Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gombak and Kuching

For one person, living is cheaper in Gombak: $904 a month against $972 in Kuching, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Gombak
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Gombak Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index

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Gombak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$904

/mo nomad

Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $904 in Gombak versus $972 in Kuching.

Gombak $904
Kuching $972

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,437 in Gombak versus $1,521 in Kuching.

Gombak $1,437
Kuching $1,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,970 in Gombak versus $2,070 in Kuching.

Gombak $1,970
Kuching $2,070

Living in Gombak costs roughly 7% less than in Kuching, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gombak 34% lower, Kuching 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.60 MYR 14.71

$3.37 MYR 13.79

6.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.44 MYR 99.9

$24.51 MYR 100

-0.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 MYR 20.53

$4.90 MYR 20.04

2.45%

Cappuccino

$2.96 MYR 12.11

$3.19 MYR 13.05

-7.21%

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

$0.91 MYR 3.74

$0.78 MYR 3.20

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.82

$0.38 MYR 1.56

18.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.40

$4.61 MYR 18.84

-28.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 MYR 23.55

$5.96 MYR 24.38

-3.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MYR 7.86

$2.39 MYR 9.77

-19.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.38

$1.19 MYR 4.88

-10.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.02

$1.19 MYR 4.86

23.53%

Eggs

$1.76 MYR 7.21

$2.38 MYR 9.71

-26.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 MYR 40.35

$10.99 MYR 44.91

-10.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 MYR 13.71

$4.34 MYR 17.73

-22.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.68 MYR 39.58

$10.00 MYR 40.86

-3.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 MYR 13.88

$3.17 MYR 12.96

7.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 MYR 7.68

$1.32 MYR 5.40

42.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 MYR 10.76

$2.52 MYR 10.31

4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 MYR 7.38

$1.78 MYR 7.28

1.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MYR 8.51

$1.38 MYR 5.65

50.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 MYR 8.02

$1.19 MYR 4.85

64.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MYR 5.87

$1.61 MYR 6.59

-10.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.12

$0.55 MYR 2.23

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 MYR 18.31

$4.76 MYR 19.43

-5.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 MYR 81.4

$22.25 MYR 90.9

-10.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 MYR 10.95

$4.13 MYR 16.86

-35.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 MYR 18.15

$5.06 MYR 20.66

-12.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MYR 3.36

$0.36 MYR 1.47

127.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.38 MYR 50.6

$7.48 MYR 30.57

65.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.90

$0.97 MYR 3.96

23.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.45

$1.23 MYR 5.03

-70.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.10 MYR 37.17

$8.82 MYR 36.03

3.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.56

$0.94 MYR 3.84

-7.45%

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

$46.0K MYR 188.1K

$45.9K MYR 187.7K

0.17%

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

$35.1K MYR 143.5K

$36.1K MYR 147.4K

-2.63%

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

$50.0 MYR 204

$35.63 MYR 146

40.33%

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

$8.39 MYR 34.31

$10.19 MYR 41.65

-17.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.39 MYR 108

$25.50 MYR 104

3.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.05 MYR 151

$33.85 MYR 138

9.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.93 MYR 24.24

$12.26 MYR 50.1

-51.63%

Cinema Ticket

$3.11 MYR 12.73

$4.87 MYR 19.91

-36.14%

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

$282 MYR 1,153

$135 MYR 552

108.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

$7,150 MYR 29.2K

47.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 MYR 211

$64.1 MYR 262

-19.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.84 MYR 122

$37.52 MYR 153

-20.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 MYR 311

$90.0 MYR 368

-15.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.2 MYR 344

$64.6 MYR 264

30.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 MYR 1,678

$469 MYR 1,917

-12.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 MYR 1,166

$334 MYR 1,365

-14.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 MYR 2,993

$834 MYR 3,410

-12.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 MYR 2,483

$654 MYR 2,675

-7.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,943 MYR 7,942

$2,053 MYR 8,390

-5.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,168 MYR 4,774

$1,534 MYR 6,267

-23.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 MYR 2,215

$535 MYR 2,188

1.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.37

3.20%

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

Last update for Gombak: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kuching: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gombak

$285 31.6%

Kuching

$334 34.4% 17.1% $49

Groceries & Markets

Gombak

$250 27.7%

Kuching

$272 28% 8.8% $22

Eating Out

Gombak

$113 12.5%

Kuching

$120 12.3% 6.1% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Gombak

$109 12%

Kuching

$115 11.9% 5.9% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gombak

$85 9.4%

Kuching

$71 7.3% 15.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Gombak

$43 4.8%

Kuching

$44 4.5% 0.7% $0.3

Getting Around

Gombak

$19 2.1%

Kuching

$16 1.7% 14% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $411 in Gombak and $469 in Kuching. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24 in Gombak vs $25 in Kuching for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $272 per month, with Gombak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Gombak

🇲🇾 Kuching

🕒 Local time

00:07 12:07 AM

Same time as Gombak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,699

349,147

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gombak Kuching 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Gombak
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

Gombak vs Kuching: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gombak wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Kuching. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Gombak the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,356 in Gombak and $1,458 in Kuching to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $411 in Gombak versus $469 in Kuching. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Kuching. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gombak – a meal for two runs $24 versus $25 in Kuching. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Gombak is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Gombak and Kuching are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.