Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheras and Kuching

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuching: $972 a month against $1,139 in Cheras, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Cheras
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Cheras Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index

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Cheras

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,139

/mo nomad

Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cheras and in Kuching

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

A single person spends $1,139 per month in Cheras vs $972 in Kuching, rent included.

Cheras $1,139
Kuching $972

A couple spends around $1,560 per month in Cheras vs $1,521 in Kuching, rent included.

Cheras $1,560
Kuching $1,521

A family of three spends $1,982 per month in Cheras vs $2,070 in Kuching, rent included.

Cheras $1,982
Kuching $2,070

Cheras costs about 17% more than Kuching, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Cheras and Kuching are more affordable than the global median – Cheras 16% lower, Kuching 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.61 MYR 14.66

$3.37 MYR 13.69

7.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.03 MYR 97.5

$24.51 MYR 99.4

-1.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 MYR 20.35

$4.90 MYR 19.90

2.45%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.12

$3.19 MYR 12.95

-6.27%

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

$0.91 MYR 3.70

$0.78 MYR 3.18

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.31

$0.38 MYR 1.55

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.33 MYR 17.56

$4.61 MYR 18.71

-6.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.32 MYR 25.63

$5.96 MYR 24.20

6.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.66

$2.39 MYR 9.70

-20.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.34

$1.19 MYR 4.85

-10.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.05

$1.19 MYR 4.83

25.21%

Eggs

$1.78 MYR 7.23

$2.38 MYR 9.64

-25.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.03 MYR 73.1

$10.99 MYR 44.58

64.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MYR 18.51

$4.34 MYR 17.60

5.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 MYR 44.20

$10.00 MYR 40.56

8.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 MYR 14.52

$3.17 MYR 12.87

12.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 MYR 7.55

$1.32 MYR 5.36

40.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 MYR 10.68

$2.52 MYR 10.24

4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.77

$1.78 MYR 7.23

-6.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MYR 8.44

$1.38 MYR 5.61

50.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.70

$1.19 MYR 4.82

38.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MYR 5.40

$1.61 MYR 6.54

-17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 MYR 2.04

$0.55 MYR 2.21

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MYR 17.46

$4.76 MYR 19.29

-9.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 MYR 57.4

$22.25 MYR 90.3

-36.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MYR 10.77

$4.13 MYR 16.74

-35.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MYR 12.77

$5.06 MYR 20.51

-37.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.09

$0.36 MYR 1.46

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 MYR 50.5

$7.48 MYR 30.34

66.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 MYR 3.83

$0.97 MYR 3.93

-3.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.45

$1.23 MYR 4.99

-70.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.17 MYR 37.22

$8.82 MYR 35.77

3.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 MYR 3.51

$0.94 MYR 3.81

-8.51%

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

$45.0K MYR 182.7K

$45.9K MYR 186.4K

-1.94%

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

$35.8K MYR 145.3K

$36.1K MYR 146.3K

-0.67%

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

$49.55 MYR 201

$35.63 MYR 145

39.07%

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

$10.91 MYR 44.27

$10.19 MYR 41.34

7.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.88 MYR 113

$25.50 MYR 103

9.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 MYR 211

$33.85 MYR 137

53.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.66 MYR 27.00

$12.26 MYR 49.73

-45.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.99 MYR 20.26

$4.87 MYR 19.76

2.46%

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

$164 MYR 664

$135 MYR 548

21.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,411 MYR 17.9K

$7,150 MYR 29.0K

-38.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 MYR 217

$64.1 MYR 260

-16.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.08 MYR 122

$37.52 MYR 152

-19.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 MYR 332

$90.0 MYR 365

-9.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 MYR 395

$64.6 MYR 262

50.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 MYR 1,567

$469 MYR 1,903

-17.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 MYR 1,878

$334 MYR 1,355

38.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 MYR 2,702

$834 MYR 3,385

-20.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 MYR 1,987

$654 MYR 2,655

-25.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,001 MYR 8,120

$2,053 MYR 8,328

-2.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,081 MYR 4,384

$1,534 MYR 6,221

-29.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,161 MYR 4,710

$535 MYR 2,172

116.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

4.37

-7.09%

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

Last update for Cheras: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kuching: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cheras

$463 40.6%

Kuching

$334 34.4% 27.8% $129

Groceries & Markets

Cheras

$269 23.6%

Kuching

$272 28% 1.2% $3.3

Eating Out

Cheras

$120 10.5%

Kuching

$120 12.3% 0.3% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Cheras

$118 10.4%

Kuching

$115 11.9% 2.5% $3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cheras

$88 7.8%

Kuching

$71 7.3% 19.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Cheras

$62 5.5%

Kuching

$44 4.5% 29.8% $18

Getting Around

Cheras

$18 1.6%

Kuching

$16 1.7% 12% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $386 in Cheras versus $469 in Kuching. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Cheras are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Cheras versus $25 in Kuching. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $272 – making Cheras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Cheras

🇲🇾 Kuching

🕒 Local time

07:08 7:08 AM

Same time as Cheras

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

440,000

349,147

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cheras Kuching 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cheras
Kuching

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

Cheras vs Kuching: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cheras is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,708 per month in Cheras and $1,458 in Kuching. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cheras, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $386 there versus $469 in Kuching.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,139 in Cheras and $972 in Kuching. That makes Kuching about 15% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $164 per month in Cheras and $135 in Kuching. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Kuching. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cheras makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.