Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuching: $887 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $23,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
Learn more

Kuching Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$887

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuching and in Melbourne

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $887 in Kuching versus $2,852 in Melbourne.

Kuching $887
Melbourne $2,852

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,389 in Kuching versus $4,297 in Melbourne.

Kuching $1,389
Melbourne $4,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,892 in Kuching versus $5,742 in Melbourne.

Kuching $1,892
Melbourne $5,742

Living in Kuching costs roughly 69% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kuching is 34% below, Melbourne is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 MYR 13.60

$17.75 A$25.40

-81.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.53 MYR 100

$84.8 A$121

-71.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.87 MYR 19.89

$12.16 A$17.40

-59.95%

Cappuccino

$3.17 MYR 12.93

$3.93 A$5.62

-19.34%

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

$0.74 MYR 3.04

$3.14 A$4.49

-76.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.47

$2.43 A$3.47

-85.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 MYR 18.43

$9.90 A$14.17

-54.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 MYR 25.15

$8.29 A$11.86

-25.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 MYR 9.42

$1.55 A$2.21

49.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 MYR 5.16

$3.01 A$4.31

-58.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.68

$2.88 A$4.12

-60.07%

Eggs

$2.46 MYR 10.03

$5.44 A$7.79

-54.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 MYR 44.72

$10.59 A$15.16

3.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.17

$9.61 A$13.76

-53.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.90 MYR 40.42

$14.99 A$21.46

-33.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.93

$4.15 A$5.94

-23.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MYR 5.59

$3.05 A$4.37

-55.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 MYR 9.80

$3.30 A$4.72

-27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.42

$4.76 A$6.81

-61.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.75

$3.04 A$4.34

-53.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$2.55 A$3.65

-53.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 MYR 6.35

$2.48 A$3.55

-37.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.22

$1.63 A$2.33

-66.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 MYR 18.41

$44.07 A$63.1

-89.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.59 MYR 88.2

$12.43 A$17.79

73.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.06 MYR 16.58

$5.33 A$7.63

-23.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 MYR 21.19

$5.16 A$7.38

0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 MYR 2.37

$3.84 A$5.50

-84.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.36 MYR 50.5

$142 A$203

-91.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$4.40 A$6.29

-77.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$1.40 A$2.01

-11.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 MYR 33.99

$29.83 A$42.69

-72.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 MYR 3.68

$1.46 A$2.09

-38.36%

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

$40.9K MYR 167.2K

$28.1K A$40.3K

45.48%

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

$36.1K MYR 147.4K

$25.9K A$37.1K

39.17%

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

$35.18 MYR 144

$233 A$333

-84.88%

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

$9.95 MYR 40.63

$27.28 A$39.04

-63.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.26 MYR 103

$57.0 A$81.6

-55.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.24 MYR 123

$52.7 A$75.4

-42.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.38 MYR 50.6

$22.62 A$32.37

-45.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.83 MYR 19.72

$17.10 A$24.48

-71.75%

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

$135 MYR 551

$2,373 A$3,397

-94.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,000 MYR 28.6K

$30.5K A$43.6K

-77.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 MYR 258

$78.2 A$112

-19.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 MYR 154

$50.5 A$72.2

-25.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 MYR 368

$121 A$172

-25.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.8 MYR 269

$133 A$191

-50.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 MYR 1,471

$1,713 A$2,451

-78.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 MYR 1,001

$1,402 A$2,006

-82.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 MYR 2,642

$3,339 A$4,778

-80.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MYR 1,953

$2,529 A$3,619

-81.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,073 MYR 8,464

$7,018 A$10.0K

-70.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,508 MYR 6,157

$6,767 A$9,685

-77.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$530 MYR 2,165

$4,228 A$6,051

-87.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

5.9

-25.93%

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

Last update for Kuching: October 5, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kuching

$271 30.7%

Melbourne

$385 13.5% 42.2% $114

Accommodation & Living

Kuching

$245 27.8%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 472% $1.2K

Eating Out

Kuching

$119 13.4%

Melbourne

$314 11% 165% $195

Clothing & Footwear

Kuching

$116 13.1%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 48.9% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuching

$70 8%

Melbourne

$317 11.1% 350% $247

Sport & Entertainment

Kuching

$40 4.5%

Melbourne

$87 3.1% 118% $47

Getting Around

Kuching

$22 2.5%

Melbourne

$168 5.9% 670% $146

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $360 in Kuching and $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 698% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Kuching vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $385 per month, with Kuching cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuching

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

09:37 9:37 AM

12:37 12:37 PM

3 h ahead of Kuching

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

349,147

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, 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).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kuching Melbourne 5,640 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuching
Melbourne

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 Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuching is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 221% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 698% lower in Melbourne. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $360 in Kuching versus $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuching – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $887 per month in Kuching versus $2,852 in Melbourne – a 221% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $887 in Kuching versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuching but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Kuching the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kuching is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Melbourne, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kuching and Melbourne are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kuching gentler on the wallet – expenses run 221% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.