Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuantan and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuantan: $839 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $27,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Kuantan
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Kuantan Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Kuantan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuantan and in Sydney

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

A single person spends $839 per month in Kuantan vs $3,152 in Sydney, rent included.

Kuantan $839
Sydney $3,152

A couple spends around $1,219 per month in Kuantan vs $4,710 in Sydney, rent included.

Kuantan $1,219
Sydney $4,710

A family of three spends $1,599 per month in Kuantan vs $6,268 in Sydney, rent included.

Kuantan $1,599
Sydney $6,268

Kuantan is about 73% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kuantan sits 38% below the global median, while Sydney is 133% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 MYR 10.18

$17.57 A$25.29

-85.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.00 MYR 48.96

$91.5 A$132

-86.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.63 MYR 14.83

$11.96 A$17.21

-69.65%

Cappuccino

$2.88 MYR 11.73

$4.07 A$5.85

-29.24%

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

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$2.85 A$4.10

-75.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.82

$2.25 A$3.24

-80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 MYR 11.43

$7.60 A$10.94

-63.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 MYR 23.37

$7.43 A$10.69

-22.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MYR 6.52

$1.66 A$2.38

-3.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 MYR 3.35

$2.78 A$4.00

-70.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 5.98

$2.42 A$3.49

-39.26%

Eggs

$1.31 MYR 5.34

$5.64 A$8.12

-76.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 MYR 38.79

$11.71 A$16.85

-18.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 MYR 13.36

$9.66 A$13.89

-66.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.42 MYR 18.04

$16.75 A$24.10

-73.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MYR 12.35

$4.07 A$5.85

-25.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

$3.25 A$4.68

-40.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 MYR 11.12

$3.44 A$4.96

-20.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 MYR 7.14

$4.28 A$6.16

-59.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 MYR 7.03

$3.28 A$4.72

-47.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MYR 7.93

$2.30 A$3.30

-15.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 MYR 3.12

$2.30 A$3.31

-66.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.28

$1.21 A$1.74

-53.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MYR 17.85

$43.71 A$62.9

-89.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.95 MYR 81.4

$13.88 A$19.97

43.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 MYR 8.13

$3.90 A$5.62

-48.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 MYR 7.81

$3.91 A$5.63

-50.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$3.04 A$4.38

-83.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.15 MYR 49.55

$150 A$216

-91.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 MYR 4.61

$3.38 A$4.86

-66.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.45

$1.56 A$2.24

-77.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.05 MYR 36.92

$40.01 A$57.6

-77.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.13

$1.40 A$2.01

-62.86%

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

$34.1K MYR 139.1K

$29.1K A$41.9K

17.10%

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

$33.1K MYR 134.9K

$30.1K A$43.4K

9.79%

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

$49.82 MYR 203

$223 A$320

-77.62%

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

$8.06 MYR 32.86

$27.16 A$39.08

-70.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 MYR 98.6

$55.8 A$80.3

-56.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.79 MYR 162

$74.6 A$107

-46.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.83 MYR 27.87

$23.99 A$34.52

-71.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 MYR 18.98

$17.56 A$25.27

-73.52%

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

$280 MYR 1,142

$2,196 A$3,160

-87.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K MYR 41.8K

$28.2K A$40.6K

-63.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 MYR 214

$78.4 A$113

-33.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.29 MYR 124

$68.4 A$98.5

-55.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.62 MYR 202

$111 A$160

-55.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.89 MYR 199

$134 A$193

-63.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 MYR 1,675

$2,500 A$3,598

-83.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 MYR 1,232

$1,709 A$2,460

-82.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 MYR 2,822

$4,946 A$7,117

-86.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 MYR 1,943

$3,022 A$4,349

-84.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,015 MYR 8,220

$13.2K A$18.9K

-84.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,090 MYR 4,448

$8,370 A$12.0K

-86.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MYR 3,976

$4,113 A$5,919

-76.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.15

5.84

-28.94%

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

Last update for Kuantan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuantan

$302 36%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2% 466% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Kuantan

$212 25.3%

Sydney

$379 12% 78.3% $166

Eating Out

Kuantan

$95 11.4%

Sydney

$299 9.5% 213% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuantan

$82 9.8%

Sydney

$306 9.7% 273% $224

Clothing & Footwear

Kuantan

$82 9.7%

Sydney

$177 5.6% 117% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Kuantan

$49 5.9%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 124% $61

Getting Around

Kuantan

$17 2%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 917% $157

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Kuantan versus $2,500 in Sydney. 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 322% higher in Sydney, 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 $12.00 in Kuantan versus $91.0 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $212 vs $379 – making Kuantan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuantan

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

07:20 7:20 AM

10:20 10:20 AM

3 h ahead of Kuantan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

548,014

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kuantan Sydney 6,530 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuantan
Sydney

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

Kuantan vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 275%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,259 per month in Kuantan and $4,728 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $280 per month in Kuantan and $2,196 in Sydney. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 78% more in Sydney, 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 Kuantan, where all-in costs run around $839, than in Sydney at $3,152. In Kuantan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Kuantan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.