Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubbo and Kuala Lumpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur: $1,086 a month against $2,503 in Dubbo, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Dubbo
Learn more

Dubbo Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
Learn more

Kuala Lumpur Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubbo

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,503

/mo nomad

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,086

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubbo and in Kuala Lumpur

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

A single person spends $2,503 per month in Dubbo vs $1,086 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Dubbo $2,503
Kuala Lumpur $1,086

A couple spends around $3,617 per month in Dubbo vs $1,663 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Dubbo $3,617
Kuala Lumpur $1,663

A family of three spends $4,732 per month in Dubbo vs $2,239 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Dubbo $4,732
Kuala Lumpur $2,239

Dubbo costs about 130% more than Kuala Lumpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Dubbo sits 85% above the global median, while Kuala Lumpur is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.46 A$25.13

$4.76 MYR 19.40

266.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 A$120

$29.15 MYR 119

185.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 A$14.80

$4.78 MYR 19.50

115.06%

Cappuccino

$3.96 A$5.69

$3.08 MYR 12.57

28.57%

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

$2.89 A$4.15

$0.84 MYR 3.42

244.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.18

$0.47 MYR 1.93

370.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.37 A$12.05

$4.49 MYR 18.31

86.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.45 A$12.16

$5.97 MYR 24.35

41.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.27

$2.04 MYR 8.31

-22.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 A$3.94

$1.11 MYR 4.51

146.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$2.02 MYR 8.22

13.86%

Eggs

$4.79 A$6.89

$2.49 MYR 10.15

92.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.25

$14.20 MYR 57.9

-35.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 A$13.29

$4.44 MYR 18.11

107.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.36 A$20.66

$9.85 MYR 40.19

45.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.68

$3.50 MYR 14.29

-7.14%

Banana (1kg)

$3.86 A$5.56

$1.82 MYR 7.44

112.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.92

$2.29 MYR 9.36

19.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 A$8.26

$1.60 MYR 6.53

258.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.45

$1.33 MYR 5.44

80.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.39

$1.36 MYR 5.53

72.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 A$3.32

$1.18 MYR 4.83

95.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.39

$0.67 MYR 2.72

147.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.59 A$46.90

$4.52 MYR 18.46

621.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.18 A$20.40

$19.75 MYR 80.6

-28.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.54

$3.54 MYR 14.43

28.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 A$7.19

$4.93 MYR 20.12

1.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 A$4.07

$0.70 MYR 2.87

304.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.2 A$118

$12.45 MYR 50.8

560.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.98

$1.23 MYR 5.04

181.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 A$2.63

$1.19 MYR 4.84

53.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.60 A$65.6

$4.88 MYR 19.90

834.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 A$1.81

$0.88 MYR 3.59

43.18%

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

$27.3K A$39.3K

$41.8K MYR 170.4K

-34.69%

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

$29.2K A$42.0K

$34.9K MYR 142.4K

-16.42%

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

$200 A$288

$61.2 MYR 250

227.58%

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

$27.29 A$39.27

$8.63 MYR 35.22

216.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.1 A$120

$26.31 MYR 107

215.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 A$81.2

$49.33 MYR 201

14.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.53 A$25.22

$7.47 MYR 30.46

134.67%

Cinema Ticket

$14.54 A$20.92

$4.95 MYR 20.17

193.74%

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

$2,309 A$3,323

$302 MYR 1,234

663.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K A$31.2K

$13.3K MYR 54.4K

62.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.0 A$109

$71.6 MYR 292

6.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 A$78.0

$41.57 MYR 170

30.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$156

$84.5 MYR 345

27.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$175

$97.4 MYR 397

24.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 A$1,375

$610 MYR 2,490

56.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,172 A$1,687

$371 MYR 1,513

216.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 A$2,297

$1,139 MYR 4,646

40.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 A$2,562

$661 MYR 2,696

169.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,746 A$2,512

$4,114 MYR 16.8K

-57.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,570 A$6,576

$1,500 MYR 6,120

204.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,142 A$3,082

$1,494 MYR 6,093

43.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

4.18

39.71%

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

Last update for Dubbo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubbo

$1.2K 46.8%

Kuala Lumpur

$371 34.1% 68.4% $801

Groceries & Markets

Dubbo

$370 14.8%

Kuala Lumpur

$276 25.4% 25.3% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubbo

$311 12.4%

Kuala Lumpur

$96 8.9% 69.1% $215

Eating Out

Dubbo

$297 11.9%

Kuala Lumpur

$129 11.9% 56.6% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Dubbo

$162 6.5%

Kuala Lumpur

$133 12.2% 18% $29

Getting Around

Dubbo

$106 4.2%

Kuala Lumpur

$22 2.1% 78.9% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Dubbo

$85 3.4%

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.5% 30.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Dubbo versus $610 in Kuala Lumpur. 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 43% higher in Dubbo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Dubbo versus $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $370 vs $276 – making Kuala Lumpur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Dubbo

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🕒 Local time

05:19 5:19 AM

02:19 2:19 AM

3 h behind Dubbo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,808

1,982,112 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dubbo Kuala Lumpur 6,320 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubbo
Kuala Lumpur

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

Dubbo vs Kuala Lumpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,503 in Dubbo, $1,086 in Kuala Lumpur – roughly 130% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,755 per month in Dubbo and $1,629 in Kuala Lumpur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $2,309 per month in Dubbo and $302 in Kuala Lumpur. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Dubbo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kuala Lumpur, where all-in costs run around $1,086, than in Dubbo at $2,503. In Kuala Lumpur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubbo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Kuala Lumpur has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,086 in Kuala Lumpur to $2,503 in Dubbo. 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 Kuala Lumpur. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dubbo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.