Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Kemaman

For one person, living is cheaper in Kemaman: $897 a month against $972 in Kuching, rent and utilities included – about $900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
Learn more

Kuching Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Kemaman
Learn more

Kemaman Living Index

Jump to prices

Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$972

/mo nomad

Kemaman

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuching and in Kemaman

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

A single person spends $972 per month in Kuching vs $897 in Kemaman, rent included.

Kuching $972
Kemaman $897

A couple spends around $1,521 per month in Kuching vs $1,369 in Kemaman, rent included.

Kuching $1,521
Kemaman $1,369

A family of three spends $2,070 per month in Kuching vs $1,841 in Kemaman, rent included.

Kuching $2,070
Kemaman $1,841

Kuching costs about 8% more than Kemaman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kuching and Kemaman are more affordable than the global median – Kuching 29% lower, Kemaman 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 MYR 13.68

$2.62 MYR 10.60

28.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.51 MYR 99.4

$14.92 MYR 60.5

64.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 MYR 19.88

$4.40 MYR 17.83

11.36%

Cappuccino

$3.19 MYR 12.94

$3.09 MYR 12.51

3.24%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.18

$0.48 MYR 1.93

62.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MYR 1.55

$0.36 MYR 1.45

5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 MYR 18.69

$3.28 MYR 13.29

40.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 MYR 24.18

$5.76 MYR 23.36

3.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 MYR 9.69

$1.88 MYR 7.63

27.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 MYR 4.84

$1.04 MYR 4.23

14.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.82

$1.01 MYR 4.11

17.82%

Eggs

$2.38 MYR 9.63

$1.15 MYR 4.68

106.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 MYR 44.55

$9.61 MYR 38.95

14.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 MYR 17.58

$3.19 MYR 12.95

36.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.00 MYR 40.53

$9.30 MYR 37.69

7.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.86

$3.59 MYR 14.57

-11.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MYR 5.36

$1.87 MYR 7.59

-29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 MYR 10.23

$2.62 MYR 10.62

-3.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.22

$1.82 MYR 7.37

-2.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.60

$2.17 MYR 8.80

-36.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.82

$2.04 MYR 8.26

-41.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MYR 6.53

$1.47 MYR 5.96

9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.21

$0.51 MYR 2.07

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 MYR 19.28

$4.57 MYR 18.52

4.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.25 MYR 90.2

$19.42 MYR 78.7

14.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.13 MYR 16.73

$2.72 MYR 11.04

51.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 MYR 20.50

$4.44 MYR 18.00

13.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$0.76 MYR 3.10

-52.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.48 MYR 30.32

$10.79 MYR 43.76

-30.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 MYR 3.93

$1.20 MYR 4.86

-19.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 MYR 4.99

$0.36 MYR 1.45

241.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.82 MYR 35.74

$8.90 MYR 36.09

-0.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 MYR 3.81

$0.48 MYR 1.93

95.83%

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

$45.9K MYR 186.2K

$46.4K MYR 188.0K

-0.92%

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

$36.1K MYR 146.2K

-0.03%

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

$35.63 MYR 144

$49.04 MYR 199

-27.35%

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

$10.19 MYR 41.31

$8.25 MYR 33.44

23.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.50 MYR 103

$27.11 MYR 110

-5.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.85 MYR 137

$41.78 MYR 169

-18.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.26 MYR 49.69

$6.29 MYR 25.51

94.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 MYR 19.75

$4.79 MYR 19.42

1.67%

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

$135 MYR 548

$123 MYR 498

9.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,150 MYR 29.0K

$10.3K MYR 41.9K

-30.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 MYR 260

$52.0 MYR 211

23.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.52 MYR 152

$30.15 MYR 122

24.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 MYR 365

$78.6 MYR 319

14.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.6 MYR 262

$86.0 MYR 349

-24.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$469 MYR 1,902

$434 MYR 1,760

8.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 MYR 1,354

$288 MYR 1,167

16.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 MYR 3,382

$636 MYR 2,579

31.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MYR 2,653

$546 MYR 2,214

19.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,053 MYR 8,322

$2,062 MYR 8,361

-0.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,534 MYR 6,217

$1,069 MYR 4,333

43.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$535 MYR 2,170

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

4.51

-3.10%

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

Last update for Kuching: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kemaman: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuching

$334 34.4%

Kemaman

$288 32.1% 13.9% $46

Groceries & Markets

Kuching

$272 28%

Kemaman

$243 27.1% 10.7% $29

Eating Out

Kuching

$120 12.3%

Kemaman

$102 11.4% 14.4% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Kuching

$115 11.9%

Kemaman

$111 12.4% 3.7% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuching

$71 7.3%

Kemaman

$84 9.4% 18.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Kuching

$44 4.5%

Kemaman

$51 5.7% 17.8% $7.8

Getting Around

Kuching

$16 1.7%

Kemaman

$17 1.9% 5% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $469 in Kuching versus $434 in Kemaman. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Kuching versus $15 in Kemaman. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $243 – making Kemaman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuching

🇲🇾 Kemaman

🕒 Local time

01:29 1:29 AM

Same time as Kuching

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

349,147

215,582

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kuching Kemaman 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kuching
Kemaman

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 Kemaman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kuching is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,458 per month in Kuching and $1,346 in Kemaman. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $469 in Kuching and $434 in Kemaman. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Kuching and $15 in Kemaman. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $972 in Kuching and $897 in Kemaman. That makes Kemaman about 8% cheaper.

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

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