Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuching and Ulu Tiram

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulu Tiram: $938 a month against $972 in Kuching, rent and utilities included – about $410 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Ulu Tiram
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Ulu Tiram Living Index

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Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$972

/mo nomad

Ulu Tiram

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuching and in Ulu Tiram

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $972 in Kuching versus $938 in Ulu Tiram.

Kuching $972
Ulu Tiram $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,521 in Kuching versus $1,412 in Ulu Tiram.

Kuching $1,521
Ulu Tiram $1,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,070 in Kuching versus $1,885 in Ulu Tiram.

Kuching $2,070
Ulu Tiram $1,885

Living in Kuching is roughly 4% more expensive than in Ulu Tiram, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuching 29% lower, Ulu Tiram 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 MYR 13.74

$3.58 MYR 14.59

-5.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.51 MYR 99.8

$19.21 MYR 78.2

27.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 MYR 19.96

$4.97 MYR 20.24

-1.41%

Cappuccino

$3.19 MYR 12.99

$2.92 MYR 11.90

9.25%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.19

$0.85 MYR 3.44

-8.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MYR 1.55

$0.41 MYR 1.67

-7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 MYR 18.77

$4.50 MYR 18.30

2.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 MYR 24.28

$6.40 MYR 26.03

-6.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 MYR 9.73

$1.73 MYR 7.02

38.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$1.04 MYR 4.23

14.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.84

$1.48 MYR 6.03

-19.59%

Eggs

$2.38 MYR 9.67

$1.80 MYR 7.33

32.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 MYR 44.73

$9.62 MYR 39.17

14.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 MYR 17.65

$4.23 MYR 17.21

2.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.00 MYR 40.69

$9.57 MYR 38.95

4.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.91

$3.30 MYR 13.44

-3.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MYR 5.38

$1.69 MYR 6.90

-21.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 MYR 10.27

$2.76 MYR 11.25

-8.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.25

$1.64 MYR 6.68

8.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.63

$1.45 MYR 5.92

-4.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.83

$1.67 MYR 6.78

-28.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MYR 6.56

$1.39 MYR 5.65

15.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.22

$0.56 MYR 2.29

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 MYR 19.36

$4.30 MYR 17.48

10.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.25 MYR 90.6

$17.28 MYR 70.3

28.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.13 MYR 16.80

$2.96 MYR 12.04

39.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 MYR 20.58

$3.11 MYR 12.65

62.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MYR 1.47

$0.80 MYR 3.25

-55.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.48 MYR 30.44

$13.32 MYR 54.2

-43.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 MYR 3.95

$0.94 MYR 3.84

3.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 MYR 5.01

$0.38 MYR 1.55

223.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.82 MYR 35.88

$8.77 MYR 35.71

0.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 MYR 3.83

$0.86 MYR 3.51

9.30%

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

$45.9K MYR 187.0K

$43.8K MYR 178.3K

4.85%

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

$36.1K MYR 146.8K

$35.5K MYR 144.5K

1.58%

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

$35.63 MYR 145

$53.5 MYR 218

-33.38%

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

$10.19 MYR 41.48

$8.46 MYR 34.42

20.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.50 MYR 104

$28.46 MYR 116

-10.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.85 MYR 138

$37.15 MYR 151

-8.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.26 MYR 49.89

$6.93 MYR 28.19

76.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 MYR 19.83

$4.80 MYR 19.53

1.46%

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

$135 MYR 550

$241 MYR 980

-43.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,150 MYR 29.1K

$4,550 MYR 18.5K

57.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 MYR 261

$55.0 MYR 224

16.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.52 MYR 153

$16.99 MYR 69.2

120.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 MYR 366

$78.7 MYR 320

14.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.6 MYR 263

$87.0 MYR 354

-25.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$469 MYR 1,910

$453 MYR 1,844

3.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 MYR 1,360

$315 MYR 1,282

6.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 MYR 3,396

$709 MYR 2,887

17.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MYR 2,664

$547 MYR 2,227

19.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,053 MYR 8,356

$2,005 MYR 8,161

2.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,534 MYR 6,242

$1,196 MYR 4,867

28.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$535 MYR 2,179

$869 MYR 3,535

-38.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

4.06

7.64%

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

Last update for Kuching: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ulu Tiram: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuching

$334 34.4%

Ulu Tiram

$315 33.6% 5.7% $19

Groceries & Markets

Kuching

$272 28%

Ulu Tiram

$241 25.7% 11.5% $31

Eating Out

Kuching

$120 12.3%

Ulu Tiram

$119 12.7% 0.6% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Kuching

$115 11.9%

Ulu Tiram

$107 11.4% 7.2% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuching

$71 7.3%

Ulu Tiram

$90 9.6% 26.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Kuching

$44 4.5%

Ulu Tiram

$47 5% 7.2% $3.1

Getting Around

Kuching

$16 1.7%

Ulu Tiram

$19 2.1% 20.7% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $469 in Kuching and $453 in Ulu Tiram. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulu Tiram pays 62% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25 in Kuching vs $19 in Ulu Tiram for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $241 per month, with Ulu Tiram cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuching

🇲🇾 Ulu Tiram

🕒 Local time

02:58 2:58 AM

Same time as Kuching

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

349,147

75,350

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kuching Ulu Tiram 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kuching
Ulu Tiram

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 Ulu Tiram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulu Tiram is about 3% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 38% 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 $453 in Ulu Tiram. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulu Tiram – a meal for two runs $19 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 $938 in Ulu Tiram – Ulu Tiram is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Ulu Tiram is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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