Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibu and Kuching

For one person, living is cheaper in Sibu: $905 a month against $972 in Kuching, rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Sibu
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Sibu Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index

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Sibu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$905

/mo nomad

Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $905 in Sibu versus $972 in Kuching.

Sibu $905
Kuching $972

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,406 in Sibu versus $1,521 in Kuching.

Sibu $1,406
Kuching $1,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,906 in Sibu versus $2,070 in Kuching.

Sibu $1,906
Kuching $2,070

Living in Sibu costs roughly 7% less than in Kuching, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sibu 34% lower, Kuching 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 MYR 9.15

$3.37 MYR 13.69

-32.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.22 MYR 78.0

$24.51 MYR 99.4

-21.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.23 MYR 17.15

$4.90 MYR 19.90

-13.67%

Cappuccino

$2.30 MYR 9.31

$3.19 MYR 12.95

-27.90%

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

$0.61 MYR 2.48

$0.78 MYR 3.18

-21.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 MYR 0.93

$0.38 MYR 1.55

-39.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 MYR 11.61

$4.61 MYR 18.71

-37.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MYR 18.10

$5.96 MYR 24.20

-25.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MYR 7.15

$2.39 MYR 9.70

-26.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 MYR 3.54

$1.19 MYR 4.85

-26.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.38

$1.19 MYR 4.83

11.76%

Eggs

$2.18 MYR 8.83

$2.38 MYR 9.64

-8.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 MYR 54.1

$10.99 MYR 44.58

21.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 MYR 19.90

$4.34 MYR 17.60

12.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 MYR 40.26

$10.00 MYR 40.56

-0.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MYR 11.61

$3.17 MYR 12.87

-9.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MYR 7.36

$1.32 MYR 5.36

37.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 MYR 9.58

$2.52 MYR 10.24

-6.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.87

$1.78 MYR 7.23

-5.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.59

$1.38 MYR 5.61

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.41

$1.19 MYR 4.82

11.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MYR 4.29

$1.61 MYR 6.54

-34.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.28

$0.55 MYR 2.21

1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 MYR 18.19

$4.76 MYR 19.29

-5.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.27 MYR 78.2

$22.25 MYR 90.3

-13.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 MYR 12.24

$4.13 MYR 16.74

-26.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.72

$5.06 MYR 20.51

-8.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MYR 3.21

$0.36 MYR 1.46

119.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.49 MYR 46.62

$7.48 MYR 30.34

53.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 MYR 4.24

$0.97 MYR 3.93

7.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MYR 2.48

$1.23 MYR 4.99

-50.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 MYR 29.49

$8.82 MYR 35.77

-17.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.51

$0.94 MYR 3.81

-7.45%

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

$45.5K MYR 184.7K

$45.9K MYR 186.4K

-0.90%

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

$36.2K MYR 146.7K

$36.1K MYR 146.3K

0.25%

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

$48.91 MYR 198

$35.63 MYR 145

37.27%

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

$7.37 MYR 29.89

$10.19 MYR 41.34

-27.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 MYR 106

$25.50 MYR 103

2.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.13 MYR 110

$33.85 MYR 137

-19.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.38 MYR 25.90

$12.26 MYR 49.73

-47.96%

Cinema Ticket

$3.72 MYR 15.11

$4.87 MYR 19.76

-23.61%

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

$243 MYR 985

$135 MYR 548

79.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,876 MYR 27.9K

$7,150 MYR 29.0K

-3.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 MYR 228

$64.1 MYR 260

-12.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 MYR 148

$37.52 MYR 152

-2.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 MYR 281

$90.0 MYR 365

-23.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 MYR 317

$64.6 MYR 262

21.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 MYR 1,580

$469 MYR 1,903

-16.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 MYR 1,289

$334 MYR 1,355

-4.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,830

$834 MYR 3,385

-16.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MYR 2,554

$654 MYR 2,655

-3.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,136 MYR 8,667

$2,053 MYR 8,328

4.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 MYR 4,727

$1,534 MYR 6,221

-24.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$487 MYR 1,975

$535 MYR 2,172

-9.05%

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 Sibu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kuching: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sibu

$318 35.1%

Kuching

$334 34.4% 5.2% $16

Groceries & Markets

Sibu

$258 28.6%

Kuching

$272 28% 5.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Sibu

$108 11.9%

Kuching

$115 11.9% 6.8% $7.3

Eating Out

Sibu

$85 9.4%

Kuching

$120 12.3% 41% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sibu

$82 9.1%

Kuching

$71 7.3% 13.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Sibu

$35 3.8%

Kuching

$44 4.5% 26.1% $9

Getting Around

Sibu

$19 2.1%

Kuching

$16 1.7% 14.5% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $390 in Sibu and $469 in Kuching. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuching pays 10% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Sibu vs $25 in Kuching for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $272 per month, with Sibu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sibu

🇲🇾 Kuching

🕒 Local time

14:33 2:33 PM

Same time as Sibu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

198,239

349,147

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sibu Kuching 190 km

From you

Sibu
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

Sibu vs Kuching: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sibu is about 7% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Sibu. 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: $390 in Sibu versus $469 in Kuching. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sibu – a meal for two runs $19 versus $25 in Kuching. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $905 per month in Sibu versus $972 in Kuching – Sibu is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Sibu is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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

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