Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kemaman and Kuching

For one person, living is cheaper in Kemaman: $897 a month against $972 in Kuching, rent and utilities included – about $900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Kemaman
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Kemaman Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index

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Kemaman

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$897

/mo nomad

Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $897 per month in Kemaman vs $972 in Kuching, rent included.

Kemaman $897
Kuching $972

A couple spends around $1,369 per month in Kemaman vs $1,521 in Kuching, rent included.

Kemaman $1,369
Kuching $1,521

A family of three spends $1,841 per month in Kemaman vs $2,070 in Kuching, rent included.

Kemaman $1,841
Kuching $2,070

Kemaman is about 8% cheaper than Kuching, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kemaman and Kuching are more affordable than the global median – Kemaman 34% lower, Kuching 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.62 MYR 10.61

$3.37 MYR 13.69

-22.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.92 MYR 60.5

$24.51 MYR 99.4

-39.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 MYR 17.84

$4.90 MYR 19.90

-10.20%

Cappuccino

$3.09 MYR 12.52

$3.19 MYR 12.95

-3.13%

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

$0.48 MYR 1.93

$0.78 MYR 3.18

-38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$0.38 MYR 1.55

-5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.30

$4.61 MYR 18.71

-28.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 MYR 23.38

$5.96 MYR 24.20

-3.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MYR 7.63

$2.39 MYR 9.70

-21.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.23

$1.19 MYR 4.85

-12.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 MYR 4.11

$1.19 MYR 4.83

-15.13%

Eggs

$1.15 MYR 4.68

$2.38 MYR 9.64

-51.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 MYR 38.98

$10.99 MYR 44.58

-12.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 MYR 12.95

$4.34 MYR 17.60

-26.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 MYR 37.72

$10.00 MYR 40.56

-7.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 MYR 14.58

$3.17 MYR 12.87

13.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 MYR 7.60

$1.32 MYR 5.36

41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MYR 10.63

$2.52 MYR 10.24

3.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.37

$1.78 MYR 7.23

2.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 MYR 8.80

$1.38 MYR 5.61

57.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 MYR 8.27

$1.19 MYR 4.82

71.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 MYR 5.96

$1.61 MYR 6.54

-8.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$0.55 MYR 2.21

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 MYR 18.54

$4.76 MYR 19.29

-3.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.42 MYR 78.8

$22.25 MYR 90.3

-12.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 MYR 11.05

$4.13 MYR 16.74

-34.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 MYR 18.01

$5.06 MYR 20.51

-12.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.10

$0.36 MYR 1.46

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.79 MYR 43.79

$7.48 MYR 30.34

44.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.86

$0.97 MYR 3.93

23.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.45

$1.23 MYR 4.99

-70.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.90 MYR 36.12

$8.82 MYR 35.77

0.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 MYR 1.93

$0.94 MYR 3.81

-48.94%

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

$46.4K MYR 188.1K

$45.9K MYR 186.4K

0.93%

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

$36.1K MYR 146.4K

$36.1K MYR 146.3K

0.03%

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

$49.04 MYR 199

$35.63 MYR 145

37.64%

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

$8.25 MYR 33.46

$10.19 MYR 41.34

-19.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.11 MYR 110

$25.50 MYR 103

6.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 MYR 170

$33.85 MYR 137

23.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.29 MYR 25.53

$12.26 MYR 49.73

-48.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.79 MYR 19.43

$4.87 MYR 19.76

-1.64%

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

$123 MYR 499

$135 MYR 548

-9.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K MYR 41.9K

$7,150 MYR 29.0K

44.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 MYR 211

$64.1 MYR 260

-18.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.15 MYR 122

$37.52 MYR 152

-19.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MYR 319

$90.0 MYR 365

-12.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.0 MYR 349

$64.6 MYR 262

33.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 MYR 1,761

$469 MYR 1,903

-7.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 MYR 1,167

$334 MYR 1,355

-13.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$636 MYR 2,580

$834 MYR 3,385

-23.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 MYR 2,216

$654 MYR 2,655

-16.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,062 MYR 8,367

$2,053 MYR 8,328

0.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,069 MYR 4,336

$1,534 MYR 6,221

-30.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$535 MYR 2,172

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 Kemaman: 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

Kemaman

$288 32.1%

Kuching

$334 34.4% 16.1% $46

Groceries & Markets

Kemaman

$243 27.1%

Kuching

$272 28% 11.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Kemaman

$111 12.4%

Kuching

$115 11.9% 3.8% $4.3

Eating Out

Kemaman

$102 11.4%

Kuching

$120 12.3% 16.8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kemaman

$84 9.4%

Kuching

$71 7.3% 15.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Kemaman

$51 5.7%

Kuching

$44 4.5% 15.1% $7.8

Getting Around

Kemaman

$17 1.9%

Kuching

$16 1.7% 4.8% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $434 in Kemaman 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Kemaman versus $25 in Kuching. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $272 – making Kemaman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kemaman

🇲🇾 Kuching

🕒 Local time

01:55 1:55 AM

Same time as Kemaman

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,582

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

Kemaman Kuching 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kemaman
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

Kemaman vs Kuching: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kuching is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,346 per month in Kemaman and $1,458 in Kuching. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $434 in Kemaman and $469 in Kuching. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Kemaman and $25 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 $897 in Kemaman and $972 in Kuching. That makes Kemaman about 8% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Kemaman – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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