Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Kota Bharu Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Kota Bharu

😐 Solo nomad: Kuching is 8.5% more expensive than Kota Bharu without rent, and 19.8% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Kuching is 10.1% more expensive than Kota Bharu without rent, and 3.4% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.89 MYR 11.72

$1.78 MYR 7.24

62.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.39 MYR 82.8

$21.13 MYR 85.8

-3.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 MYR 19.55

$4.22 MYR 17.12

14.22%

Cappuccino

$2.45 MYR 9.96

$2.40 MYR 9.73

2.08%

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

$0.75 MYR 3.05

$0.49 MYR 2.00

53.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.22

$0.27 MYR 1.10

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 MYR 11.26

$4.27 MYR 17.34

-35.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MYR 14.99

$4.36 MYR 17.70

-15.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 MYR 7.75

$1.56 MYR 6.32

22.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 MYR 4.55

$0.75 MYR 3.04

49.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 MYR 4.30

$0.84 MYR 3.39

26.19%

Eggs

$2.24 MYR 9.10

$1.54 MYR 6.25

45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.49 MYR 38.52

$15.20 MYR 61.7

-37.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.75 MYR 15.21

$2.96 MYR 12.01

26.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.15 MYR 33.10

$6.30 MYR 25.59

29.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MYR 12.07

$1.42 MYR 5.78

109.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 MYR 4.65

$1.44 MYR 5.87

-20.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 MYR 10.49

$1.45 MYR 5.87

77.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.38

$0.84 MYR 3.42

116.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.66

$0.82 MYR 3.31

40.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 5.01

$1.21 MYR 4.93

1.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 MYR 7.16

$0.97 MYR 3.95

81.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 MYR 2.00

$0.40 MYR 1.63

22.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 MYR 16.80

$3.06 MYR 12.43

35.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.30 MYR 78.4

$19.27 MYR 78.2

0.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.69 MYR 14.97

$1.40 MYR 5.67

163.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 MYR 13.92

$3.43 MYR 13.93

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 MYR 1.02

$0.73 MYR 2.96

-65.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.82 MYR 47.98

$11.83 MYR 48.02

-0.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 MYR 3.93

$0.73 MYR 2.98

32.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 MYR 4.41

$0.50 MYR 2.03

118.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 MYR 7.58

$3.51 MYR 14.26

-46.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.04

$0.46 MYR 1.88

8.70%

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

$46.1K MYR 187.0K

$31.0K MYR 125.9K

48.51%

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

$36.2K MYR 146.8K

$27.7K MYR 112.5K

30.50%

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

$40.95 MYR 166

$38.23 MYR 155

7.11%

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

$9.21 MYR 37.40

$8.28 MYR 33.60

11.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.22 MYR 102

$26.57 MYR 108

-5.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.30 MYR 119

$36.55 MYR 148

-19.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.80 MYR 39.80

$5.88 MYR 23.86

66.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.58 MYR 18.61

$4.33 MYR 17.59

5.77%

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

$141 MYR 572

$120 MYR 486

17.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,166 MYR 25.0K

$6,149 MYR 25.0K

0.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.8 MYR 263

$52.8 MYR 214

22.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.43 MYR 128

$19.22 MYR 78.0

63.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 MYR 352

$61.0 MYR 248

42.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.5 MYR 294

$53.0 MYR 215

36.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 MYR 1,142

$258 MYR 1,049

8.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 MYR 827

$143 MYR 580

42.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$561 MYR 2,276

$847 MYR 3,438

-33.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 MYR 1,543

$473 MYR 1,920

-19.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,054 MYR 8,340

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 MYR 6,195

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$588 MYR 2,387

$297 MYR 1,207

97.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

4.16

2.64%

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

Last update for Kuching: January 12, 2026

Last update for Kota Bharu: January 11, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Similar cities

Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

Pristina

🇽🇰 Kosovo

Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

Accra

🇬🇭 Ghana

Kigali

🇷🇼 Rwanda