Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $887 in Kuching, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index

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Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$887

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuching and in Delhi

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 Delhi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $887 per month in Kuching vs $520 in Delhi, rent included.

Kuching $887
Delhi $520

A couple spends around $1,389 per month in Kuching vs $858 in Delhi, rent included.

Kuching $1,389
Delhi $858

A family of three spends $1,892 per month in Kuching vs $1,195 in Delhi, rent included.

Kuching $1,892
Delhi $1,195

Kuching costs about 71% more than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kuching and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Kuching 34% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 MYR 13.60

$3.67 ₹355

-9.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.53 MYR 100

$20.95 ₹2,027

17.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.87 MYR 19.89

$3.74 ₹362

30.21%

Cappuccino

$3.17 MYR 12.93

$2.33 ₹226

36.05%

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

$0.74 MYR 3.04

$0.37 ₹35.82

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.47

$0.20 ₹18.91

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 MYR 18.43

$2.02 ₹195

123.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 MYR 25.15

$3.19 ₹308

93.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 MYR 9.42

$0.68 ₹65.9

239.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 MYR 5.16

$0.52 ₹50.2

142.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.68

$0.83 ₹80.0

38.55%

Eggs

$2.46 MYR 10.03

$1.07 ₹104

129.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 MYR 44.72

$4.43 ₹428

147.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.17

$3.37 ₹326

32.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.90 MYR 40.42

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.93

$1.99 ₹192

59.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MYR 5.59

$0.72 ₹70.1

90.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 MYR 9.80

$1.02 ₹98.4

135.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.42

$0.52 ₹50.1

250.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.75

$0.27 ₹25.96

422.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$0.37 ₹35.42

221.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 MYR 6.35

$0.43 ₹41.64

262.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.22

$0.31 ₹30.39

74.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 MYR 18.41

$4.92 ₹476

-8.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.59 MYR 88.2

$8.34 ₹808

158.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.06 MYR 16.58

$1.64 ₹159

147.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 MYR 21.19

$2.70 ₹261

92.22%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 MYR 2.37

$0.46 ₹44.04

26.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.36 MYR 50.5

$15.29 ₹1,480

-19.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$1.03 ₹99.8

-2.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$0.27 ₹26.38

359.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 MYR 33.99

$1.53 ₹148

443.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 MYR 3.68

$1.05 ₹102

-14.29%

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

$40.9K MYR 167.2K

$10.5K ₹1.0M

291.34%

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

$36.1K MYR 147.4K

$18.4K ₹1.8M

96.59%

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

$35.18 MYR 144

$42.67 ₹4,129

-17.55%

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

$9.95 MYR 40.63

$4.04 ₹391

146.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.26 MYR 103

$6.75 ₹653

274.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.24 MYR 123

$19.40 ₹1,878

55.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.38 MYR 50.6

$8.06 ₹780

53.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.83 MYR 19.72

$5.08 ₹492

-4.92%

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

$135 MYR 551

$100 ₹9,696

34.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,000 MYR 28.6K

$2,268 ₹219.5K

208.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 MYR 258

$24.14 ₹2,336

162.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 MYR 154

$28.38 ₹2,747

32.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 MYR 368

$53.3 ₹5,160

69.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.8 MYR 269

$44.13 ₹4,271

49.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 MYR 1,471

$264 ₹25.5K

36.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 MYR 1,001

$154 ₹14.9K

59.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 MYR 2,642

$736 ₹71.2K

-12.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MYR 1,953

$397 ₹38.5K

20.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,073 MYR 8,464

$2,494 ₹241.4K

-16.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,508 MYR 6,157

$1,017 ₹98.4K

48.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$530 MYR 2,165

$585 ₹56.7K

-9.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

8.33

-47.54%

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

Last update for Kuching: October 5, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kuching

$271 30.7%

Delhi

$108 20.8% 60.1% $163

Accommodation & Living

Kuching

$245 27.8%

Delhi

$154 29.7% 37.1% $91

Eating Out

Kuching

$119 13.4%

Delhi

$87 16.8% 26.4% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Kuching

$116 13.1%

Delhi

$67 13% 41.6% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuching

$70 8%

Delhi

$53 10.3% 24.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Kuching

$40 4.5%

Delhi

$30 5.7% 25.9% $10

Getting Around

Kuching

$22 2.5%

Delhi

$20 3.8% 10.8% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $360 in Kuching versus $264 in Delhi. 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 10% higher in Delhi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Kuching versus $21.00 in Delhi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $108 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuching

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

15:52 3:52 PM

13:22 1:22 PM

2 h 30 min behind Kuching

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

349,147

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kuching Delhi 4,630 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuching
Delhi

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 Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $887 in Kuching, $520 in Delhi – roughly 71% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,331 per month in Kuching and $780 in Delhi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Kuching and $21.00 in Delhi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $887 in Kuching and $520 in Delhi. That's a gap of about 71%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $887 in Kuching and $520 in Delhi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Delhi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $520 in Delhi to $887 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.

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