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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $843 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,334 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,824 in Bintulu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 46% more expensive than in Bintulu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Bintulu 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.89 MYR 15.88

13.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$18.53 MYR 75.6

74.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$5.78 MYR 23.57

54.50%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.96 MYR 12.09

-2.03%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.64 MYR 2.62

37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.37 MYR 1.53

29.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.93 MYR 11.94

-19.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$5.13 MYR 20.93

-27.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$2.16 MYR 8.80

-13.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.37 MYR 5.61

7.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.32 MYR 5.39

17.42%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.18 MYR 8.90

-3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$16.92 MYR 69.0

15.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.46 MYR 14.12

-1.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$5.93 MYR 24.20

91.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$1.67 MYR 6.82

78.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.01 MYR 4.11

66.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.67 MYR 6.82

32.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.16 MYR 4.75

86.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.52 MYR 2.10

192.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.20 MYR 4.89

11.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.76 MYR 3.09

48.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.44 MYR 1.81

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.20 MYR 17.13

1.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$19.38 MYR 79.1

-1.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.90 MYR 11.85

-38.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$1.93 MYR 7.87

44.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$1.20 MYR 4.88

85.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$16.15 MYR 65.9

40.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.00 MYR 4.07

203.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.89 MYR 3.64

14.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$2.40 MYR 9.77

62.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$0.59 MYR 2.40

152.54%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$45.0K MYR 183.6K

-40.94%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$38.8K MYR 158.5K

-30.42%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$59.7 MYR 244

71.64%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$31.36 MYR 128

-63.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$31.26 MYR 128

-44.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$68.8 MYR 281

-24.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$12.31 MYR 50.2

-10.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.47 MYR 18.22

72.04%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$129 MYR 528

333.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$7,469 MYR 30.5K

54.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$66.1 MYR 270

-4.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$35.14 MYR 143

-15.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$79.7 MYR 325

23.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$91.7 MYR 374

-3.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$219 MYR 892

237.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$155 MYR 632

211.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$487 MYR 1,988

332.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$338 MYR 1,378

262.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,724 MYR 7,035

109.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,139 MYR 4,646

128.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$603 MYR 2,458

-18.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.5

23.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $219 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $232 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 46% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $219 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $843 in Bintulu – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bintulu runs roughly 41% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $843 in Bintulu versus $1,232 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 $843 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 46% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.