Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bintulu and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bintulu: $849 a month against $970 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bansko outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

41

Cost of Living Index in Bintulu
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Bintulu Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Bintulu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$849

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bintulu and in Bansko

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 Bansko actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $849 per month in Bintulu vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

Bintulu $849
Bansko $970

A couple spends around $1,312 per month in Bintulu vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

Bintulu $1,312
Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $1,775 per month in Bintulu vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

Bintulu $1,775
Bansko $1,957

Bintulu is about 12% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bintulu and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Bintulu 37% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.95 MYR 16.13

$8.66 BGN 15.15

-54.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.43 MYR 75.3

$46.63 BGN 81.6

-60.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 MYR 23.63

$9.01 BGN 15.77

-35.74%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.20

$2.24 BGN 3.92

33.48%

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

$0.63 MYR 2.59

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-58.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MYR 1.54

$0.86 BGN 1.51

-55.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 MYR 12.17

$1.76 BGN 3.07

69.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 MYR 21.12

$2.00 BGN 3.51

158.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 MYR 8.77

$1.79 BGN 3.14

20.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 MYR 5.59

$0.81 BGN 1.42

69.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 MYR 5.41

$1.52 BGN 2.66

-13.16%

Eggs

$2.16 MYR 8.83

$2.30 BGN 4.02

-6.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.81 MYR 68.6

$9.60 BGN 16.81

75.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 MYR 14.19

$6.32 BGN 11.06

-44.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.90 MYR 24.11

$8.64 BGN 15.12

-31.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.19

$1.28 BGN 2.24

37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 MYR 4.18

$1.68 BGN 2.95

-39.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.17

$1.70 BGN 2.98

3.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.60

$1.89 BGN 3.30

-40.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 MYR 2.08

$0.93 BGN 1.63

-45.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$0.76 BGN 1.32

56.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 MYR 2.84

$0.54 BGN 0.95

27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.71

$0.58 BGN 1.02

-27.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 MYR 17.08

$3.44 BGN 6.02

21.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.74 MYR 80.6

$5.14 BGN 9.00

284.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 MYR 12.29

$1.11 BGN 1.94

171.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 MYR 8.17

$1.70 BGN 2.97

17.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$0.88 BGN 1.55

36.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.62 MYR 67.9

$26.76 BGN 46.83

-37.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 MYR 4.18

$1.29 BGN 2.26

-20.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 MYR 3.39

$0.65 BGN 1.14

27.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 MYR 10.21

$10.18 BGN 17.81

-75.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 MYR 2.57

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-58.00%

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

$44.5K MYR 181.7K

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

54.44%

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

$38.5K MYR 157.0K

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

79.31%

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

$59.2 MYR 242

$91.4 BGN 160

-35.24%

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

$31.51 MYR 129

$14.68 BGN 25.68

114.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.98 MYR 122

$12.07 BGN 21.12

148.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.4 MYR 271

$32.28 BGN 56.5

105.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.43 MYR 50.8

$8.60 BGN 15.05

44.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.33 MYR 17.67

$5.63 BGN 9.86

-23.09%

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

$124 MYR 508

$228 BGN 400

-45.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,230 MYR 29.5K

$2,311 BGN 4,045

212.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 MYR 262

$30.48 BGN 53.3

110.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.02 MYR 147

$19.01 BGN 33.26

89.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 MYR 329

$45.53 BGN 79.7

76.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 MYR 371

$48.67 BGN 85.2

86.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 MYR 898

$521 BGN 913

-57.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 MYR 642

$367 BGN 643

-57.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 MYR 1,979

$634 BGN 1,110

-23.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 MYR 1,361

$558 BGN 976

-40.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,730 MYR 7,062

$1,204 BGN 2,106

43.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,137 MYR 4,644

$971 BGN 1,699

17.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 MYR 2,441

$1,670 BGN 2,923

-64.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

2.99

50.50%

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

Last update for Bintulu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bintulu

$232 27.4%

Bansko

$193 20% 16.9% $39

Accommodation & Living

Bintulu

$157 18.5%

Bansko

$367 38% 134% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Bintulu

$122 14.4%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 47.1% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bintulu

$121 14.2%

Bansko

$118 12.2% 2.1% $2.5

Eating Out

Bintulu

$114 13.5%

Bansko

$145 15% 27.4% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Bintulu

$75 8.9%

Bansko

$44 4.5% 42% $32

Getting Around

Bintulu

$27 3.1%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 31% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $220 in Bintulu versus $521 in Bansko. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 179% higher in Bansko, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Bintulu versus $47.00 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $232 in Bintulu vs $193 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Bintulu

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

19:16 7:16 PM

14:16 2:16 PM

5 h behind Bintulu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

240,172

8,000

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bintulu Bansko 9,740 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Bintulu
Bansko

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 Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $849 in Bintulu, $970 in Bansko – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,273 per month in Bintulu and $1,455 in Bansko. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Bintulu and $47.00 in Bansko. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $849 in Bintulu and $970 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 14%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bintulu, where all-in costs run around $849, than in Bansko at $970. In Bintulu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bansko it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $849 in Bintulu to $970 in Bansko. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Bintulu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bansko makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.