Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alor Setar and Kuala Lumpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Alor Setar: $868 a month against $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Alor Setar
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Alor Setar Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index

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Alor Setar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$868

/mo nomad

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,074

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alor Setar and in Kuala Lumpur

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

A single person spends $868 per month in Alor Setar vs $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Alor Setar $868
Kuala Lumpur $1,074

A couple spends around $1,310 per month in Alor Setar vs $1,622 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Alor Setar $1,310
Kuala Lumpur $1,622

A family of three spends $1,752 per month in Alor Setar vs $2,170 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Alor Setar $1,752
Kuala Lumpur $2,170

Alor Setar is about 19% cheaper than Kuala Lumpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Alor Setar and Kuala Lumpur are more affordable than the global median – Alor Setar 36% lower, Kuala Lumpur 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 MYR 8.40

$4.98 MYR 20.35

-58.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.28 MYR 50.2

$29.03 MYR 119

-57.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 MYR 16.70

$4.85 MYR 19.84

-15.67%

Cappuccino

$1.92 MYR 7.86

$3.02 MYR 12.34

-36.42%

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

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$0.79 MYR 3.22

-31.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.24

$0.45 MYR 1.86

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 MYR 16.76

$4.48 MYR 18.29

-8.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 MYR 18.48

$6.16 MYR 25.19

-26.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MYR 6.58

$2.11 MYR 8.63

-23.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 MYR 3.49

$1.12 MYR 4.58

-24.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MYR 7.13

$1.93 MYR 7.88

-9.33%

Eggs

$1.53 MYR 6.24

$2.46 MYR 10.04

-37.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.63 MYR 55.7

$14.24 MYR 58.2

-4.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 MYR 17.67

$4.37 MYR 17.86

-1.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.47 MYR 34.62

$9.86 MYR 40.32

-14.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 MYR 12.53

$3.46 MYR 14.13

-11.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$1.78 MYR 7.27

-33.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 MYR 10.65

$2.27 MYR 9.26

14.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.00

$1.51 MYR 6.18

-2.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 MYR 4.34

$1.23 MYR 5.02

-13.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 MYR 4.39

$1.30 MYR 5.33

-16.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 MYR 4.47

$1.14 MYR 4.65

-4.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.34

$0.71 MYR 2.89

-19.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 MYR 18.18

$4.29 MYR 17.52

3.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.90 MYR 77.3

$19.77 MYR 80.8

-4.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 MYR 12.19

$3.36 MYR 13.75

-11.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 MYR 21.18

$5.02 MYR 20.52

3.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.85

$0.70 MYR 2.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.69 MYR 51.9

$12.44 MYR 50.9

2.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$1.20 MYR 4.88

44.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 MYR 1.67

$1.25 MYR 5.09

-67.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.38 MYR 30.18

$4.98 MYR 20.37

48.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 2.00

$0.89 MYR 3.63

-44.94%

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

$45.3K MYR 185.1K

$44.5K MYR 182.1K

1.64%

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

$35.8K MYR 146.5K

$34.6K MYR 141.5K

3.55%

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

$37.81 MYR 155

$63.5 MYR 259

-40.42%

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

$7.47 MYR 30.53

$8.62 MYR 35.24

-13.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.90 MYR 89.5

$26.24 MYR 107

-16.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.64 MYR 154

$49.20 MYR 201

-23.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.37 MYR 26.03

$7.32 MYR 29.93

-12.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.83 MYR 19.74

$4.97 MYR 20.33

-2.82%

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

$396 MYR 1,620

$472 MYR 1,927

-15.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MYR 43.7K

$13.2K MYR 53.9K

-18.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 MYR 244

$72.2 MYR 295

-17.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.76 MYR 146

$41.48 MYR 170

-13.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 MYR 334

$83.9 MYR 343

-2.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.9 MYR 282

$94.3 MYR 385

-26.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 MYR 1,719

$685 MYR 2,800

-38.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 MYR 1,201

$358 MYR 1,463

-17.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 MYR 2,668

$1,212 MYR 4,953

-46.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 MYR 2,173

$593 MYR 2,424

-10.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,256 MYR 9,221

$3,760 MYR 15.4K

-39.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,157 MYR 4,727

$1,565 MYR 6,395

-26.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 MYR 6,539

$1,458 MYR 5,957

9.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

4.17

-3.12%

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

Last update for Alor Setar: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alor Setar

$294 33.8%

Kuala Lumpur

$358 33.3% 21.9% $64

Groceries & Markets

Alor Setar

$245 28.3%

Kuala Lumpur

$274 25.5% 11.7% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Alor Setar

$111 12.8%

Kuala Lumpur

$131 12.2% 18.6% $21

Eating Out

Alor Setar

$85 9.8%

Kuala Lumpur

$130 12.1% 53.8% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alor Setar

$67 7.7%

Kuala Lumpur

$98 9.2% 46.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Alor Setar

$47 5.5%

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.5% 25.1% $12

Getting Around

Alor Setar

$19 2.2%

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1% 17.8% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $421 in Alor Setar versus $685 in Kuala Lumpur. 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 10% higher in Alor Setar, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Alor Setar versus $29 in Kuala Lumpur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $274 – making Alor Setar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Alor Setar

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🕒 Local time

01:45 1:45 AM

Same time as Alor Setar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

423,868

1,982,112 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Alor Setar Kuala Lumpur 360 km

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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

Alor Setar vs Kuala Lumpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuala Lumpur costs about 24% more than Alor Setar, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,303 per month in Alor Setar and $1,611 in Kuala Lumpur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alor Setar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $421 there versus $685 in Kuala Lumpur.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $868 in Alor Setar and $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur. That’s a gap of about 24%.

Kindergarten costs $396 per month in Alor Setar and $472 in Kuala Lumpur. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $868 in Alor Setar and $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Alor Setar – 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.