Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Kuching

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $887 in Kuching, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
Learn more

Delhi Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
Learn more

Kuching Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $520 per month in Delhi vs $887 in Kuching, rent included.

Delhi $520
Kuching $887

A couple spends around $858 per month in Delhi vs $1,389 in Kuching, rent included.

Delhi $858
Kuching $1,389

A family of three spends $1,195 per month in Delhi vs $1,892 in Kuching, rent included.

Delhi $1,195
Kuching $1,892

Delhi is about 41% cheaper than Kuching, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Delhi and Kuching are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Kuching 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ₹355

$3.33 MYR 13.60

10.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.95 ₹2,027

$24.53 MYR 100

-14.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹362

$4.87 MYR 19.89

-23.20%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹226

$3.17 MYR 12.93

-26.50%

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

$0.37 ₹35.82

$0.74 MYR 3.04

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₹18.91

$0.36 MYR 1.47

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₹195

$4.51 MYR 18.43

-55.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₹308

$6.16 MYR 25.15

-48.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 ₹65.9

$2.31 MYR 9.42

-70.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.2

$1.26 MYR 5.16

-58.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ₹80.0

$1.15 MYR 4.68

-27.83%

Eggs

$1.07 ₹104

$2.46 MYR 10.03

-56.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.43 ₹428

$10.95 MYR 44.72

-59.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ₹326

$4.45 MYR 18.17

-24.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.90 MYR 40.42

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ₹192

$3.17 MYR 12.93

-37.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹70.1

$1.37 MYR 5.59

-47.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₹98.4

$2.40 MYR 9.80

-57.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹50.1

$1.82 MYR 7.42

-71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 ₹25.96

$1.41 MYR 5.75

-80.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.42

$1.19 MYR 4.86

-68.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.64

$1.56 MYR 6.35

-72.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹30.39

$0.54 MYR 2.22

-42.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 ₹476

$4.51 MYR 18.41

9.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹808

$21.59 MYR 88.2

-61.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₹159

$4.06 MYR 16.58

-59.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₹261

$5.19 MYR 21.19

-47.98%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹44.04

$0.58 MYR 2.37

-20.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₹1,480

$12.36 MYR 50.5

23.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹99.8

$1.00 MYR 4.09

3.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹26.38

$1.24 MYR 5.06

-78.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ₹148

$8.32 MYR 33.99

-81.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₹102

$0.90 MYR 3.68

16.67%

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

$10.5K ₹1.0M

$40.9K MYR 167.2K

-74.45%

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

$18.4K ₹1.8M

$36.1K MYR 147.4K

-49.13%

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

$42.67 ₹4,129

$35.18 MYR 144

21.29%

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

$4.04 ₹391

$9.95 MYR 40.63

-59.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.75 ₹653

$25.26 MYR 103

-73.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.40 ₹1,878

$30.24 MYR 123

-35.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.06 ₹780

$12.38 MYR 50.6

-34.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 ₹492

$4.83 MYR 19.72

5.18%

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

$100 ₹9,696

$135 MYR 551

-25.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 ₹219.5K

$7,000 MYR 28.6K

-67.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.14 ₹2,336

$63.3 MYR 258

-61.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.38 ₹2,747

$37.67 MYR 154

-24.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.3 ₹5,160

$90.2 MYR 368

-40.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.13 ₹4,271

$65.8 MYR 269

-32.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₹25.5K

$360 MYR 1,471

-26.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 ₹14.9K

$245 MYR 1,001

-37.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 ₹71.2K

$647 MYR 2,642

13.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₹38.5K

$478 MYR 1,953

-16.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,494 ₹241.4K

$2,073 MYR 8,464

20.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,017 ₹98.4K

$1,508 MYR 6,157

-32.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 ₹56.7K

$530 MYR 2,165

10.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

4.37

90.62%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Last update for Kuching: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$154 29.7%

Kuching

$245 27.8% 59.1% $91

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.8%

Kuching

$271 30.7% 151% $163

Eating Out

Delhi

$87 16.8%

Kuching

$119 13.4% 35.8% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$67 13%

Kuching

$116 13.1% 71.3% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.3%

Kuching

$70 8% 31.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Kuching

$40 4.5% 34.9% $10

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Kuching

$22 2.5% 12.1% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $264 in Delhi versus $360 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 run about 10% higher in Delhi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Delhi versus $25.00 in Kuching. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $271 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇲🇾 Kuching

🕒 Local time

15:55 3:55 PM

18:25 6:25 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

349,147

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 108 INR (1,000 INR = 9.22 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 INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Delhi Kuching 4,630 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
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

Delhi vs Kuching: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $520 in Delhi, $887 in Kuching – roughly 71% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $780 per month in Delhi and $1,331 in Kuching. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Delhi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Delhi and $25.00 in Kuching. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $520 in Delhi and $887 in Kuching. That's a gap of about 71%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $520 in Delhi and $887 in Kuching, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Delhi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $520 in Delhi to $887 in Kuching. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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