Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Bijeljina

For one person, living is cheaper in Bijeljina: $910 a month against $1,086 in Kuala Lumpur, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Bijeljina
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Bijeljina Living Index

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Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,086

/mo nomad

Bijeljina

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$910

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuala Lumpur and in Bijeljina

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

A single person spends $1,086 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $910 in Bijeljina, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,086
Bijeljina $910

A couple spends around $1,663 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,411 in Bijeljina, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,663
Bijeljina $1,411

A family of three spends $2,239 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,911 in Bijeljina, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $2,239
Bijeljina $1,911

Kuala Lumpur costs about 19% more than Bijeljina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kuala Lumpur and Bijeljina are more affordable than the global median – Kuala Lumpur 20% lower, Bijeljina 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.76 MYR 19.40

$8.33 BAM 14.49

-42.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.15 MYR 119

$33.75 BAM 58.7

-13.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.50

$4.70 BAM 8.17

1.70%

Cappuccino

$3.08 MYR 12.57

$1.46 BAM 2.55

110.96%

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

$0.84 MYR 3.42

$1.74 BAM 3.03

-51.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$1.05 BAM 1.83

-55.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.49 MYR 18.31

$1.74 BAM 3.03

158.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 MYR 24.35

$2.32 BAM 4.03

157.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 MYR 8.31

$1.49 BAM 2.60

36.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 MYR 4.51

$1.16 BAM 2.02

-4.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.22

$1.64 BAM 2.85

23.17%

Eggs

$2.49 MYR 10.15

$3.14 BAM 5.47

-20.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.20 MYR 57.9

$7.66 BAM 13.32

85.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.44 MYR 18.11

$7.99 BAM 13.89

-44.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.85 MYR 40.19

$11.56 BAM 20.11

-14.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 MYR 14.29

$1.61 BAM 2.80

117.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.44

$1.84 BAM 3.21

-1.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 MYR 9.36

$1.77 BAM 3.07

29.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MYR 6.53

$2.70 BAM 4.69

-40.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.44

$1.53 BAM 2.66

-13.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.53

$1.41 BAM 2.45

-3.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MYR 4.83

$1.14 BAM 1.98

3.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 MYR 2.72

$0.61 BAM 1.07

9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 MYR 18.46

$3.85 BAM 6.69

17.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.75 MYR 80.6

$8.45 BAM 14.70

133.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 MYR 14.43

$0.82 BAM 1.43

331.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MYR 20.12

$1.46 BAM 2.54

237.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$2.26 BAM 3.93

-69.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 MYR 50.8

$17.43 BAM 30.31

-28.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 MYR 5.04

$1.45 BAM 2.53

-15.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MYR 4.84

$0.54 BAM 0.95

120.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 MYR 19.90

$10.45 BAM 18.17

-53.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.59

$1.48 BAM 2.58

-40.54%

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

$41.8K MYR 170.4K

$27.1K BAM 47.2K

54.00%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.4K

$20.5K BAM 35.6K

70.61%

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

$61.2 MYR 250

$139 BAM 242

-56.04%

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

$8.63 MYR 35.22

$18.30 BAM 31.82

-52.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.31 MYR 107

$23.35 BAM 40.60

12.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.33 MYR 201

$29.77 BAM 51.8

65.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.47 MYR 30.46

$8.45 BAM 14.70

-11.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MYR 20.17

$4.80 BAM 8.35

3.13%

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

$302 MYR 1,234

$201 BAM 349

50.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MYR 54.4K

$4,009 BAM 6,972

232.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 MYR 292

$57.0 BAM 99.1

25.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.57 MYR 170

$26.07 BAM 45.33

59.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 MYR 345

$127 BAM 221

-33.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 MYR 397

$118 BAM 206

-17.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 MYR 2,490

$250 BAM 435

143.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 MYR 1,513

$163 BAM 283

127.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 MYR 4,646

$349 BAM 607

226.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 MYR 2,696

$281 BAM 488

135.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,114 MYR 16.8K

$1,803 BAM 3,135

128.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,500 MYR 6,120

$1,339 BAM 2,329

12.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,494 MYR 6,093

$750 BAM 1,304

99.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

-30.33%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bijeljina: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lumpur

$371 34.1%

Bijeljina

$163 17.9% 56.1% $208

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lumpur

$276 25.4%

Bijeljina

$226 24.9% 18% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lumpur

$133 12.2%

Bijeljina

$148 16.2% 11.2% $15

Eating Out

Kuala Lumpur

$129 11.9%

Bijeljina

$123 13.5% 4.8% $6.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lumpur

$96 8.9%

Bijeljina

$181 19.9% 88.1% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.5%

Bijeljina

$39 4.3% 33.5% $20

Getting Around

Kuala Lumpur

$22 2.1%

Bijeljina

$31 3.4% 36.5% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $610 in Kuala Lumpur versus $250 in Bijeljina. 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 99% higher in Kuala Lumpur, 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 $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur versus $34.00 in Bijeljina. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Kuala Lumpur vs $226 in Bijeljina – so Bijeljina wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🇧🇦 Bijeljina

🕒 Local time

08:20 8:20 AM

02:20 2:20 AM

6 h behind Kuala Lumpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,982,112 Capital

42,278

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kuala Lumpur Bijeljina 9,170 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Lumpur
Bijeljina

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

Kuala Lumpur vs Bijeljina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,086 in Kuala Lumpur, $910 in Bijeljina – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,629 per month in Kuala Lumpur and $1,366 in Bijeljina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bijeljina, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,086 in Kuala Lumpur and $910 in Bijeljina. That's a gap of about 19%.

Public transport costs about 40% less in Bijeljina. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bijeljina, where all-in costs run around $910, than in Kuala Lumpur at $1,086. In Bijeljina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kuala Lumpur it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Kuala Lumpur has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $910 in Bijeljina to $1,086 in Kuala Lumpur. 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 Bijeljina. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kuala Lumpur makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.