Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Bintulu

For one person, living is cheaper in Bintulu: $852 a month against $997 in Kuching, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kuching outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

48

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Bintulu
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Bintulu Living Index

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Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$997

/mo nomad

Bintulu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuching and in Bintulu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $997 in Kuching versus $852 in Bintulu.

Kuching $997
Bintulu $852

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,550 in Kuching versus $1,331 in Bintulu.

Kuching $1,550
Bintulu $1,331

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,103 in Kuching versus $1,810 in Bintulu.

Kuching $2,103
Bintulu $1,810

Living in Kuching is roughly 17% more expensive than in Bintulu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuching 26% lower, Bintulu 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 MYR 14.28

$4.02 MYR 16.34

-12.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.35 MYR 98.9

$18.75 MYR 76.2

29.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 MYR 20.34

$5.74 MYR 23.30

-12.72%

Cappuccino

$3.34 MYR 13.55

$2.89 MYR 11.76

15.57%

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

$0.76 MYR 3.08

$0.68 MYR 2.77

11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.57

$0.38 MYR 1.53

2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.56 MYR 18.53

$2.99 MYR 12.13

52.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 MYR 25.04

$5.19 MYR 21.09

18.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 MYR 9.40

$2.10 MYR 8.54

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 MYR 4.96

$1.43 MYR 5.80

-14.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 MYR 4.71

$1.32 MYR 5.37

-12.12%

Eggs

$2.37 MYR 9.63

$2.21 MYR 8.96

7.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 MYR 48.05

$17.39 MYR 70.6

-31.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 MYR 17.83

$3.59 MYR 14.59

22.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 MYR 38.26

$5.95 MYR 24.16

58.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 MYR 14.57

$1.76 MYR 7.15

103.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.80

$1.00 MYR 4.05

43.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 MYR 9.87

$1.71 MYR 6.93

42.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 MYR 8.65

$1.12 MYR 4.56

90.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 MYR 6.39

$0.55 MYR 2.24

185.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.89

$1.19 MYR 4.85

0.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 MYR 8.45

$0.75 MYR 3.04

177.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.22

$0.45 MYR 1.81

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MYR 17.66

$4.11 MYR 16.70

5.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.38 MYR 90.9

$19.47 MYR 79.1

14.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.23 MYR 17.17

$3.02 MYR 12.28

40.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 MYR 21.29

$2.00 MYR 8.12

162.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MYR 2.08

$1.26 MYR 5.13

-59.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.16 MYR 29.09

$16.05 MYR 65.2

-55.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 MYR 10.12

$0.95 MYR 3.88

162.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MYR 5.04

$0.82 MYR 3.32

51.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.57 MYR 34.82

$2.51 MYR 10.18

241.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 MYR 3.71

$0.66 MYR 2.70

37.88%

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

$46.4K MYR 188.6K

$44.8K MYR 181.9K

3.68%

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

$35.5K MYR 144.2K

$39.9K MYR 161.9K

-10.91%

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

$40.74 MYR 165

$59.5 MYR 242

-31.52%

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

$10.25 MYR 41.62

$31.54 MYR 128

-67.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.63 MYR 104

$30.82 MYR 125

-16.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.26 MYR 143

$68.5 MYR 278

-48.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.43 MYR 50.5

$12.11 MYR 49.17

2.64%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MYR 20.60

$4.51 MYR 18.32

12.42%

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

$158 MYR 642

$125 MYR 507

26.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,761 MYR 27.5K

$7,487 MYR 30.4K

-9.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 MYR 258

$65.4 MYR 266

-3.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.07 MYR 155

$35.43 MYR 144

7.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 MYR 369

$78.3 MYR 318

16.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.7 MYR 291

$92.1 MYR 374

-22.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 MYR 1,912

$224 MYR 909

110.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 MYR 1,359

$156 MYR 634

114.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$892 MYR 3,623

$474 MYR 1,927

88.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 MYR 2,610

$335 MYR 1,361

91.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,066 MYR 8,393

$1,775 MYR 7,211

16.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,548 MYR 6,288

$1,172 MYR 4,760

32.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 MYR 2,202

$613 MYR 2,489

-11.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

4.5

-2.89%

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

Last update for Kuching: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuching

$335 33.6%

Bintulu

$156 18.3% 53.4% $179

Groceries & Markets

Kuching

$280 28.1%

Bintulu

$235 27.6% 16.2% $45

Eating Out

Kuching

$123 12.3%

Bintulu

$114 13.3% 7.5% $9.2

Clothing & Footwear

Kuching

$119 11.9%

Bintulu

$122 14.3% 2.7% $3.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuching

$77 7.7%

Bintulu

$122 14.3% 59% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Kuching

$45 4.6%

Bintulu

$78 9.1% 70.7% $32

Getting Around

Kuching

$18 1.8%

Bintulu

$26 3.1% 46.1% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $471 in Kuching and $224 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bintulu pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24 in Kuching vs $19 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $235 per month, with Bintulu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuching

🇲🇾 Bintulu

🕒 Local time

20:16 8:16 PM

Same time as Kuching

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

349,147

240,172

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Kuching Bintulu 350 km

From you

Kuching
Bintulu

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

Kuching vs Bintulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bintulu wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Kuching. 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 12% lower in Kuching. 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: $471 in Kuching versus $224 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $997 per month in Kuching versus $852 in Bintulu – Bintulu is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Kuching runs roughly 55% less than in Bintulu. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Bintulu is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Kuching and Bintulu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.