Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bintulu and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Bintulu: $849 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Bintulu
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Bintulu Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Bintulu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$849

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bintulu and in Melbourne

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $849 in Bintulu versus $2,852 in Melbourne.

Bintulu $849
Melbourne $2,852

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,312 in Bintulu versus $4,297 in Melbourne.

Bintulu $1,312
Melbourne $4,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,775 in Bintulu versus $5,742 in Melbourne.

Bintulu $1,775
Melbourne $5,742

Living in Bintulu costs roughly 70% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bintulu is 37% below, Melbourne is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.95 MYR 16.13

$17.75 A$25.40

-77.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.43 MYR 75.3

$84.8 A$121

-78.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 MYR 23.63

$12.16 A$17.40

-52.38%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.20

$3.93 A$5.62

-23.92%

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

$0.63 MYR 2.59

$3.14 A$4.49

-79.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MYR 1.54

$2.43 A$3.47

-84.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 MYR 12.17

$9.90 A$14.17

-69.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 MYR 21.12

$8.29 A$11.86

-37.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 MYR 8.77

$1.55 A$2.21

38.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 MYR 5.59

$3.01 A$4.31

-54.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 MYR 5.41

$2.88 A$4.12

-54.17%

Eggs

$2.16 MYR 8.83

$5.44 A$7.79

-60.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.81 MYR 68.6

$10.59 A$15.16

58.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 MYR 14.19

$9.61 A$13.76

-63.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.90 MYR 24.11

$14.99 A$21.46

-60.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.19

$4.15 A$5.94

-57.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 MYR 4.18

$3.05 A$4.37

-66.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.17

$3.30 A$4.72

-46.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.60

$4.76 A$6.81

-76.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 MYR 2.08

$3.04 A$4.34

-83.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$2.55 A$3.65

-53.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 MYR 2.84

$2.48 A$3.55

-72.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.71

$1.63 A$2.33

-74.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 MYR 17.08

$44.07 A$63.1

-90.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.74 MYR 80.6

$12.43 A$17.79

58.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 MYR 12.29

$5.33 A$7.63

-43.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 MYR 8.17

$5.16 A$7.38

-61.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$3.84 A$5.50

-68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.62 MYR 67.9

$142 A$203

-88.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 MYR 4.18

$4.40 A$6.29

-76.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 MYR 3.39

$1.40 A$2.01

-40.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 MYR 10.21

$29.83 A$42.69

-91.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 MYR 2.57

$1.46 A$2.09

-56.85%

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

$44.5K MYR 181.7K

$28.1K A$40.3K

58.08%

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

$38.5K MYR 157.0K

$25.9K A$37.1K

48.25%

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

$59.2 MYR 242

$233 A$333

-74.55%

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

$31.51 MYR 129

$27.28 A$39.04

15.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.98 MYR 122

$57.0 A$81.6

-47.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.4 MYR 271

$52.7 A$75.4

26.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.43 MYR 50.8

$22.62 A$32.37

-45.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.33 MYR 17.67

$17.10 A$24.48

-74.68%

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

$124 MYR 508

$2,373 A$3,397

-94.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,230 MYR 29.5K

$30.5K A$43.6K

-76.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 MYR 262

$78.2 A$112

-17.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.02 MYR 147

$50.5 A$72.2

-28.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 MYR 329

$121 A$172

-33.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 MYR 371

$133 A$191

-31.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 MYR 898

$1,713 A$2,451

-87.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 MYR 642

$1,402 A$2,006

-88.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 MYR 1,979

$3,339 A$4,778

-85.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 MYR 1,361

$2,529 A$3,619

-86.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,730 MYR 7,062

$7,018 A$10.0K

-75.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,137 MYR 4,644

$6,767 A$9,685

-83.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 MYR 2,441

$4,228 A$6,051

-85.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

5.9

-23.73%

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

Last update for Bintulu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bintulu

$232 27.4%

Melbourne

$385 13.5% 65.7% $153

Accommodation & Living

Bintulu

$157 18.5%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 791% $1.2K

Clothing & Footwear

Bintulu

$122 14.4%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 40.8% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bintulu

$121 14.2%

Melbourne

$317 11.1% 163% $196

Eating Out

Bintulu

$114 13.5%

Melbourne

$314 11% 175% $200

Sport & Entertainment

Bintulu

$75 8.9%

Melbourne

$87 3.1% 15.7% $12

Getting Around

Bintulu

$27 3.1%

Melbourne

$168 5.9% 532% $142

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $220 in Bintulu and $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 607% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $18.00 in Bintulu vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $385 per month, with Bintulu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Bintulu

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

11:23 11:23 AM

14:23 2:23 PM

3 h ahead of Bintulu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

240,172

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, 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 = 0.218 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bintulu Melbourne 5,620 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Bintulu
Melbourne

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 Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bintulu wins on cost – living expenses run 236% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bintulu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 607% lower in Melbourne. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $220 in Bintulu versus $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $849 per month in Bintulu versus $2,852 in Melbourne – a 236% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bintulu runs roughly 751% less than in Melbourne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $849 in Bintulu versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bintulu but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Bintulu 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, Bintulu and Melbourne 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 236% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.