Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Miri and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Miri: $814 a month against $3,182 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $28,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Miri
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Miri Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

Jump to prices

Miri

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$814

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Miri 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 Miri and in Sydney actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $814 in Miri versus $3,182 in Sydney.

Miri $814
Sydney $3,182

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,247 in Miri versus $4,696 in Sydney.

Miri $1,247
Sydney $4,696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,680 in Miri versus $6,210 in Sydney.

Miri $1,680
Sydney $6,210

Living in Miri costs roughly 74% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Miri is 39% below, Sydney is 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 MYR 14.02

$17.66 A$25.28

-80.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.16 MYR 49.65

$97.1 A$139

-87.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.55 MYR 18.58

$11.94 A$17.09

-61.89%

Cappuccino

$2.30 MYR 9.40

$4.00 A$5.72

-42.50%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.17

$2.84 A$4.06

-72.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.24

$2.27 A$3.25

-86.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MYR 12.10

$7.89 A$11.29

-62.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 MYR 15.59

$7.13 A$10.20

-46.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MYR 5.72

$1.66 A$2.38

-15.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 MYR 7.40

$2.79 A$4.00

-35.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 MYR 3.85

$2.32 A$3.33

-59.48%

Eggs

$3.50 MYR 14.27

$5.53 A$7.92

-36.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 A$17.28

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 MYR 19.58

$9.84 A$14.09

-51.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.10 MYR 61.6

$16.61 A$23.78

-9.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 A$5.76

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MYR 8.01

$3.15 A$4.51

-37.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 A$5.01

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 A$6.39

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.76

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.35

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.47

$1.15 A$1.65

-68.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MYR 17.77

$45.02 A$64.4

-90.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.28 MYR 78.7

$13.96 A$19.97

38.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 MYR 12.59

$3.98 A$5.70

-22.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 MYR 9.85

$4.07 A$5.82

-40.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$3.16 A$4.52

-83.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.41 MYR 58.8

$150 A$215

-90.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.87

$3.45 A$4.94

-65.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 MYR 2.60

$1.63 A$2.33

-60.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 MYR 24.71

$39.98 A$57.2

-84.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 MYR 2.64

$1.40 A$2.01

-53.57%

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

$51.0K MYR 208.3K

$28.4K A$40.7K

79.49%

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

$32.7K MYR 133.3K

$29.4K A$42.1K

11.05%

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

$49.79 MYR 203

$220 A$315

-77.36%

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

$9.53 MYR 38.91

$27.70 A$39.64

-65.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.24 MYR 136

$55.5 A$79.5

-40.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.63 MYR 121

$74.3 A$106

-60.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.17 MYR 25.21

$23.95 A$34.28

-74.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.45 MYR 18.18

$17.73 A$25.37

-74.90%

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

$102 MYR 416

$2,157 A$3,087

-95.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,641 MYR 27.1K

$28.3K A$40.5K

-76.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.13 MYR 180

$78.4 A$112

-43.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.74 MYR 92.9

$70.5 A$101

-67.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.2 MYR 230

$111 A$159

-49.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.80 MYR 175

$132 A$189

-67.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$341 MYR 1,390

$2,514 A$3,598

-86.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 MYR 1,145

$1,732 A$2,478

-83.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 MYR 2,435

$4,889 A$6,996

-87.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 MYR 2,425

$3,039 A$4,349

-80.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,219 MYR 4,977

$13.2K A$18.9K

-90.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$671 MYR 2,741

$8,117 A$11.6K

-91.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$692 MYR 2,826

$4,082 A$5,842

-83.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

5.84

-29.45%

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

Last update for Miri: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Miri

$280 35.2%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.5% 517% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Miri

$194 * 24.4%

Sydney

$380 12% 96% $186

Eating Out

Miri

$96 12%

Sydney

$299 9.4% 213% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Miri

$93 11.6%

Sydney

$303 9.6% 227% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Miri

$75 9.4%

Sydney

$176 5.6% 136% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Miri

$39 4.8%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 185% $71

Getting Around

Miri

$21 2.6%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 736% $153

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $341 in Miri and $2,514 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 490% 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: $12.00 in Miri vs $97.0 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $380 per month, with Miri cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Miri

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

16:22 4:22 PM

19:22 7:22 PM

3 h ahead of Miri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,877

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

Miri Sydney 5,770 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Miri
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

Miri vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miri is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 291% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 490% 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: $341 in Miri 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 Miri – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $97.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $814 per month in Miri versus $3,182 in Sydney – a 291% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $814 in Miri versus $3,182 in Sydney, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Miri but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Miri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Miri 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 Miri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 291% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.