Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Selangor

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuching: $972 a month against $1,145 in Selangor, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Selangor
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Selangor Living Index

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Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$972

/mo nomad

Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,145

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuching and in Selangor

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $972 in Kuching versus $1,145 in Selangor.

Kuching $972
Selangor $1,145

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,521 in Kuching versus $1,656 in Selangor.

Kuching $1,521
Selangor $1,656

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,070 in Kuching versus $2,168 in Selangor.

Kuching $2,070
Selangor $2,168

Living in Kuching costs roughly 15% less than in Selangor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuching 29% lower, Selangor 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 MYR 13.68

$4.23 MYR 17.14

-20.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.51 MYR 99.4

$19.90 MYR 80.7

23.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 MYR 19.88

$3.87 MYR 15.67

26.61%

Cappuccino

$3.19 MYR 12.94

$2.20 MYR 8.91

45.00%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.18

$0.88 MYR 3.58

-11.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MYR 1.55

$0.47 MYR 1.91

-19.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 MYR 18.69

$4.51 MYR 18.29

2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 MYR 24.18

$5.12 MYR 20.75

16.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 MYR 9.69

$1.83 MYR 7.43

30.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 MYR 4.84

$1.05 MYR 4.25

13.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.82

$1.48 MYR 6.02

-19.59%

Eggs

$2.38 MYR 9.63

$1.88 MYR 7.64

26.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 MYR 44.55

$23.03 MYR 93.4

-52.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 MYR 17.58

$4.96 MYR 20.11

-12.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.00 MYR 40.53

$10.94 MYR 44.35

-8.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.86

$4.13 MYR 16.73

-23.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MYR 5.36

$1.77 MYR 7.16

-25.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 MYR 10.23

$3.45 MYR 14.01

-26.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.22

$2.68 MYR 10.86

-33.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.60

$1.75 MYR 7.09

-21.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.82

$1.07 MYR 4.34

11.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MYR 6.53

$1.11 MYR 4.50

45.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.21

$0.57 MYR 2.33

-3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 MYR 19.28

$4.28 MYR 17.36

11.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.25 MYR 90.2

$31.12 MYR 126

-28.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.13 MYR 16.73

$4.60 MYR 18.64

-10.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 MYR 20.50

$5.64 MYR 22.86

-10.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$0.76 MYR 3.09

-52.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.48 MYR 30.32

$12.37 MYR 50.2

-39.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 MYR 3.93

$1.19 MYR 4.84

-18.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 MYR 4.99

$1.25 MYR 5.06

-1.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.82 MYR 35.74

$4.37 MYR 17.70

101.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 MYR 3.81

$0.75 MYR 3.03

25.33%

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

$45.9K MYR 186.2K

$46.2K MYR 187.4K

-0.65%

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

$36.1K MYR 146.2K

$36.0K MYR 145.9K

0.18%

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

$35.63 MYR 144

$76.2 MYR 309

-53.24%

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

$10.19 MYR 41.31

$10.68 MYR 43.31

-4.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.50 MYR 103

$30.89 MYR 125

-17.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.85 MYR 137

$39.74 MYR 161

-14.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.26 MYR 49.69

$7.00 MYR 28.39

75.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 MYR 19.75

$5.92 MYR 24.00

-17.74%

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

$135 MYR 548

$121 MYR 489

12.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,150 MYR 29.0K

$7,093 MYR 28.8K

0.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 MYR 260

$116 MYR 469

-44.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.52 MYR 152

$65.8 MYR 267

-42.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 MYR 365

$78.7 MYR 319

14.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.6 MYR 262

$82.0 MYR 332

-21.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$469 MYR 1,902

$510 MYR 2,067

-7.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 MYR 1,354

$346 MYR 1,402

-3.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 MYR 3,382

$894 MYR 3,625

-6.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MYR 2,653

$485 MYR 1,966

34.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,053 MYR 8,322

$1,787 MYR 7,245

14.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,534 MYR 6,217

$1,015 MYR 4,113

51.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$535 MYR 2,170

$1,048 MYR 4,250

-48.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

3.96

10.35%

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

Last update for Kuching: October 27, 2026

Last update for Selangor: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuching

$334 34.4%

Selangor

$346 30.2% 3.5% $12

Groceries & Markets

Kuching

$272 28%

Selangor

$343 29.9% 25.8% $70

Eating Out

Kuching

$120 12.3%

Selangor

$110 9.6% 8.1% $9.6

Clothing & Footwear

Kuching

$115 11.9%

Selangor

$154 13.5% 33.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuching

$71 7.3%

Selangor

$118 10.3% 65.1% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Kuching

$44 4.5%

Selangor

$52 4.5% 18.3% $8

Getting Around

Kuching

$16 1.7%

Selangor

$23 2% 42.5% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $469 in Kuching and $510 in Selangor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Selangor pays 96% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $25 in Kuching vs $20 in Selangor. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $343, with Kuching cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuching

🇲🇾 Selangor

🕒 Local time

17:32 5:32 PM

Same time as Kuching

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

349,147

281,717

💱 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 Selangor 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kuching
Selangor

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 Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuching is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Kuching. 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: $469 in Kuching versus $510 in Selangor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Selangor – a meal for two runs $20 versus $25 in Kuching. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $972 per month in Kuching versus $1,145 in Selangor – Kuching is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 Selangor are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Kuching wins on affordability, Selangor on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.