Cost of Living in Kuala Lumpur
Summary of cost of living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:
- The estimated monthly costs for a family of four are 2,107.3$ (9,033.8RM), excluding rent (using our estimator).
- The estimated monthly costs for a single person are 594.1$ (2,546.7RM), excluding rent.
- Kuala Lumpur is 65.1% less expensive than New York (excluding rent, see our cost of living index).
- Rent in Kuala Lumpur is, on average, 87.5% lower than in New York.
Restaurants |  Edit |
Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 18.00 RM | |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 120.00 RM | |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 20.00 RM | |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 19.00 RM | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 25.00 RM | |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 12.81 RM | |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.89 RM | |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.33 RM | |
Markets | Edit |
|
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 32.51 RM | |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.91 RM | |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.15 RM | |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 9.42 RM | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 28.10 RM | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 8.85 RM | |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 17.81 RM | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 5.66 RM | |
| Banana (1 lb) | 3.06 RM | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 5.12 RM | |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.79 RM | |
| Potato (1 lb) | 2.24 RM | |
| Onion (1 lb) | 2.57 RM | |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 5.06 RM | |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.77 RM | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 75.00 RM | |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 14.04 RM | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 18.41 RM | |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 18.00 RM | |
Transportation | Edit |
|
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 3.00 RM | |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 50.00 RM | |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 5.00 RM | |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 8.05 RM | |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 20.00 RM | |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 7.93 RM | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 170,000.00 RM | |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 137,704.00 RM | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit |
|
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 270.13 RM | |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 57.62 RM | |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 109.56 RM | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit |
|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 195.88 RM | |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 32.50 RM | |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 22.00 RM | |
Childcare | Edit |
|
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 1,156.52 RM | |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 39,400.00 RM | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit |
|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 254.20 RM | |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 158.42 RM | |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 365.86 RM | |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 341.43 RM | |
Rent Per Month | Edit |
|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,332.59 RM | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,514.81 RM | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,550.00 RM | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,705.41 RM | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,175.30 RM | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 586.36 RM | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,609.04 RM | |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 4.47 |
Prices in Kuala Lumpur
This city had 2328 entries in the past 12 months by 262 different contributors.
Last update: 20 May 2025
Last update: 20 May 2025
Sources and References
Moving to Kuala Lumpur? Explore:
Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
Nearby Cities:| Cost of Living in Petaling Jaya | 10.15 miles |
| Cost of Living in Subang Jaya | 14.23 miles |
| Cost of Living in Gombak | 17.86 miles |
| Cost of Living in Kuala Selangor | 41.00 miles |
| Cost of Living in Seremban | 42.58 miles |
| Cost of Living in Malacca | 88.62 miles |
| Cost of Living in Tangkak | 100.88 miles |
| Cost of Living in Kampar | 104.64 miles |
| Cost of Living in Muar | 113.16 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bandar Penggaram | 148.06 miles |
This Page in Other Languages:
 DeutschLebenshaltungskosten in Kuala Lumpur
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 PortuguêsCusto de Vida em Kuala Lumpur
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 ItalianoCosto della Vita a Kuala Lumpur
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 FrançaisCoût de la Vie à Kuala Lumpur
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 EspañolCosto de Vida en Kuala Lumpur
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breakfast will cost MYR10.00
lunch with drinks MYR15.00
Dinner with drinks MYR15.00-20.00
public transport Trains or Commuter starting from MYR1.50 to MYR9.90 depends on the distance.
Average starting salary from MYR1600.00 to MYR2200.00.
Itsalmost the same price as Germany.
Next is racism and discrimination. Chinese and Indians are highly discriminated. It’s a well known factor. But it’s funny, even they are so used it that, they are in denial. Discrimination being dark coloured skin is very high, doesn’t matter from which part of the world you are from.
During beginning of 2020 as the COVID hit the whole world. Most of the employees was helpless in KL and never bothered to renew foreign workers visa. Especially as the business was closed for months and as they no need to pay salary. If visa’s are running they are liable to pay salary. In few days these foreigner staff all became illegal immigrants and was hunted by the Malaysian authorities along with the other illegal immigrants. The sad part is, these illegal immigrates has always been the backbone of the businesses in KL. There is an YouTube video about this by Al Jazeera which had major criticism. https://youtu.be/zyl_xsdpteI
The community is not open to discussion or ready for criticism. Any review or comment which is unpleasant will invite major cyber attack or insult.