Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bintulu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bintulu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $782 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,237 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,692 in Bintulu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 60% more expensive than in Bintulu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bintulu 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.84 MYR 15.72

18.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$17.40 MYR 71.2

165.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.62 MYR 23.00

57.30%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.79 MYR 11.41

9.68%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.62 MYR 2.55

17.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.36 MYR 1.49

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.91 MYR 11.91

-16.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.91 MYR 20.09

-23.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.74 MYR 7.11

29.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.31 MYR 5.36

38.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.25 MYR 5.12

80.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.20 MYR 8.99

2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$16.43 MYR 67.2

18.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.46 MYR 14.15

5.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$5.82 MYR 23.82

124.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.68 MYR 6.87

92.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.98 MYR 4.01

65.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.66 MYR 6.79

43.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.06 MYR 4.34

91.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.49 MYR 1.99

212.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.16 MYR 4.76

29.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.72 MYR 2.93

36.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.39 MYR 1.61

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.89 MYR 15.92

14.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$19.91 MYR 81.5

-7.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.88 MYR 11.76

-35.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.87 MYR 7.63

43.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.16 MYR 4.75

21.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$15.91 MYR 65.1

-26.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.92 MYR 3.75

238.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.86 MYR 3.53

20.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.37 MYR 9.71

495.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.52 MYR 2.12

151.92%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$42.1K MYR 172.4K

-34.00%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$37.0K MYR 151.1K

-10.12%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$57.8 MYR 236

111.94%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$9.04 MYR 36.97

50.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$29.17 MYR 119

-35.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$64.1 MYR 262

-5.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$5.84 MYR 23.89

190.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.18 MYR 17.08

116.99%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$120 MYR 493

486.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$7,111 MYR 29.1K

122.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$62.3 MYR 255

-6.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$34.04 MYR 139

3.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$76.0 MYR 311

52.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$88.2 MYR 361

-5.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$208 MYR 851

200.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$151 MYR 616

195.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$462 MYR 1,890

341.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$313 MYR 1,279

377.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,751 MYR 7,161

98.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,164 MYR 4,762

121.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$609 MYR 2,491

-17.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.5

18.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $208 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bintulu pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $224 per month, with Bintulu cheaper across the board.

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

Phuket vs Bintulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bintulu wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Phuket. 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 22% lower in Bintulu. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $208 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,250 per month in Phuket versus $782 in Bintulu – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bintulu runs roughly 36% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $782 in Bintulu versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bintulu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bintulu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bintulu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $782 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bintulu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket 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 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.