Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Kuantan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuantan: $839 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $27,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Kuantan
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Kuantan Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Kuantan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Kuantan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sydney and in Kuantan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,152 per month in Sydney vs $839 in Kuantan, rent included.

Sydney $3,152
Kuantan $839

A couple spends around $4,710 per month in Sydney vs $1,219 in Kuantan, rent included.

Sydney $4,710
Kuantan $1,219

A family of three spends $6,268 per month in Sydney vs $1,599 in Kuantan, rent included.

Sydney $6,268
Kuantan $1,599

Sydney costs about 275% more than Kuantan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sydney sits 133% above the global median, while Kuantan is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.29

$2.49 MYR 10.18

605.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$132

$12.00 MYR 48.96

662.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.21

$3.63 MYR 14.83

229.48%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.85

$2.88 MYR 11.73

41.32%

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

$2.85 A$4.10

$0.71 MYR 2.89

301.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$0.45 MYR 1.82

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.94

$2.80 MYR 11.43

171.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.69

$5.73 MYR 23.37

29.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.60 MYR 6.52

3.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$0.82 MYR 3.35

239.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.49

$1.47 MYR 5.98

64.63%

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.12

$1.31 MYR 5.34

330.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.85

$9.51 MYR 38.79

23.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.89

$3.28 MYR 13.36

194.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.10

$4.42 MYR 18.04

278.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.85

$3.03 MYR 12.35

34.32%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.68

$1.93 MYR 7.87

68.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.96

$2.73 MYR 11.12

26.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.16

$1.75 MYR 7.14

144.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$1.72 MYR 7.03

90.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$1.94 MYR 7.93

18.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.31

$0.76 MYR 3.12

202.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.74

$0.56 MYR 2.28

116.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.9

$4.38 MYR 17.85

897.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.97

$19.95 MYR 81.4

-30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.62

$1.99 MYR 8.13

95.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.63

$1.92 MYR 7.81

103.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.38

$0.51 MYR 2.07

496.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

$12.15 MYR 49.55

1136.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.86

$1.13 MYR 4.61

199.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$0.35 MYR 1.45

345.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.6

$9.05 MYR 36.92

342.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$0.52 MYR 2.13

169.23%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$34.1K MYR 139.1K

-14.60%

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

$30.1K A$43.4K

$33.1K MYR 134.9K

-8.92%

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

$223 A$320

$49.82 MYR 203

346.81%

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

$27.16 A$39.08

$8.06 MYR 32.86

236.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.3

$24.16 MYR 98.6

131.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

$39.79 MYR 162

87.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.52

$6.83 MYR 27.87

251.24%

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.27

$4.65 MYR 18.98

277.63%

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

$2,196 A$3,160

$280 MYR 1,142

684.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.6K

$10.2K MYR 41.8K

175.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

$52.4 MYR 214

49.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.5

$30.29 MYR 124

125.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$49.62 MYR 202

124.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$48.89 MYR 199

174.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,598

$411 MYR 1,675

508.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,460

$302 MYR 1,232

466.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,117

$692 MYR 2,822

615.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,349

$476 MYR 1,943

534.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$2,015 MYR 8,220

553.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

$1,090 MYR 4,448

667.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,919

$975 MYR 3,976

322.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

4.15

40.72%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kuantan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Kuantan

$302 36% 82.3% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Kuantan

$212 25.3% 43.9% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Kuantan

$82 9.8% 73.2% $224

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Kuantan

$95 11.4% 68% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Kuantan

$82 9.7% 53.8% $95

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Kuantan

$17 2% 90.2% $157

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Kuantan

$49 5.9% 55.3% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,500 in Sydney versus $411 in Kuantan. 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 322% 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 $91.0 in Sydney versus $12.00 in Kuantan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $379 vs $212 – making Kuantan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇲🇾 Kuantan

🕒 Local time

11:05 11:05 AM

08:05 8:05 AM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

548,014

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sydney Kuantan 6,530 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Kuantan

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

Sydney vs Kuantan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 275%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,728 per month in Sydney and $1,259 in Kuantan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $2,196 per month in Sydney and $280 in Kuantan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 78% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kuantan, where all-in costs run around $839, than in Sydney at $3,152. In Kuantan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuantan – 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 Kuantan. 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.