Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Bintulu

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.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Bintulu
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Bintulu Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Bintulu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne 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 Melbourne and in Bintulu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Melbourne $2,852
Bintulu $849

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

Melbourne $4,297
Bintulu $1,312

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

Melbourne $5,742
Bintulu $1,775

Living in Melbourne is roughly 236% more expensive than in Bintulu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 A$25.40

$3.95 MYR 16.13

349.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 A$121

$18.43 MYR 75.3

360.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.40

$5.79 MYR 23.63

110.02%

Cappuccino

$3.93 A$5.62

$2.99 MYR 12.20

31.44%

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

$3.14 A$4.49

$0.63 MYR 2.59

398.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.47

$0.38 MYR 1.54

539.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 A$14.17

$2.98 MYR 12.17

232.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 A$11.86

$5.17 MYR 21.12

60.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.21

$2.15 MYR 8.77

-27.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 A$4.31

$1.37 MYR 5.59

119.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.12

$1.32 MYR 5.41

118.18%

Eggs

$5.44 A$7.79

$2.16 MYR 8.83

151.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 A$15.16

$16.81 MYR 68.6

-37.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 A$13.76

$3.48 MYR 14.19

176.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 A$21.46

$5.90 MYR 24.11

154.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.94

$1.76 MYR 7.19

135.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.37

$1.02 MYR 4.18

199.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.72

$1.76 MYR 7.17

87.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.81

$1.13 MYR 4.60

321.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.34

$0.51 MYR 2.08

496.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.65

$1.19 MYR 4.85

114.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.55

$0.69 MYR 2.84

259.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.33

$0.42 MYR 1.71

288.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.1

$4.18 MYR 17.08

954.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 A$17.79

$19.74 MYR 80.6

-37.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.63

$3.01 MYR 12.29

77.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.38

$2.00 MYR 8.17

158.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.50

$1.20 MYR 4.91

220.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

$16.62 MYR 67.9

751.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 A$6.29

$1.02 MYR 4.18

331.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$0.83 MYR 3.39

68.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 A$42.69

$2.50 MYR 10.21

1093.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.09

$0.63 MYR 2.57

131.75%

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

$28.1K A$40.3K

$44.5K MYR 181.7K

-36.74%

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

$25.9K A$37.1K

$38.5K MYR 157.0K

-32.55%

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

$233 A$333

$59.2 MYR 242

292.86%

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

$27.28 A$39.04

$31.51 MYR 129

-13.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$81.6

$29.98 MYR 122

90.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 A$75.4

$66.4 MYR 271

-20.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.62 A$32.37

$12.43 MYR 50.8

81.98%

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 A$24.48

$4.33 MYR 17.67

294.92%

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

$2,373 A$3,397

$124 MYR 508

1807.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K A$43.6K

$7,230 MYR 29.5K

321.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$112

$64.2 MYR 262

21.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$72.2

$36.02 MYR 147

40.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$80.5 MYR 329

49.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

$90.8 MYR 371

46.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,451

$220 MYR 898

678.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 A$2,006

$157 MYR 642

791.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,339 A$4,778

$485 MYR 1,979

588.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 A$3,619

$333 MYR 1,361

658.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 A$10.0K

$1,730 MYR 7,062

305.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,767 A$9,685

$1,137 MYR 4,644

494.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 A$6,051

$598 MYR 2,441

607.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

4.5

31.11%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Bintulu

$157 18.5% 88.8% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$385 13.5%

Bintulu

$232 27.4% 39.7% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.1%

Bintulu

$121 14.2% 61.9% $196

Eating Out

Melbourne

$314 11%

Bintulu

$114 13.5% 63.6% $200

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Bintulu

$122 14.4% 29% $50

Getting Around

Melbourne

$168 5.9%

Bintulu

$27 3.1% 84.2% $142

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$87 3.1%

Bintulu

$75 8.9% 13.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,713 in Melbourne and $220 in Bintulu. 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: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $18.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $232 per month, with Bintulu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇲🇾 Bintulu

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

18:26 6:26 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

240,172

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

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 = 0.219 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Bintulu 5,620 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
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

Melbourne vs Bintulu: 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.

Average pay runs 607% higher in Melbourne, 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: $1,713 in Melbourne versus $220 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,852 per month in Melbourne versus $849 in Bintulu – 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, Melbourne and Bintulu 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.