Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Serdang and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Serdang: $978 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $26,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Serdang
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Serdang Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Serdang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$978

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $978 per month in Serdang vs $3,152 in Sydney, rent included.

Serdang $978
Sydney $3,152

A couple spends around $1,422 per month in Serdang vs $4,710 in Sydney, rent included.

Serdang $1,422
Sydney $4,710

A family of three spends $1,865 per month in Serdang vs $6,268 in Sydney, rent included.

Serdang $1,865
Sydney $6,268

Serdang is about 69% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Serdang sits 28% below the global median, while Sydney is 133% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.52 MYR 10.29

$17.57 A$25.29

-85.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.01 MYR 69.4

$91.5 A$132

-81.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.58 MYR 14.62

$11.96 A$17.21

-70.07%

Cappuccino

$2.01 MYR 8.20

$4.07 A$5.85

-50.61%

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

$0.84 MYR 3.44

$2.85 A$4.10

-70.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$2.25 A$3.24

-79.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 MYR 18.06

$7.60 A$10.94

-41.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.02 MYR 24.56

$7.43 A$10.69

-18.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 MYR 8.68

$1.66 A$2.38

28.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 MYR 4.51

$2.78 A$4.00

-60.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MYR 7.95

$2.42 A$3.49

-19.42%

Eggs

$2.49 MYR 10.14

$5.64 A$8.12

-55.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.89 MYR 56.7

$11.71 A$16.85

18.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.47 MYR 18.24

$9.66 A$13.89

-53.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 MYR 40.47

$16.75 A$24.10

-40.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 MYR 14.02

$4.07 A$5.85

-15.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.18

$3.25 A$4.68

-45.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 MYR 9.26

$3.44 A$4.96

-34.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MYR 6.52

$4.28 A$6.16

-62.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 MYR 5.19

$3.28 A$4.72

-61.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 MYR 5.51

$2.30 A$3.30

-41.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 MYR 4.57

$2.30 A$3.31

-51.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MYR 2.93

$1.21 A$1.74

-40.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 MYR 18.47

$43.71 A$62.9

-89.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.72 MYR 80.4

$13.88 A$19.97

42.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.50 MYR 14.29

$3.90 A$5.62

-10.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 MYR 20.01

$3.91 A$5.63

25.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MYR 2.82

$3.04 A$4.38

-77.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.93 MYR 56.8

$150 A$216

-90.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$3.38 A$4.86

-64.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.09

$1.56 A$2.24

-19.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 MYR 20.23

$40.01 A$57.6

-87.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.61

$1.40 A$2.01

-37.14%

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

$41.5K MYR 169.4K

$29.1K A$41.9K

42.61%

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

$34.4K MYR 140.2K

$30.1K A$43.4K

14.10%

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

$61.8 MYR 252

$223 A$320

-72.22%

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

$8.90 MYR 36.30

$27.16 A$39.08

-67.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.69 MYR 109

$55.8 A$80.3

-52.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.43 MYR 173

$74.6 A$107

-43.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.33 MYR 29.89

$23.99 A$34.52

-69.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 MYR 20.88

$17.56 A$25.27

-70.84%

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

$298 MYR 1,215

$2,196 A$3,160

-86.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K MYR 53.1K

$28.2K A$40.6K

-53.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 MYR 290

$78.4 A$113

-9.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.18 MYR 168

$68.4 A$98.5

-39.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 MYR 348

$111 A$160

-23.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 MYR 397

$134 A$193

-27.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 MYR 1,607

$2,500 A$3,598

-84.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 MYR 1,231

$1,709 A$2,460

-82.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 MYR 2,794

$4,946 A$7,117

-86.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 MYR 1,753

$3,022 A$4,349

-85.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,783 MYR 7,272

$13.2K A$18.9K

-86.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,004 MYR 4,096

$8,370 A$12.0K

-88.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MYR 3,932

$4,113 A$5,919

-76.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

5.84

-28.42%

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

Last update for Serdang: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Serdang

$302 30.9%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2% 466% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Serdang

$275 28.1%

Sydney

$379 12% 37.6% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Serdang

$133 13.6%

Sydney

$177 5.6% 33.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Serdang

$97 10%

Sydney

$306 9.7% 214% $208

Eating Out

Serdang

$94 9.7%

Sydney

$299 9.5% 216% $204

Sport & Entertainment

Serdang

$53 5.4%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 108% $57

Getting Around

Serdang

$24 2.5%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 619% $149

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Serdang versus $2,500 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 327% 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 $17.00 in Serdang versus $91.0 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $379 – making Serdang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Serdang

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

07:20 7:20 AM

10:20 10:20 AM

3 h ahead of Serdang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

130,252

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 18, 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 18, 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

Serdang Sydney 6,610 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Serdang
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

Serdang vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $978 in Serdang, $3,152 in Sydney – roughly 222% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,467 per month in Serdang and $4,728 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Serdang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Sydney, 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 $17.00 in Serdang and $91.0 in Sydney. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Serdang, where all-in costs run around $978, than in Sydney at $3,152. In Serdang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Serdang – 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 Serdang. 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.