Kuala Lumpur at a glance
- Kuala Lumpur is the most expensive of Malaysia's 4 priced cities: $698 a month in essentials, 33% above Kota Kinabalu at $523.
- The average net salary of $1,542 covers that 2.2×.
- 120.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at unit level.
- PM2.5 averages 37.9 µg/m³ a year, 8× 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 5 Malaysia cities we track, so every row says whether Kuala Lumpur 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 | $698 | $646 | $52 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $369 | $366 | $3 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $605 | $505 | $100 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $117 | $104 | $13 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $110 | $84 | 1.31× as much |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $90 | $90 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $12 | $12 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,542 | $1,070 | 1.44× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $605 | $605 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,183 | $898 | 1.32× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Kuala Lumpur, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $4.64 | $3.66 | 1.27× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $26.86 | $19.53 | 1.38× as much |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $4.88 | $4.88 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.13 | $2.80 | $0.33 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $4.39 | $4.39 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $6.10 | $4.64 | 1.31× as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.81 | $0.74 | $0.07 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.46 | $0.46 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $2.18 | $1.90 | $0.28 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.11 | $1.07 | $0.04 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.93 | $1.71 | $0.22 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.58 | $2.27 | $0.31 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $15.72 | $15.72 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $4.92 | $4.57 | $0.35 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.54 | $3.05 | $0.49 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.93 | $1.70 | $0.23 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.63 | $1.63 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.37 | $1.37 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.46 | $1.46 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.66 | $0.52 | 1.27× as much |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.73 | $0.73 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $12.21 | $12.21 | same |
| Taxi start | $1.22 | $1.22 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.22 | $0.73 | 1.67× as much |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $0.78 | $0.78 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $63.99 | $63.99 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $26.17 | $27.43 | $1.26 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $9.37 | $9.37 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $49.73 | $40.28 | $9.45 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $5.37 | $4.88 | $0.49 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Kuala Lumpur has 120.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (unit level). That is the 4th-highest of 6 Malaysia cities we track. Malaysia's national figure is 116.6, so Kuala Lumpur runs 4 above 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 Kuala Lumpur ranks against every city we track
Kuala Lumpur sits ahead of 94% of the 534 cities we track on salary against local costs. On cost of living it is ahead of 74% of 542. Its weakest measure is women aged 20–39, ahead of only 4% of 892.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Kuala Lumpur sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Renek78, CC0.
