Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Ipoh Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Ipoh

🙂 Solo nomad: Kuching is 0.1% cheaper than Ipoh without rent, and 7.9% cheaper with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Kuching is 18.5% more expensive than Ipoh without rent, and 2.5% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kuching
Ipoh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.78 MYR 10.97
$2.65 MYR 10.48
4.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.69 MYR 77.8
$19.14 MYR 75.6
2.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.78 MYR 18.87
$3.85 MYR 15.19
24.16%
Cappuccino
$2.54 MYR 10.03
$2.27 MYR 8.95
11.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.75 MYR 2.95
$0.73 MYR 2.88
2.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.32 MYR 1.27
$0.37 MYR 1.45
-13.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.85 MYR 11.26
$3.49 MYR 13.78
-18.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.55 MYR 14.02
$4.35 MYR 17.18
-18.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kuching
Ipoh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.91 MYR 7.56
$1.82 MYR 7.20
4.95%
White Bread (500g)
$1.10 MYR 4.33
$0.99 MYR 3.90
11.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.05 MYR 4.15
$1.36 MYR 5.37
-22.79%
Eggs
$2.26 MYR 8.92
$1.85 MYR 7.29
22.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.75 MYR 38.50
$12.83 MYR 50.7
-24.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.88 MYR 15.34
$5.34 MYR 21.10
-27.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.90 MYR 31.20
$7.66 MYR 30.24
3.13%
Apples (1kg)
$3.12 MYR 12.34
$2.90 MYR 11.45
7.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.11 MYR 4.38
$1.81 MYR 7.14
-38.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MYR 9.85
$3.06 MYR 12.09
-18.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.84 MYR 7.27
$2.03 MYR 8.04
-9.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.14 MYR 4.52
$1.45 MYR 5.71
-21.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.25 MYR 4.92
$1.36 MYR 5.35
-8.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.70 MYR 6.73
$1.64 MYR 6.50
3.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50 MYR 1.96
$0.46 MYR 1.80
8.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.32 MYR 17.08
$4.31 MYR 17.02
0.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.99 MYR 82.9
$17.84 MYR 70.5
17.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.81 MYR 15.05
$3.40 MYR 13.45
12.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 MYR 13.59
$4.33 MYR 17.10
-20.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Kuching
Ipoh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 MYR 0.90
$0.73 MYR 2.90
-68.49%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.63 MYR 45.94
$11.55 MYR 45.61
0.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.95 MYR 3.77
$1.21 MYR 4.79
-21.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.15 MYR 4.53
$1.14 MYR 4.51
0.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.86 MYR 7.36
$4.29 MYR 16.93
-56.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.49 MYR 1.95
$0.50 MYR 1.97
-2.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$46.0K MYR 181.6K
$43.5K MYR 171.8K
5.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.8K MYR 145.5K
$31.6K MYR 124.6K
16.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kuching
Ipoh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$40.85 MYR 161
$64.7 MYR 256
-36.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.20 MYR 36.35
$9.68 MYR 38.24
-4.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.66 MYR 101
$28.50 MYR 113
-9.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kuching
Ipoh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.97 MYR 118
$23.92 MYR 94.5
25.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.91 MYR 39.15
$6.04 MYR 23.86
64.07%
Cinema Ticket
$4.76 MYR 18.79
$3.03 MYR 11.97
57.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kuching
Ipoh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$145 MYR 573
$117 MYR 461
24.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,013 MYR 23.8K
$2,380 MYR 9,400
152.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kuching
Ipoh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.7 MYR 256
$59.8 MYR 236
8.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.18 MYR 127
$27.29 MYR 108
17.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.0 MYR 340
$75.1 MYR 297
14.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.2 MYR 285
$53.7 MYR 212
34.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kuching
Ipoh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$274 MYR 1,084
$380 MYR 1,503
-27.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$200 MYR 792
$267 MYR 1,056
-25.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$571 MYR 2,254
$647 MYR 2,556
-11.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$392 MYR 1,550
$478 MYR 1,887
-17.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,134 MYR 8,429
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,555 MYR 6,143
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kuching
Ipoh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$547 MYR 2,160
$972 MYR 3,840
-43.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.27
3.96
7.83%

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

Last update for Kuching: April 13, 2026

Last update for Ipoh: April 13, 2026

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 other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities