14 Rp 20.5K

14.04%

Eggs

$2.23 MYR 9.13

$2.02 Rp 36.4K

10.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 MYR 71.4

$16.81 Rp 302.9K

3.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 MYR 14.12

$3.57 Rp 64.4K

-3.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.97 MYR 24.40

$11.31 Rp 203.8K

-47.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 MYR 7.16

$3.44 Rp 62.1K

-49.13%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 MYR 3.92

$1.51 Rp 27.3K

-36.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 MYR 7.16

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

-20.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.72

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

-38.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 MYR 2.21

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

-68.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.12

$2.32 Rp 41.7K

-46.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 MYR 3.04

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

-25.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.83

$0.50 Rp 9,010

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 MYR 17.30

$2.03 Rp 36.6K

108.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.70 MYR 80.5

$21.49 Rp 387.4K

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 MYR 12.31

$2.14 Rp 38.5K

40.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 MYR 7.86

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

-33.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 MYR 4.88

$0.25 Rp 4,533

376.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.02 MYR 65.5

$8.82 Rp 159.0K

81.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 MYR 3.87

$0.45 Rp 8,102

111.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 MYR 3.34

$0.44 Rp 7,925

86.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 MYR 9.92

$5.48 Rp 98.8K

-55.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.67 MYR 2.73

$0.89 Rp 16.0K

-24.72%

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

$44.9K MYR 183.5K

$24.3K Rp 438.0M

84.81%

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

$39.0K MYR 159.4K

$31.9K Rp 575.8M

22.11%

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

$60.6 MYR 248

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

-24.06%

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

$31.59 MYR 129

$6.55 Rp 118.1K

382.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.39 MYR 124

$18.48 Rp 333.1K

64.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.4 MYR 276

$40.66 Rp 732.9K

65.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 MYR 50.5

$14.93 Rp 269.0K

-17.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 MYR 17.94

$3.67 Rp 66.1K

19.62%

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

$125 MYR 510

$437 Rp 7.9M

-71.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,223 MYR 29.5K

$5,063 Rp 91.3M

42.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.9 MYR 265

$43.62 Rp 786.3K

48.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.87 MYR 147

$32.69 Rp 589.3K

9.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MYR 327

$73.6 Rp 1.3M

8.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 MYR 380

$74.3 Rp 1.3M

25.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 MYR 905

$984 Rp 17.7M

-77.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 MYR 642

$583 Rp 10.5M

-73.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 MYR 1,920

$3,121 Rp 56.2M

-84.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 MYR 1,393

$1,475 Rp 26.6M

-76.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,743 MYR 7,123

$2,447 Rp 44.1M

-28.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,142 MYR 4,669

$1,963 Rp 35.4M

-41.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$621 MYR 2,539

$215 Rp 3.9M

188.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

13.78

-67.34%

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

Last update for Bintulu: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bintulu

$235 27.6%

Bali

$275 22.7% 17.2% $40

Accommodation & Living

Bintulu

$157 18.4%

Bali

$583 48% 271% $426

Clothing & Footwear

Bintulu

$123 14.5%

Bali

$101 8.3% 18.1% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bintulu

$123 14.4%

Bali

$105 8.6% 14.5% $18

Eating Out

Bintulu

$112 13.2%

Bali

$90 7.4% 20.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Bintulu

$76 8.9%

Bali

$48 4% 37% $28

Getting Around

Bintulu

$26 3%

Bali

$12 1% 51.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $222 in Bintulu versus $984 in Bali. 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 $18 in Bintulu versus $29 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $275 – making Bintulu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Bintulu

🇮🇩 Bali

🕒 Local time

11:01 11:01 AM

Same time as Bintulu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

240,172

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,025 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD). 1 EUR = 20,095 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Bintulu
Bali

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

Bintulu vs Bali: 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 $1,278 per month in Bintulu and $1,821 in Bali. 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 $18 in Bintulu and $29 in Bali. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $852 in Bintulu and $1,214 in Bali. 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.