🇲🇾Cost of Living in Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia · Population: 8,420,000 · Cost Index: 35/100

Cost of Living in Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia · Asia

Kuala Lumpur is Malaysia's capital, dominated by the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. It offers a multicultural food scene and affordable modern living.

8,420,000

Population

Cost Index

Safety Index

Quality of Life

Average Monthly Cost: $1,450 (single person, excluding rent)

Estimated monthly budget in Kuala Lumpur

Typical total monthly cost by household type.

Single person

$1,450

per month

Couple

$2,180

per month

Family of 4

$3,050

per month

Student

$1,090

per month

Estimates based on the average cost of living in Kuala Lumpur, scaled by household size. Actual costs vary with lifestyle, neighbourhood and housing.

Cost Breakdown

Housing

Avg: $637.50

1-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$520.00

1-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$310.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$1,100.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$620.00

Food & Groceries

Avg: $3.82

Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant(per meal)

$2.50

Meal for 2 at Mid-Range Restaurant(per meal)

$18.00

McMeal at McDonald's(per meal)

$4.50

Milk (1 liter)(per liter)

$1.80

Bread (500g loaf)(per loaf)

$1.10

Rice (1 kg)(per kg)

$0.90

Eggs (12)(per dozen)

$1.50

Chicken Breast (1 kg)(per kg)

$3.20

Apples (1 kg)(per kg)

$3.50

Banana (1 kg)(per kg)

$1.20

Transportation

Avg: $6.03

Monthly Public Transit Pass(per month)

$28.00

One-Way Ticket (Local Transport)(per trip)

$0.55

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)(base fare)

$0.75

Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff)(per km)

$0.35

Gasoline (1 liter)(per liter)

$0.50

Utilities

Avg: $29.67

Basic Utilities (85m² Apt)(per month)

$55.00

Mobile Phone Plan(per month)

$12.00

Internet (60 Mbps+)(per month)

$22.00

Healthcare

Avg: $12.33

Doctor Visit(per visit)

$14.00

Dentist Visit(per visit)

$18.00

Prescription Medicine (avg)(per prescription)

$5.00

Entertainment

Avg: $10.20

Fitness Club Monthly(per month)

$30.00

Cinema Ticket(per ticket)

$4.50

Cappuccino(per cup)

$2.80

Beer (0.5l) at Restaurant(per glass)

$3.50

Clothing

Avg: $44.00

Pair of Jeans (Levi's)(per pair)

$40.00

Summer Dress (Chain Store)(per item)

$22.00

Running Shoes (Nike, Adidas)(per pair)

$70.00

Popular Kuala Lumpur comparisons

Kuala Lumpur vs Penang Kuala Lumpur vs Johor Bahru Kuala Lumpur vs New York Kuala Lumpur vs London Kuala Lumpur vs Tokyo Kuala Lumpur vs Singapore Kuala Lumpur vs Dubai Kuala Lumpur vs Paris

Frequently asked questions about Kuala Lumpur

Is Kuala Lumpur expensive to live in?

Kuala Lumpur has a cost of living index of 35 out of 100, where New York City scores 100. This makes it one of the more affordable cities we track.

How much money do you need to live in Kuala Lumpur?

A single person needs an estimated $1,450 per month to live in Kuala Lumpur, covering rent, food, transport and other essentials. A family or a more comfortable lifestyle will cost more.

What is the cost of living index in Kuala Lumpur?

Kuala Lumpur's cost of living index is 35 out of 100. The index is relative to New York City (100), so a score of 50 means overall costs are roughly half those of New York.

What is quality of life like in Kuala Lumpur?

Kuala Lumpur scores 62 out of 100 for quality of life and 63 out of 100 for safety in our index.

Data & sources

As an independent cross-check, the World Bank puts the overall price level in Malaysia at 31 relative to the United States (=100) in 2024. View source

Cost figures on this site are independent estimates, cross-referenced with public data sources including World Bank, Numbeo, Eurostat, OECD.