Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Serdang

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuching: $888 a month against $975 in Serdang, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Serdang
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Serdang Living Index

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Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$888

/mo nomad

Serdang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$975

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuching and in Serdang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $888 in Kuching versus $975 in Serdang.

Kuching $888
Serdang $975

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,402 in Kuching versus $1,441 in Serdang.

Kuching $1,402
Serdang $1,441

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,917 in Kuching versus $1,906 in Serdang.

Kuching $1,917
Serdang $1,906

Living in Kuching costs roughly 9% less than in Serdang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuching 34% lower, Serdang 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.49 MYR 14.25

$2.48 MYR 10.13

40.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.84 MYR 101

$16.85 MYR 68.8

47.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 MYR 20.27

$3.76 MYR 15.33

32.18%

Cappuccino

$3.32 MYR 13.56

$1.94 MYR 7.92

71.13%

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

$0.80 MYR 3.27

$0.84 MYR 3.43

-4.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MYR 1.57

$0.47 MYR 1.94

-19.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.68 MYR 19.08

$4.39 MYR 17.92

6.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 MYR 24.66

$6.21 MYR 25.34

-2.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 MYR 9.42

$2.04 MYR 8.33

13.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 MYR 4.98

$1.12 MYR 4.55

8.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.94

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-37.31%

Eggs

$2.49 MYR 10.15

$2.54 MYR 10.37

-1.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.77 MYR 43.94

$13.78 MYR 56.2

-21.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.42 MYR 18.04

$4.54 MYR 18.50

-2.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.97 MYR 40.65

$9.91 MYR 40.41

0.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 MYR 13.57

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.68

$1.86 MYR 7.60

-25.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 MYR 10.29

$2.25 MYR 9.20

12.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 MYR 7.58

$1.61 MYR 6.58

15.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 MYR 5.52

$1.28 MYR 5.24

5.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 MYR 4.64

$1.34 MYR 5.46

-14.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MYR 6.33

$1.12 MYR 4.57

38.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MYR 2.38

$0.72 MYR 2.95

-19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.74 MYR 19.36

$4.31 MYR 17.59

9.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.91 MYR 89.4

$19.36 MYR 79.0

13.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.10 MYR 16.72

$3.47 MYR 14.17

18.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 MYR 21.07

$4.88 MYR 19.89

5.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 MYR 2.42

$0.76 MYR 3.10

-22.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.41 MYR 50.6

$12.22 MYR 49.86

1.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 MYR 3.87

$1.20 MYR 4.88

-20.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$1.24 MYR 5.07

-4.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 MYR 34.66

$4.77 MYR 19.45

78.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 MYR 3.82

$0.82 MYR 3.36

14.63%

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

$45.8K MYR 186.8K

$41.2K MYR 168.1K

11.18%

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

$34.8K MYR 142.0K

$35.2K MYR 143.7K

-1.17%

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

$35.01 MYR 143

$63.2 MYR 258

-44.61%

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

$10.27 MYR 41.88

$8.89 MYR 36.28

15.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.54 MYR 104

$26.10 MYR 106

-2.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.56 MYR 121

$40.33 MYR 165

-26.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 MYR 49.83

$7.11 MYR 29.00

71.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.83 MYR 19.71

$5.09 MYR 20.74

-5.11%

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

$132 MYR 536

$297 MYR 1,210

-55.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,903 MYR 28.2K

$13.2K MYR 54.0K

-47.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 MYR 262

$72.7 MYR 297

-11.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.74 MYR 150

$41.98 MYR 171

-12.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 MYR 370

$87.4 MYR 356

3.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 MYR 269

$96.0 MYR 392

-31.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 MYR 1,494

$409 MYR 1,669

-10.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$244 MYR 996

$302 MYR 1,231

-19.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 MYR 2,636

$682 MYR 2,783

-5.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 MYR 1,983

$479 MYR 1,954

1.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,028 MYR 8,271

$2,055 MYR 8,382

-1.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,492 MYR 6,086

$1,069 MYR 4,360

39.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$533 MYR 2,173

$989 MYR 4,035

-46.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

4.18

4.55%

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

Last update for Kuching: October 18, 2026

Last update for Serdang: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kuching

$273 30.8%

Serdang

$274 28.1% 0.3% $0.7

Accommodation & Living

Kuching

$244 27.5%

Serdang

$302 30.9% 23.6% $58

Eating Out

Kuching

$123 13.9%

Serdang

$94 9.7% 23.5% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Kuching

$116 13.1%

Serdang

$134 13.8% 15.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuching

$71 8%

Serdang

$98 10.1% 38.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Kuching

$39 4.4%

Serdang

$51 5.2% 28.8% $11

Getting Around

Kuching

$22 2.4%

Serdang

$23 2.3% 4.6% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $366 in Kuching and $409 in Serdang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Serdang pays 86% 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 $17.00 in Serdang. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $274, with Kuching cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuching

🇲🇾 Serdang

🕒 Local time

14:31 2:31 PM

Same time as Kuching

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

349,147

130,252

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kuching Serdang 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kuching
Serdang

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 Serdang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuching is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Serdang. 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: $366 in Kuching versus $409 in Serdang. 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 $17.00 in Serdang. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $888 per month in Kuching versus $975 in Serdang – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $888 in Kuching versus $975 in Serdang, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuching but tight or insufficient in Serdang. 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 Serdang, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kuching and Serdang 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 10% less than in Serdang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.