Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarawak and Kuala Lumpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarawak: $954 a month against $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Sarawak
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Sarawak Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index

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Sarawak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$954

/mo nomad

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,074

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarawak and in Kuala Lumpur

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

A single person spends $954 per month in Sarawak vs $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Sarawak $954
Kuala Lumpur $1,074

A couple spends around $1,408 per month in Sarawak vs $1,622 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Sarawak $1,408
Kuala Lumpur $1,622

A family of three spends $1,862 per month in Sarawak vs $2,170 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Sarawak $1,862
Kuala Lumpur $2,170

Sarawak is about 11% cheaper than Kuala Lumpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sarawak and Kuala Lumpur are more affordable than the global median – Sarawak 30% lower, Kuala Lumpur 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.64

$4.98 MYR 20.35

-28.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.96 MYR 81.6

$29.03 MYR 119

-31.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.70 MYR 19.22

$4.85 MYR 19.84

-3.09%

Cappuccino

$2.96 MYR 12.10

$3.02 MYR 12.34

-1.99%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.14

$0.79 MYR 3.22

-2.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.60

$0.45 MYR 1.86

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.95 MYR 16.13

$4.48 MYR 18.29

-11.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 MYR 18.69

$6.16 MYR 25.19

-25.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 MYR 7.15

$2.11 MYR 8.63

-17.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 MYR 4.99

$1.12 MYR 4.58

8.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.55

$1.93 MYR 7.88

-29.53%

Eggs

$2.26 MYR 9.22

$2.46 MYR 10.04

-8.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.46 MYR 59.1

$14.24 MYR 58.2

1.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 MYR 16.63

$4.37 MYR 17.86

-6.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.85 MYR 40.26

$9.86 MYR 40.32

-0.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MYR 11.85

$3.46 MYR 14.13

-16.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.91

$1.78 MYR 7.27

-18.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 MYR 9.75

$2.27 MYR 9.26

4.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.35

$1.51 MYR 6.18

-13.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 5.04

$1.23 MYR 5.02

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.08

$1.30 MYR 5.33

-4.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 MYR 4.52

$1.14 MYR 4.65

-2.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 MYR 1.90

$0.71 MYR 2.89

-35.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MYR 17.46

$4.29 MYR 17.52

-0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MYR 68.9

$19.77 MYR 80.8

-14.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 MYR 11.97

$3.36 MYR 13.75

-12.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 MYR 16.45

$5.02 MYR 20.52

-19.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MYR 3.06

$0.70 MYR 2.87

7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.56 MYR 43.17

$12.44 MYR 50.9

-15.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MYR 4.57

$1.20 MYR 4.88

-6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$1.25 MYR 5.09

-59.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 MYR 28.30

$4.98 MYR 20.37

39.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 MYR 3.16

$0.89 MYR 3.63

-13.48%

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

$50.4K MYR 205.9K

$44.5K MYR 182.1K

13.07%

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

$39.9K MYR 163.0K

$34.6K MYR 141.5K

15.19%

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

$52.9 MYR 216

$63.5 MYR 259

-16.59%

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

$10.66 MYR 43.56

$8.62 MYR 35.24

23.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.13 MYR 119

$26.24 MYR 107

11.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 MYR 164

$49.20 MYR 201

-18.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.22 MYR 29.52

$7.32 MYR 29.93

-1.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 MYR 22.90

$4.97 MYR 20.33

12.68%

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

$241 MYR 984

$472 MYR 1,927

-48.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,956 MYR 28.4K

$13.2K MYR 53.9K

-47.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 MYR 237

$72.2 MYR 295

-19.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.97 MYR 122

$41.48 MYR 170

-27.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 MYR 356

$83.9 MYR 343

3.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 MYR 310

$94.3 MYR 385

-19.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 MYR 1,674

$685 MYR 2,800

-40.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 MYR 1,301

$358 MYR 1,463

-11.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 MYR 2,879

$1,212 MYR 4,953

-41.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 MYR 2,006

$593 MYR 2,424

-17.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,170 MYR 8,868

$3,760 MYR 15.4K

-42.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,323 MYR 5,409

$1,565 MYR 6,395

-15.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$349 MYR 1,425

$1,458 MYR 5,957

-76.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

4.17

-2.64%

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

Last update for Sarawak: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarawak

$318 33.4%

Kuala Lumpur

$358 33.3% 12.5% $40

Groceries & Markets

Sarawak

$249 26.1%

Kuala Lumpur

$274 25.5% 10% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Sarawak

$113 11.8%

Kuala Lumpur

$131 12.2% 16.3% $18

Eating Out

Sarawak

$112 11.7%

Kuala Lumpur

$130 12.1% 16.5% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarawak

$93 9.7%

Kuala Lumpur

$98 9.2% 6% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Sarawak

$51 5.4%

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.5% 15.4% $7.9

Getting Around

Sarawak

$17 1.8%

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1% 31.6% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $410 in Sarawak versus $685 in Kuala Lumpur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kuala Lumpur are about 4.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Sarawak versus $29 in Kuala Lumpur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $274 – making Sarawak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sarawak

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🕒 Local time

21:19 9:19 PM

Same time as Sarawak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,982,112 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Sarawak Kuala Lumpur 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sarawak
Kuala Lumpur

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

Sarawak vs Kuala Lumpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kuala Lumpur is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,430 per month in Sarawak and $1,611 in Kuala Lumpur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sarawak, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $410 there versus $685 in Kuala Lumpur.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Kuala Lumpur, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Sarawak and $29 in Kuala Lumpur. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $954 in Sarawak and $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Sarawak – 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 Sarawak. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kuala Lumpur makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.