Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Lumut, Perak

For one person, living costs are similar in Kuching and in Lumut, Perak: $972 and $988 a month, rent and utilities included.

47

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Lumut, Perak
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Lumut, Perak Living Index

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Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$972

/mo nomad

Lumut, Perak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$988

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuching and in Lumut, Perak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $972 in Kuching versus $988 in Lumut, Perak.

Kuching $972
Lumut, Perak $988

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,521 in Kuching versus $1,498 in Lumut, Perak.

Kuching $1,521
Lumut, Perak $1,498

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,070 in Kuching versus $2,008 in Lumut, Perak.

Kuching $2,070
Lumut, Perak $2,008

Monthly costs are close between Kuching and Lumut, Perak; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuching 29% lower, Lumut, Perak 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 MYR 13.75

$3.65 MYR 14.85

-7.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.51 MYR 99.9

$12.00 MYR 48.89

104.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 MYR 19.98

$4.91 MYR 20.03

-0.20%

Cappuccino

$3.19 MYR 13.01

$2.95 MYR 12.01

8.14%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.19

$0.77 MYR 3.13

1.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MYR 1.55

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 MYR 18.79

$3.75 MYR 15.27

22.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 MYR 24.30

$6.23 MYR 25.36

-4.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 MYR 9.74

$2.06 MYR 8.38

16.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 MYR 4.87

$1.07 MYR 4.34

11.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$1.92 MYR 7.83

-38.02%

Eggs

$2.38 MYR 9.68

$2.41 MYR 9.81

-1.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 MYR 44.77

$13.84 MYR 56.4

-20.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 MYR 17.67

$4.53 MYR 18.46

-4.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.00 MYR 40.73

$9.83 MYR 40.06

1.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.92

$3.32 MYR 13.52

-4.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MYR 5.38

$1.85 MYR 7.52

-28.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 MYR 10.28

$2.23 MYR 9.08

13.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.26

$1.57 MYR 6.38

13.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.63

$1.27 MYR 5.18

8.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.84

$1.38 MYR 5.61

-13.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MYR 6.57

$1.16 MYR 4.73

38.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.22

$0.71 MYR 2.89

-22.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 MYR 19.37

$4.28 MYR 17.45

11.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.25 MYR 90.7

$19.87 MYR 81.0

11.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.13 MYR 16.81

$3.47 MYR 14.12

19.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 MYR 20.60

$5.04 MYR 20.52

0.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MYR 1.47

$0.73 MYR 2.96

-50.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.48 MYR 30.47

$12.54 MYR 51.1

-40.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 MYR 3.95

$1.23 MYR 5.02

-21.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 MYR 5.01

$1.26 MYR 5.12

-2.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.82 MYR 35.92

$4.86 MYR 19.79

81.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 MYR 3.83

$0.87 MYR 3.55

8.05%

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

$45.9K MYR 187.2K

$43.7K MYR 178.2K

5.02%

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

$36.1K MYR 146.9K

$34.7K MYR 141.5K

3.86%

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

$35.63 MYR 145

$62.5 MYR 255

-43.03%

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

$10.19 MYR 41.52

$8.99 MYR 36.62

13.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.50 MYR 104

$25.83 MYR 105

-1.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.85 MYR 138

$41.64 MYR 170

-18.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.26 MYR 49.94

$6.57 MYR 26.79

86.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 MYR 19.85

$4.81 MYR 19.62

1.25%

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

$135 MYR 551

$242 MYR 987

-44.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,150 MYR 29.1K

$13.3K MYR 54.3K

-46.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 MYR 261

$72.0 MYR 294

-11.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.52 MYR 153

$42.00 MYR 171

-10.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 MYR 367

$85.3 MYR 347

5.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.6 MYR 263

$96.4 MYR 393

-33.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$469 MYR 1,912

$415 MYR 1,692

12.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 MYR 1,361

$295 MYR 1,201

13.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 MYR 3,399

$722 MYR 2,942

15.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MYR 2,667

$563 MYR 2,293

16.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,053 MYR 8,364

$1,757 MYR 7,160

16.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,534 MYR 6,248

$1,304 MYR 5,314

17.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$535 MYR 2,181

$375 MYR 1,527

42.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

4.17

4.80%

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

Last update for Kuching: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lumut, Perak: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuching

$334 34.4%

Lumut, Perak

$295 29.9% 11.7% $39

Groceries & Markets

Kuching

$272 28%

Lumut, Perak

$273 27.7% 0.4% $1.2

Eating Out

Kuching

$120 12.3%

Lumut, Perak

$115 11.6% 3.8% $4.6

Clothing & Footwear

Kuching

$115 11.9%

Lumut, Perak

$133 13.5% 15.4% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuching

$71 7.3%

Lumut, Perak

$97 9.9% 36.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Kuching

$44 4.5%

Lumut, Perak

$51 5.2% 17.6% $7.7

Getting Around

Kuching

$16 1.7%

Lumut, Perak

$23 2.3% 43.1% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $469 in Kuching and $415 in Lumut, Perak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuching pays 43% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $25 in Kuching vs $12 in Lumut, Perak. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $273, with Kuching cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuching

🇲🇾 Lumut, Perak

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

Same time as Kuching

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

349,147

39,595

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Kuching Lumut, Perak 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuching
Lumut, Perak

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 Lumut, Perak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 43% higher in Kuching, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $469 in Kuching versus $415 in Lumut, Perak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lumut, Perak – a meal for two runs $12 versus $25 in Kuching. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $135 in Kuching versus $242 in Lumut, Perak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kuching and Lumut, Perak are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.