Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarawak and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarawak: $933 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $27,700 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
156

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Sarawak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$933

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $933 per month in Sarawak vs $3,245 in Sydney, rent included.

Sarawak $933
Sydney $3,245

A couple spends around $1,391 per month in Sarawak vs $4,803 in Sydney, rent included.

Sarawak $1,391
Sydney $4,803

A family of three spends $1,849 per month in Sarawak vs $6,362 in Sydney, rent included.

Sarawak $1,849
Sydney $6,362

Sarawak is about 71% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sarawak sits 31% below the global median, while Sydney is 139% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.65 MYR 14.88

$17.41 A$25.05

-79.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.77 MYR 80.6

$90.3 A$130

-78.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 MYR 19.38

$11.92 A$17.15

-60.15%

Cappuccino

$2.88 MYR 11.74

$4.03 A$5.80

-28.54%

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

$0.81 MYR 3.29

$2.88 A$4.15

-71.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.61

$2.23 A$3.20

-82.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 MYR 14.68

$7.89 A$11.36

-54.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.81

$6.78 A$9.76

-32.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.58

$1.71 A$2.45

8.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.24

$2.94 A$4.23

-64.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.04

$2.51 A$3.61

-41.04%

Eggs

$2.04 MYR 8.32

$5.55 A$7.99

-63.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 MYR 56.5

$11.77 A$16.94

17.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 MYR 17.54

$9.28 A$13.35

-53.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.43 MYR 38.47

$16.70 A$24.03

-43.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MYR 12.83

$3.92 A$5.64

-19.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.97

$3.16 A$4.55

-45.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 MYR 10.22

$3.48 A$5.00

-27.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MYR 6.55

$4.38 A$6.31

-63.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 MYR 5.18

$3.33 A$4.79

-61.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.68

$2.40 A$3.46

-52.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.79

$2.31 A$3.32

-49.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.18

$1.15 A$1.65

-53.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 MYR 18.52

$44.34 A$63.8

-89.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 MYR 78.0

$13.71 A$19.72

39.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 MYR 12.01

$4.00 A$5.75

-26.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MYR 18.38

$4.03 A$5.80

11.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$3.22 A$4.63

-77.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.15 MYR 49.57

$154 A$222

-92.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MYR 5.10

$3.57 A$5.14

-64.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$1.58 A$2.27

-67.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.21 MYR 29.41

$39.44 A$56.8

-81.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.34

$1.48 A$2.13

-44.59%

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

$42.2K MYR 172.1K

$29.6K A$42.5K

42.77%

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

$34.8K MYR 141.8K

$27.7K A$39.8K

25.69%

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

$48.56 MYR 198

$241 A$347

-79.88%

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

$9.65 MYR 39.38

$27.57 A$39.67

-65.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.71 MYR 113

$56.3 A$81.0

-50.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.76 MYR 166

$78.1 A$112

-47.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.10 MYR 28.98

$23.26 A$33.47

-69.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MYR 20.05

$17.55 A$25.26

-71.97%

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

$190 MYR 775

$2,185 A$3,144

-91.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,067 MYR 28.8K

$27.8K A$40.0K

-74.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MYR 232

$80.0 A$115

-29.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 MYR 141

$70.7 A$102

-51.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 MYR 325

$111 A$159

-27.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 MYR 310

$129 A$186

-41.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 MYR 1,674

$2,477 A$3,564

-83.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 MYR 1,219

$1,777 A$2,557

-83.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 MYR 2,742

$4,885 A$7,030

-86.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MYR 1,946

$3,093 A$4,451

-84.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,042 MYR 8,329

$13.4K A$19.3K

-84.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,074 MYR 4,381

$8,375 A$12.1K

-87.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$339 MYR 1,381

$4,074 A$5,862

-91.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

5.92

-31.42%

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

Last update for Sarawak: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarawak

$299 32%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8% 495% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Sarawak

$258 27.6%

Sydney

$378 11.7% 46.8% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Sarawak

$111 11.9%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 58.2% $65

Eating Out

Sarawak

$110 11.8%

Sydney

$297 9.2% 170% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarawak

$86 9.2%

Sydney

$325 10% 279% $239

Sport & Entertainment

Sarawak

$51 5.4%

Sydney

$113 3.5% 124% $63

Getting Around

Sarawak

$19 2%

Sydney

$178 5.5% 851% $160

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $410 in Sarawak versus $2,477 in Sydney. 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 1103% higher in Sydney, 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 $20.00 in Sarawak versus $90.0 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $378 – making Sarawak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sarawak

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

23:32 11:32 PM

02:32 2:32 AM

3 h ahead of Sarawak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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 = 0.695 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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Between locations

Sarawak Sydney 5,820 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Sarawak
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

Sarawak vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $933 in Sarawak, $3,245 in Sydney – roughly 248% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,399 per month in Sarawak and $4,867 in Sydney. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 1168% less in Sarawak. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $190 per month in Sarawak and $2,185 in Sydney. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sarawak, where all-in costs run around $933, than in Sydney at $3,245. In Sarawak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.