Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuching: $887 a month against $3,182 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $27,500 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
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$887

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuching and in Sydney

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $887 in Kuching versus $3,182 in Sydney.

Kuching $887
Sydney $3,182

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,389 in Kuching versus $4,696 in Sydney.

Kuching $1,389
Sydney $4,696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,892 in Kuching versus $6,210 in Sydney.

Kuching $1,892
Sydney $6,210

Living in Kuching costs roughly 72% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kuching is 34% below, Sydney is 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 MYR 13.60

$17.66 A$25.28

-81.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.53 MYR 100

$97.1 A$139

-74.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.87 MYR 19.89

$11.94 A$17.09

-59.21%

Cappuccino

$3.17 MYR 12.93

$4.00 A$5.72

-20.75%

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

$0.74 MYR 3.04

$2.84 A$4.06

-73.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.47

$2.27 A$3.25

-84.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 MYR 18.43

$7.89 A$11.29

-42.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 MYR 25.15

$7.13 A$10.20

-13.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 MYR 9.42

$1.66 A$2.38

39.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 MYR 5.16

$2.79 A$4.00

-54.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.68

$2.32 A$3.33

-50.43%

Eggs

$2.46 MYR 10.03

$5.53 A$7.92

-55.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 MYR 44.72

$12.08 A$17.28

-9.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.17

$9.84 A$14.09

-54.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.90 MYR 40.42

$16.61 A$23.78

-40.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.93

$4.02 A$5.76

-21.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MYR 5.59

$3.15 A$4.51

-56.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 MYR 9.80

$3.50 A$5.01

-31.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.42

$4.47 A$6.39

-59.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.75

$3.32 A$4.76

-57.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$2.30 A$3.30

-48.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 MYR 6.35

$2.34 A$3.35

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.22

$1.15 A$1.65

-53.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 MYR 18.41

$45.02 A$64.4

-89.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.59 MYR 88.2

$13.96 A$19.97

54.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.06 MYR 16.58

$3.98 A$5.70

2.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 MYR 21.19

$4.07 A$5.82

27.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 MYR 2.37

$3.16 A$4.52

-81.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.36 MYR 50.5

$150 A$215

-91.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$3.45 A$4.94

-71.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$1.63 A$2.33

-23.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 MYR 33.99

$39.98 A$57.2

-79.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 MYR 3.68

$1.40 A$2.01

-35.71%

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

$40.9K MYR 167.2K

$28.4K A$40.7K

44.08%

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

$36.1K MYR 147.4K

$29.4K A$42.1K

22.79%

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

$35.18 MYR 144

$220 A$315

-84.00%

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

$9.95 MYR 40.63

$27.70 A$39.64

-64.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.26 MYR 103

$55.5 A$79.5

-54.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.24 MYR 123

$74.3 A$106

-59.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.38 MYR 50.6

$23.95 A$34.28

-48.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.83 MYR 19.72

$17.73 A$25.37

-72.76%

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

$135 MYR 551

$2,157 A$3,087

-93.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,000 MYR 28.6K

$28.3K A$40.5K

-75.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 MYR 258

$78.4 A$112

-19.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 MYR 154

$70.5 A$101

-46.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 MYR 368

$111 A$159

-19.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.8 MYR 269

$132 A$189

-50.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 MYR 1,471

$2,514 A$3,598

-85.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 MYR 1,001

$1,732 A$2,478

-85.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 MYR 2,642

$4,889 A$6,996

-86.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MYR 1,953

$3,039 A$4,349

-84.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,073 MYR 8,464

$13.2K A$18.9K

-84.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,508 MYR 6,157

$8,117 A$11.6K

-81.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$530 MYR 2,165

$4,082 A$5,842

-87.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

5.84

-25.17%

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

Last update for Kuching: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kuching

$271 30.7%

Sydney

$380 12% 40.4% $110

Accommodation & Living

Kuching

$245 27.8%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.5% 606% $1.5K

Eating Out

Kuching

$119 13.4%

Sydney

$299 9.4% 152% $181

Clothing & Footwear

Kuching

$116 13.1%

Sydney

$176 5.6% 52.6% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuching

$70 8%

Sydney

$303 9.6% 331% $233

Sport & Entertainment

Kuching

$40 4.5%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 175% $70

Getting Around

Kuching

$22 2.5%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 696% $152

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $360 in Kuching and $2,514 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 670% 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 $97.0 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $380 per month, with Kuching cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuching

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

15:58 3:58 PM

3 h ahead of Kuching

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

349,147

4,840,600

💱 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

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Between locations

Kuching Sydney 5,810 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuching
Sydney

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 Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuching is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 259% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 670% lower in Sydney. 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 $2,514 in Sydney. 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 $97.0 in Sydney. 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 $3,182 in Sydney – a 259% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $887 in Kuching versus $3,182 in Sydney, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuching but tight or insufficient in Sydney. 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 Sydney, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kuching and Sydney 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 259% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.