Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Cheras

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuching: $972 a month against $1,139 in Cheras, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Cheras
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Cheras Living Index

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Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$972

/mo nomad

Cheras

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuching and in Cheras

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

A single person spends $972 per month in Kuching vs $1,139 in Cheras, rent included.

Kuching $972
Cheras $1,139

A couple spends around $1,521 per month in Kuching vs $1,560 in Cheras, rent included.

Kuching $1,521
Cheras $1,560

A family of three spends $2,070 per month in Kuching vs $1,982 in Cheras, rent included.

Kuching $2,070
Cheras $1,982

Kuching is about 15% cheaper than Cheras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Kuching and Cheras are more affordable than the global median – Kuching 29% lower, Cheras 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 MYR 13.69

$3.61 MYR 14.66

-6.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.51 MYR 99.4

$24.03 MYR 97.5

2.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 MYR 19.90

$5.02 MYR 20.35

-2.39%

Cappuccino

$3.19 MYR 12.95

$2.99 MYR 12.12

6.69%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.18

$0.91 MYR 3.70

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MYR 1.55

$0.57 MYR 2.31

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 MYR 18.71

$4.33 MYR 17.56

6.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 MYR 24.20

$6.32 MYR 25.63

-5.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 MYR 9.70

$1.89 MYR 7.66

26.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$1.07 MYR 4.34

11.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.83

$1.49 MYR 6.05

-20.13%

Eggs

$2.38 MYR 9.64

$1.78 MYR 7.23

33.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 MYR 44.58

$18.03 MYR 73.1

-39.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 MYR 17.60

$4.56 MYR 18.51

-4.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.00 MYR 40.56

$10.89 MYR 44.20

-8.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.87

$3.58 MYR 14.52

-11.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MYR 5.36

$1.86 MYR 7.55

-29.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 MYR 10.24

$2.63 MYR 10.68

-4.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.23

$1.67 MYR 6.77

6.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.61

$2.08 MYR 8.44

-33.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.82

$1.65 MYR 6.70

-27.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MYR 6.54

$1.33 MYR 5.40

21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.21

$0.50 MYR 2.04

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 MYR 19.29

$4.30 MYR 17.46

10.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.25 MYR 90.3

$14.15 MYR 57.4

57.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.13 MYR 16.74

$2.66 MYR 10.77

55.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 MYR 20.51

$3.15 MYR 12.77

60.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$0.76 MYR 3.09

-52.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.48 MYR 30.34

$12.45 MYR 50.5

-39.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 MYR 3.93

$0.94 MYR 3.83

3.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 MYR 4.99

$0.36 MYR 1.45

241.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.82 MYR 35.77

$9.17 MYR 37.22

-3.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 MYR 3.81

$0.86 MYR 3.51

9.30%

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

$45.9K MYR 186.4K

$45.0K MYR 182.7K

1.98%

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

$36.1K MYR 146.3K

$35.8K MYR 145.3K

0.67%

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

$35.63 MYR 145

$49.55 MYR 201

-28.09%

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

$10.19 MYR 41.34

$10.91 MYR 44.27

-6.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.50 MYR 103

$27.88 MYR 113

-8.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.85 MYR 137

$52.1 MYR 211

-34.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.26 MYR 49.73

$6.66 MYR 27.00

84.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 MYR 19.76

$4.99 MYR 20.26

-2.40%

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

$135 MYR 548

$164 MYR 664

-17.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,150 MYR 29.0K

$4,411 MYR 17.9K

62.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 MYR 260

$53.6 MYR 217

19.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.52 MYR 152

$30.08 MYR 122

24.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 MYR 365

$81.9 MYR 332

9.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.6 MYR 262

$97.3 MYR 395

-33.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$469 MYR 1,903

$386 MYR 1,567

21.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 MYR 1,355

$463 MYR 1,878

-27.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 MYR 3,385

$666 MYR 2,702

25.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MYR 2,655

$490 MYR 1,987

33.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,053 MYR 8,328

$2,001 MYR 8,120

2.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,534 MYR 6,221

$1,081 MYR 4,384

41.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$535 MYR 2,172

$1,161 MYR 4,710

-53.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

4.06

7.64%

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

Last update for Kuching: October 27, 2026

Last update for Cheras: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuching

$334 34.4%

Cheras

$463 40.6% 38.6% $129

Groceries & Markets

Kuching

$272 28%

Cheras

$269 23.6% 1.2% $3.3

Eating Out

Kuching

$120 12.3%

Cheras

$120 10.5% 0.3% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Kuching

$115 11.9%

Cheras

$118 10.4% 2.6% $3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuching

$71 7.3%

Cheras

$88 7.8% 23.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Kuching

$44 4.5%

Cheras

$62 5.5% 42.4% $18

Getting Around

Kuching

$16 1.7%

Cheras

$18 1.6% 13.7% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $469 in Kuching versus $386 in Cheras. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Cheras are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Kuching versus $24 in Cheras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $269 – making Cheras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuching

🇲🇾 Cheras

🕒 Local time

20:41 8:41 PM

Same time as Kuching

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

349,147

440,000

💱 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

Kuching Cheras 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kuching
Cheras

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

Kuching vs Cheras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cheras is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,458 per month in Kuching and $1,708 in Cheras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cheras, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $386 there versus $469 in Kuching.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $972 in Kuching and $1,139 in Cheras. That makes Kuching about 15% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $135 per month in Kuching and $164 in Cheras. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

If budget matters most, go with Kuching. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cheras makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.