Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Bharu and Bhagalpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Bhagalpur: $281 a month against $687 in Kota Bharu, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Kota Bharu
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Kota Bharu Living Index
13

Cost of Living Index in Bhagalpur
Learn more

Bhagalpur Living Index

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Kota Bharu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$687

/mo nomad

Bhagalpur

🇮🇳 India

$281

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kota Bharu and in Bhagalpur

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

A single person spends $687 per month in Kota Bharu vs $281 in Bhagalpur, rent included.

Kota Bharu $687
Bhagalpur $281

A couple spends around $1,063 per month in Kota Bharu vs $458 in Bhagalpur, rent included.

Kota Bharu $1,063
Bhagalpur $458

A family of three spends $1,439 per month in Kota Bharu vs $636 in Bhagalpur, rent included.

Kota Bharu $1,439
Bhagalpur $636

Kota Bharu costs about 145% more than Bhagalpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kota Bharu and Bhagalpur are more affordable than the global median – Kota Bharu 49% lower, Bhagalpur 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 MYR 8.70

$2.13 ₹203

0.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.62 MYR 79.6

$9.31 ₹887

110.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.38

$2.65 ₹252

80.38%

Cappuccino

$2.09 MYR 8.48

$1.37 ₹131

52.55%

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

$0.50 MYR 2.03

$0.38 ₹36.43

31.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 MYR 1.05

$0.16 ₹15.06

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.28 MYR 17.36

$1.56 ₹149

174.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 MYR 17.50

$3.23 ₹307

33.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 MYR 6.27

$0.59 ₹56.0

162.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 MYR 3.65

$0.40 ₹38.46

125.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 MYR 3.36

$0.48 ₹45.50

72.92%

Eggs

$1.53 MYR 6.22

$0.89 ₹85.0

71.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.41 MYR 54.4

$4.45 ₹424

201.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 MYR 12.47

$2.19 ₹208

40.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.52 MYR 26.44

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 MYR 11.93

$1.41 ₹134

108.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.92

$0.51 ₹48.90

186.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 MYR 10.79

$1.01 ₹96.1

163.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.41

$0.45 ₹42.47

142.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MYR 3.59

$0.33 ₹31.11

166.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 MYR 4.37

$0.35 ₹33.60

208.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MYR 4.39

$0.30 ₹28.72

260.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.82

$0.27 ₹25.55

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 MYR 13.87

$4.94 ₹470

-30.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 MYR 76.2

$6.22 ₹592

202.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.15

$1.46 ₹139

105.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 MYR 21.66

$2.15 ₹204

148.37%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.57 ₹626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.08

$0.20 ₹19.04

280.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.13 MYR 49.21

$4.61 ₹439

163.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.75

$1.29 ₹123

28.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 MYR 1.62

$0.19 ₹17.84

110.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 MYR 14.59

$1.88 ₹179

91.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.13

$1.08 ₹103

-51.85%

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

$32.0K MYR 129.7K

$11.2K ₹1.1M

186.45%

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

$29.3K MYR 118.8K

$22.1K ₹2.1M

32.73%

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

$37.64 MYR 153

$21.17 ₹2,017

77.80%

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

$8.77 MYR 35.59

$3.01 ₹287

191.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.94 MYR 105

$6.35 ₹604

308.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 MYR 197

$12.77 ₹1,217

279.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.09 ₹389

Cinema Ticket

$4.37 MYR 17.72

$2.16 ₹205

102.31%

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

$125 MYR 506

$27.64 ₹2,633

351.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MYR 43.9K

$2,003 ₹190.8K

440.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 MYR 225

$21.03 ₹2,003

163.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.45 MYR 78.9

$14.46 ₹1,377

34.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.2 MYR 317

$38.32 ₹3,650

103.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.6 MYR 282

$25.57 ₹2,435

172.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$246 MYR 1,000

$51.8 ₹4,932

376.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$123 MYR 499

$36.99 ₹3,524

232.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$689 MYR 2,796

$142 ₹13.6K

383.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$221 MYR 899

$103 ₹9,831

114.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,276 ₹121.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$874 ₹83.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$290 MYR 1,179

$282 ₹26.8K

3.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

-49.50%

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

Last update for Kota Bharu: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bhagalpur: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kota Bharu

$226 32.9%

Bhagalpur

$86 30.7% 61.9% $140

Accommodation & Living

Kota Bharu

$123 17.9%

Bhagalpur

$37 13.2% 69.9% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Kota Bharu

$100 14.6%

Bhagalpur

$45 15.9% 55.4% $55

Eating Out

Kota Bharu

$90 13%

Bhagalpur

$58 20.6% 35.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kota Bharu

$72 10.5%

Bhagalpur

$31 10.9% 57.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Kota Bharu

$57 8.3%

Bhagalpur

$17 6.1% 70.1% $40

Getting Around

Kota Bharu

$19 2.7%

Bhagalpur

$7.6 2.7% 59.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $246 in Kota Bharu versus $52 in Bhagalpur. 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 3% higher in Kota Bharu, 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 $20 in Kota Bharu versus $9 in Bhagalpur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $86 – making Bhagalpur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kota Bharu

🇮🇳 Bhagalpur

🕒 Local time

00:09 12:09 AM

21:39 9:39 PM

2 h 30 min behind Kota Bharu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

568,900

410,000

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4.06 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 95.25 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.41 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kota Bharu Bhagalpur 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kota Bharu
Bhagalpur

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

Kota Bharu vs Bhagalpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kota Bharu is pricier by about 145%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,031 per month in Kota Bharu and $422 in Bhagalpur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bhagalpur, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $52 there versus $246 in Kota Bharu.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Kota Bharu and $9 in Bhagalpur. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $687 in Kota Bharu and $281 in Bhagalpur. That makes Bhagalpur about 59% cheaper.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $687 in Kota Bharu and $281 in Bhagalpur, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Bhagalpur – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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