Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibu and Lugoj

For one person, living is cheaper in Lugoj: $763 a month against $905 in Sibu, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Sibu
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Sibu Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Lugoj
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Lugoj Living Index

Jump to prices

Sibu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$905

/mo nomad

Lugoj

🇷🇴 Romania

$763

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sibu and in Lugoj

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $905 in Sibu versus $763 in Lugoj.

Sibu $905
Lugoj $763

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,406 in Sibu versus $1,197 in Lugoj.

Sibu $1,406
Lugoj $1,197

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,906 in Sibu versus $1,631 in Lugoj.

Sibu $1,906
Lugoj $1,631

Living in Sibu is roughly 19% more expensive than in Lugoj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sibu 34% lower, Lugoj 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 MYR 9.19

$9.17 RON 44.09

-75.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.22 MYR 78.3

$33.79 RON 162

-43.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.23 MYR 17.22

$5.11 RON 24.54

-17.22%

Cappuccino

$2.30 MYR 9.35

$1.81 RON 8.72

27.07%

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

$0.61 MYR 2.50

$1.61 RON 7.72

-62.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 MYR 0.94

$1.43 RON 6.87

-83.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 MYR 11.66

$2.08 RON 9.99

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MYR 18.17

$2.04 RON 9.79

118.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MYR 7.18

$1.57 RON 7.54

12.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 MYR 3.56

$0.90 RON 4.31

-3.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.40

$0.65 RON 3.13

104.62%

Eggs

$2.18 MYR 8.87

$1.26 RON 6.08

73.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 MYR 54.4

$3.40 RON 16.33

292.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 MYR 19.98

$3.92 RON 18.85

25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 MYR 40.44

$4.14 RON 19.88

139.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MYR 11.66

$1.06 RON 5.12

169.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MYR 7.39

$1.21 RON 5.83

49.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 MYR 9.62

$1.64 RON 7.86

43.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.90

$0.66 RON 3.17

156.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.62

$0.61 RON 2.94

126.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.43

$0.65 RON 3.11

104.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MYR 4.31

$0.96 RON 4.62

10.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.29

$0.66 RON 3.16

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 MYR 18.27

$4.71 RON 22.65

-4.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.27 MYR 78.5

$4.19 RON 20.14

359.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 MYR 12.30

$1.21 RON 5.79

149.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.80

$1.71 RON 8.24

169.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MYR 3.23

$0.66 RON 3.18

19.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.49 MYR 46.82

$21.21 RON 102

-45.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$0.82 RON 3.96

26.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MYR 2.50

$0.96 RON 4.60

-36.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 MYR 29.62

$8.45 RON 40.60

-13.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.53

$1.86 RON 8.95

-53.23%

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

$45.5K MYR 185.5K

$29.0K RON 139.4K

56.98%

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

$36.2K MYR 147.3K

$24.4K RON 117.1K

48.33%

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

$48.91 MYR 199

$51.5 RON 247

-4.99%

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

$7.37 MYR 30.02

$8.42 RON 40.46

-12.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 MYR 107

$9.44 RON 45.35

177.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.13 MYR 111

$21.31 RON 102

27.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.38 MYR 26.02

$25.56 RON 123

-75.04%

Cinema Ticket

$3.72 MYR 15.17

$9.54 RON 45.83

-61.01%

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

$243 MYR 989

$576 RON 2,767

-57.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,876 MYR 28.0K

$9,610 RON 46.2K

-28.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 MYR 229

$88.8 RON 427

-36.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 MYR 148

$44.91 RON 216

-18.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 MYR 282

$97.0 RON 466

-28.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 MYR 318

$103 RON 495

-24.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 MYR 1,587

$181 RON 871

114.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 MYR 1,294

$206 RON 992

53.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,843

$316 RON 1,519

120.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MYR 2,565

$310 RON 1,491

102.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,136 MYR 8,704

$1,296 RON 6,231

64.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 MYR 4,747

$1,028 RON 4,940

13.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$487 MYR 1,984

$916 RON 4,401

-46.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

6.65

-38.95%

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

Last update for Sibu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lugoj: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sibu

$318 35.1%

Lugoj

$206 27.1% 35% $111

Groceries & Markets

Sibu

$258 28.6%

Lugoj

$130 17% 49.8% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Sibu

$108 11.9%

Lugoj

$150 19.7% 39.1% $42

Eating Out

Sibu

$85 9.4%

Lugoj

$137 18% 61.5% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sibu

$82 9.1%

Lugoj

$69 9.1% 15.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Sibu

$35 3.8%

Lugoj

$40 5.3% 16.8% $5.8

Getting Around

Sibu

$19 2.1%

Lugoj

$29 3.9% 57% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $390 in Sibu and $181 in Lugoj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lugoj pays 88% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19 in Sibu vs $34 in Lugoj. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $130, with Lugoj cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sibu

🇷🇴 Lugoj

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

22:24 10:24 PM

6 h behind Sibu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

198,239

49,742

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.81 RON (1 RON = 0.208 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sibu Lugoj 9,820 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Sibu
Lugoj

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 Lugoj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $905 in Sibu and $763 in Lugoj, so Lugoj is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 47% 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 $181 in Lugoj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $905 per month in Sibu versus $763 in Lugoj – Lugoj is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Sibu runs roughly 46% less than in Lugoj. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Lugoj 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, Sibu and Lugoj are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.