Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Kangar, Perlis

For one person, living is cheaper in Kangar, Perlis: $956 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Melbourne
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,821
/mo nomad
Kangar, Perlis
🇲🇾 Malaysia
$956
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Kangar, Perlis

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Melbourne and in Kangar, Perlis actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $956 in Kangar, Perlis, rent included.

  • Melbourne $2,821
  • Kangar, Perlis $956

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $1,408 in Kangar, Perlis, rent included.

  • Melbourne $4,235
  • Kangar, Perlis $1,408

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $1,861 in Kangar, Perlis, rent included.

  • Melbourne $5,650
  • Kangar, Perlis $1,861

Melbourne costs about 195% more than Kangar, Perlis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Melbourne sits 109% above the global median, while Kangar, Perlis is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Melbourne
Kangar, Perlis
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.43 A$25.08
$3.57 MYR 14.55
388.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 A$122
$21.50 MYR 87.7
293.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.46 A$17.92
$4.40 MYR 17.97
183.18%
Cappuccino
$4.11 A$5.91
$2.86 MYR 11.68
43.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 A$4.40
$0.77 MYR 3.13
297.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 A$3.62
$0.38 MYR 1.56
563.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.80 A$14.10
$3.79 MYR 15.48
158.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.57 A$12.33
$4.97 MYR 20.27
72.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
Kangar, Perlis
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.48 A$2.14
$1.76 MYR 7.18
-15.91%
White Bread (500g)
$2.94 A$4.23
$1.05 MYR 4.29
180.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.66 A$3.82
$1.66 MYR 6.78
60.24%
Eggs
$5.54 A$7.97
$2.01 MYR 8.21
175.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.51 A$15.13
$13.31 MYR 54.3
-21.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.65 A$13.89
$4.47 MYR 18.24
115.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.22 A$21.91
$9.54 MYR 38.93
59.54%
Apples (1kg)
$3.99 A$5.75
$3.43 MYR 14.01
16.33%
Banana (1kg)
$3.02 A$4.34
$1.82 MYR 7.41
65.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.10 A$4.46
$2.54 MYR 10.37
22.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.82 A$6.93
$1.80 MYR 7.36
167.78%
Potato (1kg)
$3.03 A$4.36
$1.13 MYR 4.61
168.14%
Onion (1kg)
$2.44 A$3.52
$1.03 MYR 4.20
136.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.46 A$3.54
$1.03 MYR 4.19
138.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 A$2.34
$0.58 MYR 2.36
181.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$44.07 A$63.4
$4.92 MYR 20.09
795.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.70 A$18.28
$20.09 MYR 82.0
-36.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.54 A$7.97
$2.60 MYR 10.62
113.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.23 A$7.52
$3.90 MYR 15.91
34.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Melbourne
Kangar, Perlis
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.74 A$5.38
$0.82 MYR 3.36
356.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$138 A$198
$12.92 MYR 52.7
964.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.51 A$6.50
$1.21 MYR 4.94
272.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.36 A$1.96
$0.52 MYR 2.10
161.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.45 A$43.81
$7.58 MYR 30.91
301.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 A$2.12
$0.77 MYR 3.12
90.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.0K A$41.7K
$45.6K MYR 186.2K
-36.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K A$38.1K
$33.4K MYR 136.1K
-20.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
Kangar, Perlis
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$234 A$336
$44.60 MYR 182
423.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.93 A$40.19
$9.52 MYR 38.84
193.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.7 A$80.2
$24.94 MYR 102
123.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
Kangar, Perlis
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.40 A$71.1
$36.59 MYR 149
35.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.48 A$30.91
$7.71 MYR 31.45
178.60%
Cinema Ticket
$15.09 A$21.72
$4.37 MYR 17.83
245.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Melbourne
Kangar, Perlis
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,371 A$3,412
$211 MYR 861
1023.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.2K A$43.5K
$6,606 MYR 26.9K
357.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
Kangar, Perlis
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.0 A$115
$50.9 MYR 208
57.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.7 A$73.0
$38.96 MYR 159
30.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 A$174
$84.0 MYR 342
43.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 A$188
$72.3 MYR 295
80.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
Kangar, Perlis
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,759 A$2,531
$348 MYR 1,422
404.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,390 A$2,000
$333 MYR 1,357
317.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,494 A$5,027
$749 MYR 3,057
366.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,493 A$3,588
$493 MYR 2,012
405.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,926 A$9,967
$2,142 MYR 8,738
223.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,445 A$9,274
$1,088 MYR 4,437
492.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Melbourne
Kangar, Perlis
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,383 A$6,307
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.9
4.06
45.32%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kangar, Perlis: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
$1.4K
Kangar, Perlis
$333 76.1% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
$384
Kangar, Perlis
$258 32.7% $125
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
$317
Kangar, Perlis
$79 75.1% $238
Eating Out
Melbourne
$315
Kangar, Perlis
$110 65.1% $205
Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
$172
Kangar, Perlis
$111 35.5% $61
Getting Around
Melbourne
$164
Kangar, Perlis
$20 87.8% $144
Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
$80
Kangar, Perlis
$45 43% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Melbourne versus $348 in Kangar, Perlis. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Melbourne versus $22.00 in Kangar, Perlis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $258 – making Kangar, Perlis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Melbourne
🇲🇾 Kangar, Perlis
🕒 Local time
10:18 10:18 AM
07:18 7:18 AM
3 h behind Melbourne
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,031,195
284,853
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Melbourne Kangar, Perlis 6,760 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Melbourne
  • Kangar, Perlis

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
Melbourne vs Kangar, Perlis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Melbourne and in Kangar, Perlis compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne, $956 in Kangar, Perlis – roughly 195% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Melbourne compared to Kangar, Perlis?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,231 per month in Melbourne and $1,434 in Kangar, Perlis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Melbourne and Kangar, Perlis?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kangar, Perlis, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Melbourne and $22.00 in Kangar, Perlis. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Melbourne or Kangar, Perlis?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,821 in Melbourne and $956 in Kangar, Perlis. That's a gap of about 195%.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kangar, Perlis, where all-in costs run around $956, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Kangar, Perlis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Melbourne or Kangar, Perlis?
Families tend to lean toward Kangar, Perlis – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Melbourne or Kangar, Perlis safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Melbourne and Kangar, Perlis?
If budget matters most, go with Kangar, Perlis. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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