Cost of Living Comparison Between Bintulu and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Bintulu and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $782 in Bintulu versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,237 in Bintulu versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,692 in Bintulu versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bintulu costs roughly 9% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bintulu 41% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 MYR 15.72

$1.96 ฿65.9

95.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.40 MYR 71.2

$18.35 ฿617

-5.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 MYR 23.00

$7.48 ฿252

-24.87%

Cappuccino

$2.79 MYR 11.41

$2.02 ฿67.8

38.12%

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

$0.62 MYR 2.55

$0.85 ฿28.52

-27.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.49

$0.36 ฿11.97

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 MYR 11.91

$2.14 ฿71.9

35.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 MYR 20.09

$3.59 ฿121

36.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MYR 7.11

$1.65 ฿55.5

5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 MYR 5.36

$1.57 ฿52.7

-16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.12

$1.19 ฿40.05

5.04%

Eggs

$2.20 MYR 8.99

$1.94 ฿65.1

13.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.43 MYR 67.2

$16.19 ฿545

1.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 MYR 14.15

$2.99 ฿101

15.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.82 MYR 23.82

$10.94 ฿368

-46.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.87

$2.71 ฿91.2

-38.01%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 MYR 4.01

$1.17 ฿39.27

-16.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.79

$1.69 ฿56.8

-1.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 MYR 4.34

$1.60 ฿54.0

-33.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 MYR 1.99

$1.38 ฿46.56

-64.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 MYR 4.76

$1.20 ฿40.47

-3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 MYR 2.93

$0.67 ฿22.51

7.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.61

$0.56 ฿18.74

-30.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 MYR 15.92

$4.64 ฿156

-16.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.91 MYR 81.5

$17.62 ฿593

13.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 MYR 11.76

$1.86 ฿62.6

54.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 MYR 7.63

$3.30 ฿111

-43.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 MYR 4.75

$0.88 ฿29.70

31.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.91 MYR 65.1

$19.34 ฿651

-17.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 MYR 3.75

$1.36 ฿45.92

-32.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 MYR 3.53

$1.34 ฿45.00

-35.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 MYR 9.71

$8.21 ฿276

-71.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.12

$1.22 ฿41.20

-57.38%

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

$42.1K MYR 172.4K

$21.4K ฿718.5K

97.38%

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

$37.0K MYR 151.1K

$22.5K ฿758.1K

64.03%

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

$57.8 MYR 236

$70.7 ฿2,378

-18.25%

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

$9.04 MYR 36.97

$14.04 ฿472

-35.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.17 MYR 119

$17.49 ฿589

66.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 MYR 262

$42.15 ฿1,418

52.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.84 MYR 23.89

$6.88 ฿231

-15.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.18 MYR 17.08

$5.92 ฿199

-29.39%

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

$120 MYR 493

$309 ฿10.4K

-60.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,111 MYR 29.1K

$14.9K ฿500.7K

-52.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 MYR 255

$55.8 ฿1,876

11.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.04 MYR 139

$26.11 ฿879

30.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 MYR 311

$83.0 ฿2,793

-8.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.2 MYR 361

$70.5 ฿2,371

25.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 MYR 851

$432 ฿14.5K

-51.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 MYR 616

$239 ฿8,040

-36.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$462 MYR 1,890

$822 ฿27.7K

-43.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 MYR 1,279

$512 ฿17.2K

-38.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,751 MYR 7,161

$1,915 ฿64.4K

-8.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,164 MYR 4,762

$1,467 ฿49.4K

-20.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$609 MYR 2,491

$579 ฿19.5K

5.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

-10.00%

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

Last update for Bintulu: July 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $208 in Bintulu and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bintulu pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $17.00 in Bintulu vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $224 vs $243 per month, with Bintulu 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

Bintulu vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bintulu wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bintulu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Bintulu, 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: $208 in Bintulu versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $782 per month in Bintulu versus $861 in Chiang Mai – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bintulu runs roughly 22% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Bintulu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bintulu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $782 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bintulu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bintulu and Chiang Mai 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 Bintulu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.