Kuching at a glance
- Kuching ranks 2nd of 8 priced cities in Malaysia on cost: $573 a month in essentials, 10% above Kota Kinabalu, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $1,234 covers that 2.2×.
- 103.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at district level.
- PM2.5 averages 15.2 µg/m³ a year, 3× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 9 Malaysia cities we track, so every row says whether Kuching is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $573 | $573 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $277 | $277 | same |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $454 | $454 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $103 | $103 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $97 | $97 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $85 | $85 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $11 | $11 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,234 | $1,234 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $454 | $454 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $887 | $887 | same |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Kuching, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $4.08 | $4.08 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $23.64 | $23.64 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $4.29 | $4.39 | $0.10 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.75 | $2.75 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $3.86 | $3.86 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $5.37 | $5.37 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.71 | $0.71 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.40 | $0.40 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.92 | $1.92 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.98 | $1.04 | $0.06 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.70 | $1.70 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.27 | $2.27 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $13.83 | $13.83 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $4.33 | $4.33 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.12 | $3.12 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.70 | $1.70 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.43 | $1.43 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.21 | $1.21 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.28 | $1.28 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.58 | $0.58 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.69 | $0.69 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $11.48 | $11.48 | same |
| Taxi start | $1.15 | $1.22 | $0.07 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.15 | $1.15 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $0.73 | $0.73 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $60.15 | $60.15 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $24.60 | $26.17 | $1.57 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $8.81 | $8.81 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $43.76 | $43.76 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $4.73 | $4.73 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Kuching has 103.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (district level). That is the lowest of the 9 Malaysia cities we track. Malaysia's national figure is 116.6, so Kuching runs 13 below the country as a whole.
Every Malaysia region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Kuching ranks against every city we track
Kuching sits ahead of 95% of the 991 cities we track on salary against local costs. On cost of living it is ahead of 75% of 998. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 29% of 1016.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Kuching sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Kuching on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Kuching beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Kuching in the research deskOr unlock the Malaysia deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Stefan Krasowski, CC BY 2.0.
Data updated