Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Kuantan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuantan: $839 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $23,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Kuantan
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Kuantan Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Kuantan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Kuantan

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

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $839 in Kuantan, rent included.

Melbourne $2,821
Kuantan $839

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $1,219 in Kuantan, rent included.

Melbourne $4,235
Kuantan $1,219

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $1,599 in Kuantan, rent included.

Melbourne $5,650
Kuantan $1,599

Melbourne costs about 236% more than Kuantan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Melbourne sits 109% above the global median, while Kuantan is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$2.49 MYR 10.18

600.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$12.00 MYR 48.96

604.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$3.63 MYR 14.83

243.25%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$2.88 MYR 11.73

42.71%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.71 MYR 2.89

330.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.45 MYR 1.82

460.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$2.80 MYR 11.43

250.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$5.73 MYR 23.37

49.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.60 MYR 6.52

-7.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$0.82 MYR 3.35

258.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.47 MYR 5.98

80.95%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.31 MYR 5.34

322.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$9.51 MYR 38.79

10.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$3.28 MYR 13.36

194.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$4.42 MYR 18.04

244.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$3.03 MYR 12.35

31.68%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.93 MYR 7.87

56.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.73 MYR 11.12

13.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$1.75 MYR 7.14

175.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.72 MYR 7.03

76.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.94 MYR 7.93

25.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$0.76 MYR 3.12

223.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.56 MYR 2.28

191.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$4.38 MYR 17.85

906.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$19.95 MYR 81.4

-36.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.99 MYR 8.13

178.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$1.92 MYR 7.81

172.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.51 MYR 2.07

633.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$12.15 MYR 49.55

1031.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$1.13 MYR 4.61

299.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.35 MYR 1.45

288.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$9.05 MYR 36.92

236.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$0.52 MYR 2.13

182.69%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$34.1K MYR 139.1K

-14.96%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$33.1K MYR 134.9K

-19.97%

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

$234 A$336

$49.82 MYR 203

369.05%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$8.06 MYR 32.86

246.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$24.16 MYR 98.6

130.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$39.79 MYR 162

24.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$6.83 MYR 27.87

214.49%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$4.65 MYR 18.98

224.52%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$280 MYR 1,142

746.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$10.2K MYR 41.8K

194.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$52.4 MYR 214

52.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$30.29 MYR 124

67.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$49.62 MYR 202

143.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$48.89 MYR 199

166.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$411 MYR 1,675

328.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$302 MYR 1,232

360.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$692 MYR 2,822

405.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$476 MYR 1,943

423.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$2,015 MYR 8,220

243.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$1,090 MYR 4,448

491.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$975 MYR 3,976

349.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

4.15

42.17%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kuantan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Kuantan

$302 36% 78.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Kuantan

$212 25.3% 44.7% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Kuantan

$82 9.8% 74.1% $235

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Kuantan

$95 11.4% 69.7% $219

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Kuantan

$82 9.7% 52.5% $90

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Kuantan

$17 2% 89.6% $147

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Kuantan

$49 5.9% 38.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Melbourne versus $411 in Kuantan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 350% higher in Melbourne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Melbourne versus $12.00 in Kuantan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $212 – making Kuantan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇲🇾 Kuantan

🕒 Local time

10:20 10:20 AM

07:20 7:20 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

548,014

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Kuantan 6,310 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Kuantan

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 Kuantan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 236%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,231 per month in Melbourne and $1,259 in Kuantan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuantan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $2,371 per month in Melbourne and $280 in Kuantan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 81% more in Melbourne, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kuantan, where all-in costs run around $839, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Kuantan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuantan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Kuantan. 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.