Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Brasilia Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Brasilia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $889 in Kuching versus $969 in Brasilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,371 in Kuching versus $1,551 in Brasilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,852 in Kuching versus $2,132 in Brasilia.

Living in Kuching costs roughly 8% less than in Brasilia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuching 36% lower, Brasilia 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 MYR 14.31

$8.92 R$45.40

-60.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.07 MYR 102

$38.80 R$197

-35.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.93 MYR 19.99

$8.49 R$43.21

-41.93%

Cappuccino

$3.35 MYR 13.60

$2.58 R$13.14

29.84%

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

$0.80 MYR 3.23

$1.41 R$7.16

-43.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.56

$0.90 R$4.58

-56.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 MYR 18.79

$2.36 R$11.98

96.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 MYR 24.60

$3.87 R$19.68

56.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 MYR 9.45

$1.08 R$5.49

115.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 MYR 4.87

$2.03 R$10.35

-40.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 4.94

$1.28 R$6.53

-4.69%

Eggs

$2.56 MYR 10.37

$2.43 R$12.36

5.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.49 MYR 46.62

$11.81 R$60.1

-2.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.44 MYR 18.00

$4.11 R$20.93

8.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.68 MYR 39.28

$8.48 R$43.13

14.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 MYR 13.65

$2.42 R$12.29

38.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.42

$1.46 R$7.41

-8.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 MYR 9.93

$1.28 R$6.50

91.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 MYR 7.56

$1.65 R$8.39

12.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 MYR 6.35

$1.16 R$5.88

35.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.68

$1.07 R$5.43

7.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MYR 6.44

$0.79 R$4.00

101.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.25

$0.95 R$4.81

-42.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MYR 19.48

$2.40 R$12.20

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.20 MYR 86.0

$8.23 R$41.85

157.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.07 MYR 16.52

$1.22 R$6.22

233.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MYR 20.58

$2.34 R$11.93

116.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MYR 2.57

$1.00 R$5.06

-37.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.58 MYR 51.1

$35.06 R$178

-64.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MYR 3.89

$1.07 R$5.43

-10.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 MYR 5.12

$0.92 R$4.69

36.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.85 MYR 35.90

$6.05 R$30.75

46.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 MYR 3.46

$1.31 R$6.68

-35.11%

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

$42.5K MYR 172.3K

$23.3K R$118.7K

82.07%

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

$36.7K MYR 149.0K

$31.9K R$162.4K

15.08%

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

$35.37 MYR 143

$96.4 R$491

-63.32%

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

$10.29 MYR 41.76

$12.61 R$64.1

-18.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.25 MYR 98.4

$21.81 R$111

11.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.72 MYR 125

$31.07 R$158

-1.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.25 MYR 49.71

$27.00 R$137

-54.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 MYR 19.91

$7.68 R$39.07

-36.07%

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

$135 MYR 549

$822 R$4,181

-83.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,205 MYR 29.2K

$16.4K R$83.6K

-56.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 MYR 257

$51.7 R$263

22.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.96 MYR 154

$43.32 R$220

-12.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 MYR 368

$83.3 R$424

8.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.9 MYR 271

$86.4 R$440

-22.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 MYR 1,506

$479 R$2,434

-22.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 MYR 975

$258 R$1,311

-6.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 MYR 2,627

$1,116 R$5,675

-41.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 MYR 1,840

$557 R$2,833

-18.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,112 MYR 8,569

$2,457 R$12.5K

-14.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 MYR 6,296

$1,748 R$8,893

-11.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 MYR 2,223

$844 R$4,294

-35.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

12.12

-63.94%

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

Last update for Kuching: September 6, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $371 in Kuching and $479 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 54% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Kuching vs $39.00 in Brasilia. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $209, with Brasilia cheaper for home cooking.

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

Kuching vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuching and Brasilia differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($889 vs $969 including rent). Kuching is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Brasilia. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $371 in Kuching versus $479 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuching – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $39.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $889 per month in Kuching versus $969 in Brasilia – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $889 in Kuching versus $969 in Brasilia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuching but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Kuching the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Kuching gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.