Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarawak and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarawak: $933 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Sarawak
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Sarawak Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Sarawak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$933

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarawak and in Melbourne

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $933 in Sarawak versus $2,853 in Melbourne.

Sarawak $933
Melbourne $2,853

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,391 in Sarawak versus $4,275 in Melbourne.

Sarawak $1,391
Melbourne $4,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,849 in Sarawak versus $5,697 in Melbourne.

Sarawak $1,849
Melbourne $5,697

Living in Sarawak costs roughly 67% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sarawak is 31% below, Melbourne is 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.65 MYR 14.88

$17.20 A$24.75

-78.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.77 MYR 80.6

$83.1 A$120

-76.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 MYR 19.38

$12.43 A$17.88

-61.79%

Cappuccino

$2.88 MYR 11.74

$4.05 A$5.82

-28.89%

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

$0.81 MYR 3.29

$3.12 A$4.50

-74.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.61

$2.46 A$3.54

-84.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 MYR 14.68

$9.52 A$13.71

-62.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.81

$8.16 A$11.74

-43.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.58

$1.56 A$2.25

19.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.24

$2.90 A$4.18

-64.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.04

$2.66 A$3.82

-44.36%

Eggs

$2.04 MYR 8.32

$5.37 A$7.72

-62.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 MYR 56.5

$10.67 A$15.36

29.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 MYR 17.54

$9.85 A$14.17

-56.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.43 MYR 38.47

$15.36 A$22.11

-38.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MYR 12.83

$4.17 A$6.00

-24.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.97

$3.15 A$4.53

-45.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 MYR 10.22

$3.26 A$4.69

-23.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MYR 6.55

$4.76 A$6.85

-66.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 MYR 5.18

$3.06 A$4.41

-58.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.68

$2.47 A$3.55

-53.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.79

$2.45 A$3.52

-52.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.18

$1.63 A$2.34

-67.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 MYR 18.52

$45.17 A$65.0

-89.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 MYR 78.0

$12.68 A$18.25

50.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 MYR 12.01

$5.69 A$8.18

-48.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MYR 18.38

$5.23 A$7.53

-13.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$3.87 A$5.57

-81.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.15 MYR 49.57

$142 A$204

-91.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MYR 5.10

$4.54 A$6.53

-72.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$1.42 A$2.04

-64.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.21 MYR 29.41

$30.59 A$44.01

-76.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.34

$1.47 A$2.11

-44.22%

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

$42.2K MYR 172.1K

$28.9K A$41.5K

46.18%

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

$34.8K MYR 141.8K

$25.9K A$37.3K

34.14%

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

$48.56 MYR 198

$235 A$338

-79.35%

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

$9.65 MYR 39.38

$27.45 A$39.51

-64.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.71 MYR 113

$56.1 A$80.8

-50.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.76 MYR 166

$50.1 A$72.1

-18.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.10 MYR 28.98

$21.49 A$30.93

-66.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MYR 20.05

$17.76 A$25.56

-72.30%

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

$190 MYR 775

$2,385 A$3,432

-92.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,067 MYR 28.8K

$29.7K A$42.7K

-76.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MYR 232

$79.2 A$114

-28.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 MYR 141

$49.49 A$71.2

-30.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 MYR 325

$118 A$170

-32.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 MYR 310

$132 A$190

-42.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 MYR 1,674

$1,763 A$2,537

-76.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 MYR 1,219

$1,411 A$2,031

-78.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 MYR 2,742

$3,522 A$5,069

-80.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MYR 1,946

$2,525 A$3,634

-81.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,042 MYR 8,329

$7,136 A$10.3K

-71.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,074 MYR 4,381

$6,355 A$9,144

-83.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$339 MYR 1,381

$4,258 A$6,128

-92.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

5.9

-31.19%

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

Last update for Sarawak: October 18, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarawak

$299 32%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5% 372% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Sarawak

$258 27.6%

Melbourne

$388 13.6% 50.8% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Sarawak

$111 11.9%

Melbourne

$171 6% 53.6% $60

Eating Out

Sarawak

$110 11.8%

Melbourne

$310 10.9% 182% $200

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarawak

$86 9.2%

Melbourne

$319 11.2% 271% $233

Sport & Entertainment

Sarawak

$51 5.4%

Melbourne

$86 3% 69.3% $35

Getting Around

Sarawak

$19 2%

Melbourne

$169 5.9% 801% $150

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $410 in Sarawak and $1,763 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 1158% 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: $20.00 in Sarawak vs $83.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $388 per month, with Sarawak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sarawak

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

01:39 1:39 AM

3 h ahead of Sarawak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Sarawak Melbourne 5,650 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Sarawak
Melbourne

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 Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarawak and Melbourne differ by about 206% in total monthly costs ($933 vs $2,853 including rent). Sarawak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1158% lower in Melbourne. 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 $1,763 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $190 in Sarawak versus $2,385 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $933 in Sarawak versus $2,853 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sarawak but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Sarawak 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, Sarawak and Melbourne 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 Sarawak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 206% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.