Cost of Living Comparison Between Bintulu and Kuching Cost of Living Comparison Between Bintulu and Kuching

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $802 in Bintulu versus $802 in Kuching.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,238 in Bintulu versus $1,218 in Kuching.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,674 in Bintulu versus $1,633 in Kuching.

Monthly costs are close between Bintulu and Kuching; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bintulu 40% lower, Kuching 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.83 MYR 15.52

$2.76 MYR 11.19

38.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.48 MYR 70.9

$20.32 MYR 82.4

-13.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.73 MYR 23.24

$4.81 MYR 19.51

19.13%

Cappuccino

$2.78 MYR 11.27

$2.53 MYR 10.26

9.88%

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

$0.67 MYR 2.71

$0.76 MYR 3.07

-11.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.50

$0.29 MYR 1.19

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.79 MYR 11.33

$2.78 MYR 11.27

0.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 MYR 19.65

$3.61 MYR 14.63

34.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MYR 6.97

$1.91 MYR 7.76

-9.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 MYR 5.35

$1.09 MYR 4.44

21.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.30

$1.06 MYR 4.28

23.58%

Eggs

$2.18 MYR 8.84

$2.15 MYR 8.73

1.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.62 MYR 67.4

$9.37 MYR 38.01

77.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.52 MYR 14.26

$3.79 MYR 15.36

-7.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.80 MYR 23.52

$8.01 MYR 32.49

-27.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.60

$2.99 MYR 12.14

-45.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 MYR 3.74

$1.14 MYR 4.63

-19.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.60

$2.59 MYR 10.48

-37.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 MYR 4.32

$1.80 MYR 7.31

-40.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 MYR 2.13

$1.11 MYR 4.50

-52.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.65

$1.24 MYR 5.01

-7.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 MYR 2.73

$1.69 MYR 6.87

-60.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 MYR 1.73

$0.53 MYR 2.13

-18.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 MYR 15.83

$4.19 MYR 17.00

-6.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.51 MYR 79.1

$21.36 MYR 86.6

-8.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 MYR 11.40

$3.87 MYR 15.69

-27.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 MYR 7.53

$3.41 MYR 13.82

-45.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 MYR 4.86

$0.23 MYR 0.93

421.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.64 MYR 63.4

$11.92 MYR 48.32

31.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 MYR 3.69

$0.93 MYR 3.76

-2.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 MYR 3.55

$1.11 MYR 4.49

-20.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.33 MYR 9.43

$1.84 MYR 7.45

26.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 MYR 2.05

$0.50 MYR 2.03

2.00%

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

$42.4K MYR 171.9K

$44.6K MYR 180.8K

-4.90%

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

$38.0K MYR 154.1K

$37.3K MYR 151.3K

1.83%

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

$59.1 MYR 240

$41.24 MYR 167

43.33%

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

$8.97 MYR 36.37

$8.92 MYR 36.16

0.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.31 MYR 119

$25.42 MYR 103

15.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.4 MYR 269

$29.51 MYR 120

125.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.88 MYR 23.83

$9.77 MYR 39.62

-39.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.14 MYR 16.79

$4.63 MYR 18.77

-10.58%

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

$121 MYR 491

$141 MYR 572

-14.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,172 MYR 29.1K

$6,063 MYR 24.6K

18.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 MYR 253

$65.8 MYR 267

-5.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.27 MYR 139

$31.99 MYR 130

7.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MYR 306

$85.9 MYR 348

-12.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.8 MYR 356

$71.5 MYR 290

22.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$212 MYR 859

$285 MYR 1,156

-25.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 MYR 611

$205 MYR 830

-26.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 MYR 1,870

$556 MYR 2,255

-17.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 MYR 1,291

$386 MYR 1,566

-17.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,756 MYR 7,122

$2,144 MYR 8,692

-18.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,159 MYR 4,701

$1,535 MYR 6,224

-24.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$611 MYR 2,478

$552 MYR 2,239

10.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

4.27

5.39%

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

Last update for Bintulu: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kuching: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $212 in Bintulu and $285 in Kuching. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bintulu pays 11% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $17.00 in Bintulu vs $20.00 in Kuching for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 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 Kuching: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bintulu pays 11% 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: $212 in Bintulu versus $285 in Kuching. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $121 in Bintulu versus $141 in Kuching. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuching – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $17.00 in Bintulu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Kuching 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 Kuching delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $802 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kuching hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bintulu and Kuching are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Kuching wins on affordability, Bintulu on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.