Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lipis and Kuching

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

44

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lipis
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Kuala Lipis Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index

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Kuala Lipis

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$897

/mo nomad

Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Kuala Lipis $897
Kuching $972

A couple spends around $1,420 per month in Kuala Lipis vs $1,521 in Kuching, rent included.

Kuala Lipis $1,420
Kuching $1,521

A family of three spends $1,944 per month in Kuala Lipis vs $2,070 in Kuching, rent included.

Kuala Lipis $1,944
Kuching $2,070

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 MYR 14.62

$3.37 MYR 13.75

6.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.70 MYR 101

$24.51 MYR 99.9

0.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 MYR 20.31

$4.90 MYR 19.98

1.63%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.20

$3.19 MYR 13.01

-6.27%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.48

$0.78 MYR 3.19

8.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.70

$0.38 MYR 1.55

10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MYR 13.06

$4.61 MYR 18.79

-30.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 MYR 22.94

$5.96 MYR 24.30

-5.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 MYR 7.96

$2.39 MYR 9.74

-18.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.38

$1.19 MYR 4.87

-9.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.00

$1.19 MYR 4.85

23.53%

Eggs

$1.78 MYR 7.24

$2.38 MYR 9.68

-25.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MYR 39.99

$10.99 MYR 44.77

-10.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.92

$4.34 MYR 17.67

-26.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.58 MYR 39.01

$10.00 MYR 40.73

-4.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 MYR 14.64

$3.17 MYR 12.92

13.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 MYR 7.54

$1.32 MYR 5.38

40.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 MYR 11.22

$2.52 MYR 10.28

9.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.46

$1.78 MYR 7.26

2.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MYR 8.80

$1.38 MYR 5.63

56.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 MYR 8.36

$1.19 MYR 4.84

72.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MYR 6.06

$1.61 MYR 6.57

-7.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.11

$0.55 MYR 2.22

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MYR 18.17

$4.76 MYR 19.37

-6.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.69 MYR 80.2

$22.25 MYR 90.7

-11.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 MYR 11.04

$4.13 MYR 16.81

-34.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 MYR 18.08

$5.06 MYR 20.60

-12.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MYR 2.67

$0.36 MYR 1.47

83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.50 MYR 55.0

$7.48 MYR 30.47

80.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$0.97 MYR 3.95

23.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$1.23 MYR 5.01

-70.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.79 MYR 35.81

$8.82 MYR 35.92

-0.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 MYR 3.29

$0.94 MYR 3.83

-13.83%

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

$44.9K MYR 183.1K

$45.9K MYR 187.2K

-2.17%

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

$34.8K MYR 142.0K

$36.1K MYR 146.9K

-3.36%

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

$49.77 MYR 203

$35.63 MYR 145

39.69%

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

$8.30 MYR 33.81

$10.19 MYR 41.52

-18.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.35 MYR 111

$25.50 MYR 104

7.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.93 MYR 167

$33.85 MYR 138

20.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.48 MYR 30.46

$12.26 MYR 49.94

-38.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.88 MYR 19.88

$4.87 MYR 19.85

0.21%

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

$276 MYR 1,125

$135 MYR 551

104.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K MYR 42.0K

$7,150 MYR 29.1K

44.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 MYR 210

$64.1 MYR 261

-19.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.76 MYR 121

$37.52 MYR 153

-20.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 MYR 317

$90.0 MYR 367

-13.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 MYR 354

$64.6 MYR 263

34.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 MYR 1,571

$469 MYR 1,912

-17.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 MYR 1,092

$334 MYR 1,361

-19.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 MYR 2,824

$834 MYR 3,399

-16.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 MYR 2,272

$654 MYR 2,667

-14.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,178 MYR 8,872

$2,053 MYR 8,364

6.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,305 MYR 5,315

$1,534 MYR 6,248

-14.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$535 MYR 2,181

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 Kuala Lipis: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kuching: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lipis

$268 29.9%

Kuching

$334 34.4% 24.7% $66

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lipis

$251 28%

Kuching

$272 28% 8.5% $21

Eating Out

Kuala Lipis

$112 12.5%

Kuching

$120 12.3% 6.9% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lipis

$111 12.3%

Kuching

$115 11.9% 4.2% $4.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lipis

$85 9.5%

Kuching

$71 7.3% 16.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lipis

$51 5.7%

Kuching

$44 4.5% 14% $7.1

Getting Around

Kuala Lipis

$19 2.1%

Kuching

$16 1.7% 16.2% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $385 in Kuala Lipis 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 $25 in Kuala Lipis versus $25 in Kuching. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $272 – making Kuala Lipis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lipis

🇲🇾 Kuching

🕒 Local time

03:01 3:01 AM

Same time as Kuala Lipis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

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

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Highest

Between locations

Kuala Lipis Kuching 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Lipis
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

Kuala Lipis 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 $1,345 per month in Kuala Lipis 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 Kuala Lipis, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $385 there versus $469 in Kuching.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $897 in Kuala Lipis and $972 in Kuching. That’s a gap of about 8%.

Kindergarten costs $276 per month in Kuala Lipis and $135 in Kuching. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Kuching has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $897 in Kuala Lipis to $972 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.