Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarawak and Kuching

For one person, living costs are similar in Sarawak and in Kuching: $954 and $972 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Sarawak
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Sarawak Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
Learn more

Kuching Living Index

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Sarawak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$954

/mo nomad

Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarawak and in Kuching

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $954 in Sarawak versus $972 in Kuching.

Sarawak $954
Kuching $972

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,408 in Sarawak versus $1,521 in Kuching.

Sarawak $1,408
Kuching $1,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,862 in Sarawak versus $2,070 in Kuching.

Sarawak $1,862
Kuching $2,070

Monthly costs are close between Sarawak and Kuching; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarawak 30% lower, Kuching 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.60

$3.37 MYR 13.75

6.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.96 MYR 81.3

$24.51 MYR 99.9

-18.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.70 MYR 19.16

$4.90 MYR 19.98

-4.08%

Cappuccino

$2.96 MYR 12.06

$3.19 MYR 13.01

-7.21%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.13

$0.78 MYR 3.19

-1.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$0.38 MYR 1.55

2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.95 MYR 16.08

$4.61 MYR 18.79

-14.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 MYR 18.63

$5.96 MYR 24.30

-23.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 MYR 7.13

$2.39 MYR 9.74

-26.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 MYR 4.98

$1.19 MYR 4.87

2.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.53

$1.19 MYR 4.85

14.29%

Eggs

$2.26 MYR 9.20

$2.38 MYR 9.68

-5.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.46 MYR 58.9

$10.99 MYR 44.77

31.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 MYR 16.58

$4.34 MYR 17.67

-6.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.85 MYR 40.13

$10.00 MYR 40.73

-1.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MYR 11.81

$3.17 MYR 12.92

-8.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.89

$1.32 MYR 5.38

9.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 MYR 9.72

$2.52 MYR 10.28

-5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.34

$1.78 MYR 7.26

-26.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 5.02

$1.38 MYR 5.63

-10.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$1.19 MYR 4.84

4.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 MYR 4.50

$1.61 MYR 6.57

-31.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 MYR 1.89

$0.55 MYR 2.22

-16.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MYR 17.41

$4.76 MYR 19.37

-10.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MYR 68.7

$22.25 MYR 90.7

-24.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 MYR 11.94

$4.13 MYR 16.81

-29.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 MYR 16.40

$5.06 MYR 20.60

-20.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MYR 3.05

$0.36 MYR 1.47

108.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.56 MYR 43.04

$7.48 MYR 30.47

41.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MYR 4.55

$0.97 MYR 3.95

15.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.08

$1.23 MYR 5.01

-58.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 MYR 28.22

$8.82 MYR 35.92

-21.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 MYR 3.15

$0.94 MYR 3.83

-18.09%

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

$50.4K MYR 205.2K

$45.9K MYR 187.2K

9.65%

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

$39.9K MYR 162.5K

$36.1K MYR 146.9K

10.58%

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

$52.9 MYR 216

$35.63 MYR 145

48.55%

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

$10.66 MYR 43.43

$10.19 MYR 41.52

4.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.13 MYR 119

$25.50 MYR 104

14.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 MYR 163

$33.85 MYR 138

18.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.22 MYR 29.42

$12.26 MYR 49.94

-41.11%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 MYR 22.83

$4.87 MYR 19.85

14.99%

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

$241 MYR 981

$135 MYR 551

78.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,956 MYR 28.3K

$7,150 MYR 29.1K

-2.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 MYR 237

$64.1 MYR 261

-9.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.97 MYR 122

$37.52 MYR 153

-20.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 MYR 354

$90.0 MYR 367

-3.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 MYR 309

$64.6 MYR 263

17.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 MYR 1,669

$469 MYR 1,912

-12.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 MYR 1,297

$334 MYR 1,361

-4.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 MYR 2,870

$834 MYR 3,399

-15.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 MYR 2,000

$654 MYR 2,667

-24.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,170 MYR 8,841

$2,053 MYR 8,364

5.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,323 MYR 5,393

$1,534 MYR 6,248

-13.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$349 MYR 1,420

$535 MYR 2,181

-34.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

4.37

-7.09%

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

Last update for Sarawak: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kuching: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarawak

$318 33.4%

Kuching

$334 34.4% 4.9% $16

Groceries & Markets

Sarawak

$249 26.1%

Kuching

$272 28% 9.2% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Sarawak

$113 11.8%

Kuching

$115 11.9% 2.1% $2.4

Eating Out

Sarawak

$112 11.7%

Kuching

$120 12.3% 7% $7.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarawak

$93 9.7%

Kuching

$71 7.3% 23.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Sarawak

$51 5.4%

Kuching

$44 4.5% 15% $7.7

Getting Around

Sarawak

$17 1.8%

Kuching

$16 1.7% 6.9% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $410 in Sarawak and $469 in Kuching. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuching pays 54% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Sarawak vs $25 in Kuching for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $272 per month, with Sarawak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sarawak

🇲🇾 Kuching

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

Same time as Sarawak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

349,147

💱 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

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sarawak Kuching 14 km

From you

Sarawak
Kuching

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 Kuching: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Sarawak. 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: $410 in Sarawak versus $469 in Kuching. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kuching runs roughly 29% less than in Sarawak. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Kuching. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Sarawak gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Sarawak and Kuching are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Sarawak wins on affordability, Kuching on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.