Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnie and Kuala Lumpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur: $1,067 a month against $1,614 in Burnie, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Burnie
Learn more

Burnie Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
Learn more

Kuala Lumpur Living Index

Jump to prices

Burnie

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Burnie 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 Burnie and in Kuala Lumpur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Burnie versus $1,067 in Kuala Lumpur.

Burnie $1,614
Kuala Lumpur $1,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,472 in Burnie versus $1,662 in Kuala Lumpur.

Burnie $2,472
Kuala Lumpur $1,662

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,330 in Burnie versus $2,257 in Kuala Lumpur.

Burnie $3,330
Kuala Lumpur $2,257

Living in Burnie is roughly 51% more expensive than in Kuala Lumpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Burnie is 20% above, Kuala Lumpur is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.28 A$26.16

$4.80 MYR 19.60

280.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.6 A$130

$28.82 MYR 118

214.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 A$7.75

$5.00 MYR 20.40

8.40%

Cappuccino

$3.96 A$5.66

$3.05 MYR 12.47

29.84%

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

$3.52 A$5.03

$0.85 MYR 3.46

314.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 A$2.42

$0.45 MYR 1.84

275.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.17 A$5.97

$4.51 MYR 18.41

-7.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 A$8.54

$6.00 MYR 24.50

-0.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 A$2.63

$2.11 MYR 8.63

-12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 A$3.57

$1.08 MYR 4.40

131.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 A$2.73

$2.02 MYR 8.24

-5.45%

Eggs

$4.88 A$6.98

$2.55 MYR 10.40

91.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.64 A$13.80

$13.85 MYR 56.6

-30.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 A$8.81

$4.39 MYR 17.91

40.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.17 A$24.57

$9.66 MYR 39.46

77.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.01

$3.47 MYR 14.16

-19.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.01

$1.77 MYR 7.23

58.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.97

$2.25 MYR 9.21

-8.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.93

$1.55 MYR 6.34

77.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.78

$1.33 MYR 5.43

98.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 A$3.02

$1.38 MYR 5.64

52.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 A$2.94

$1.17 MYR 4.79

76.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 A$2.30

$0.67 MYR 2.73

140.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$35.56 A$50.9

$4.38 MYR 17.87

711.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 A$20.44

$18.87 MYR 77.1

-24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.46 A$4.95

$3.62 MYR 14.78

-4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.94

$5.06 MYR 20.64

9.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.88 A$2.69

$0.72 MYR 2.92

161.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.46 MYR 50.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 A$3.82

$1.25 MYR 5.11

113.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 A$3.04

$1.24 MYR 5.05

71.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.27 A$60.5

$4.82 MYR 19.68

776.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 A$1.85

$0.86 MYR 3.52

50.00%

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

$26.4K A$37.8K

$41.4K MYR 168.8K

-36.06%

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

$31.4K A$44.9K

$34.6K MYR 141.1K

-9.25%

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

$212 A$303

$61.5 MYR 251

244.09%

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

$20.99 A$30.03

$8.60 MYR 35.12

144.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.19 A$69.0

$26.25 MYR 107

83.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.06 MYR 200

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.69 MYR 31.39

Cinema Ticket

$14.01 A$20.06

$4.95 MYR 20.23

183.03%

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

$2,000 A$2,862

$295 MYR 1,204

578.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K A$29.8K

$13.2K MYR 54.0K

57.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.7 A$113

$72.6 MYR 296

8.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.16 A$34.57

$41.57 MYR 170

-41.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$153

$85.7 MYR 350

24.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.8 A$133

$95.2 MYR 389

-2.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 A$1,144

$625 MYR 2,553

27.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 A$823

$378 MYR 1,545

52.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 A$1,614

$1,177 MYR 4,806

-4.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 A$1,199

$639 MYR 2,608

31.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,112 MYR 16.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,504 MYR 6,141

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,051 A$7,229

$1,491 MYR 6,088

238.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

4.18

33.97%

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

Last update for Burnie: October 6, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Burnie

$575 35.2%

Kuala Lumpur

$378 34.7% 34.2% $197

Groceries & Markets

Burnie

$331 20.2%

Kuala Lumpur

$273 25% 17.6% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burnie

$281 17.2%

Kuala Lumpur

$96 8.8% 65.7% $184

Eating Out

Burnie

$264 16.1%

Kuala Lumpur

$130 11.9% 50.8% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Burnie

$136 8.3%

Kuala Lumpur

$133 12.2% 2.4% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Burnie

$28 * 1.7%

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.4% 110% $31

Getting Around

Burnie

$21 * 1.3%

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1% 9.2% $1.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $799 in Burnie and $625 in Kuala Lumpur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnie pays 239% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $91.0 in Burnie vs $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $273 per month, with Kuala Lumpur cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Burnie

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🕒 Local time

13:55 1:55 PM

10:55 10:55 AM

3 h behind Burnie

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,267

1,982,112 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Burnie Kuala Lumpur 6,650 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Burnie
Kuala Lumpur

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Burnie vs Kuala Lumpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuala Lumpur is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 239% higher in Burnie, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $799 in Burnie versus $625 in Kuala Lumpur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Burnie. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,614 per month in Burnie versus $1,067 in Kuala Lumpur – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,067 in Kuala Lumpur versus $1,614 in Burnie, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuala Lumpur but tight or insufficient in Burnie. The gap between the two cities makes Kuala Lumpur the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kuala Lumpur is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Burnie, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Burnie and Kuala Lumpur are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kuala Lumpur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Burnie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.