Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hobart and Kuala Lumpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur: $1,067 a month against $2,691 in Hobart, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Hobart
Learn more

Hobart Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
Learn more

Kuala Lumpur Living Index

Jump to prices

Hobart

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,691

/mo nomad

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,691 per month in Hobart vs $1,067 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Hobart $2,691
Kuala Lumpur $1,067

A couple spends around $3,700 per month in Hobart vs $1,662 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Hobart $3,700
Kuala Lumpur $1,662

A family of three spends $4,710 per month in Hobart vs $2,257 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Hobart $4,710
Kuala Lumpur $2,257

Hobart costs about 152% more than Kuala Lumpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Hobart sits 101% above the global median, while Kuala Lumpur is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.57 A$26.57

$4.80 MYR 19.60

286.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.6 A$131

$28.82 MYR 118

217.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 A$14.92

$5.00 MYR 20.40

108.60%

Cappuccino

$3.88 A$5.56

$3.05 MYR 12.47

27.21%

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

$3.50 A$5.01

$0.85 MYR 3.46

311.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.19

$0.45 MYR 1.84

395.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.44 A$12.08

$4.51 MYR 18.41

87.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.52 A$13.63

$6.00 MYR 24.50

58.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 A$2.64

$2.11 MYR 8.63

-12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 A$3.60

$1.08 MYR 4.40

133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.69

$2.02 MYR 8.24

-6.93%

Eggs

$5.24 A$7.49

$2.55 MYR 10.40

105.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 A$14.04

$13.85 MYR 56.6

-29.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.46 A$12.11

$4.39 MYR 17.91

92.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.45 A$24.97

$9.66 MYR 39.46

80.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.36

$3.47 MYR 14.16

-12.10%

Banana (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.63

$1.77 MYR 7.23

83.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.34

$2.25 MYR 9.21

35.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 A$6.55

$1.55 MYR 6.34

194.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.62

$1.33 MYR 5.43

90.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.09

$1.38 MYR 5.64

56.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 A$3.66

$1.17 MYR 4.79

118.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.38

$0.67 MYR 2.73

147.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$36.51 A$52.3

$4.38 MYR 17.87

733.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 A$21.14

$18.87 MYR 77.1

-21.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.96 A$7.10

$3.62 MYR 14.78

37.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.48 A$7.85

$5.06 MYR 20.64

8.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 A$4.33

$0.72 MYR 2.92

319.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.9 A$140

$12.46 MYR 50.9

685.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 A$6.54

$1.25 MYR 5.11

265.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 A$2.93

$1.24 MYR 5.05

64.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.13 A$58.9

$4.82 MYR 19.68

753.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.87

$0.86 MYR 3.52

52.33%

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

$27.2K A$38.9K

$41.4K MYR 168.8K

-34.23%

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

$39.0K A$55.8K

$34.6K MYR 141.1K

12.78%

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

$224 A$320

$61.5 MYR 251

264.24%

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

$29.07 A$41.60

$8.60 MYR 35.12

238.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 A$86.7

$26.25 MYR 107

130.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 A$52.7

$49.06 MYR 200

-24.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.64 A$18.08

$7.69 MYR 31.39

64.37%

Cinema Ticket

$16.85 A$24.12

$4.95 MYR 20.23

240.40%

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

$1,966 A$2,814

$295 MYR 1,204

567.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K A$30.1K

$13.2K MYR 54.0K

59.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.1 A$110

$72.6 MYR 296

6.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 A$76.5

$41.57 MYR 170

28.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$152

$85.7 MYR 350

24.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$181

$95.2 MYR 389

33.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 A$2,613

$625 MYR 2,553

191.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 A$1,933

$378 MYR 1,545

256.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 A$3,022

$1,177 MYR 4,806

79.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 A$2,309

$639 MYR 2,608

152.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,210 A$13.2K

$4,112 MYR 16.8K

123.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,813 A$9,750

$1,504 MYR 6,141

352.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,150 A$5,939

$1,491 MYR 6,088

178.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

4.18

48.33%

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

Last update for Hobart: October 4, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hobart

$1.4K 49.9%

Kuala Lumpur

$378 34.7% 72% $972

Groceries & Markets

Hobart

$373 13.8%

Kuala Lumpur

$273 25% 26.9% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hobart

$314 11.6%

Kuala Lumpur

$96 8.8% 69.3% $217

Eating Out

Hobart

$311 11.5%

Kuala Lumpur

$130 11.9% 58.2% $181

Clothing & Footwear

Hobart

$164 6.1%

Kuala Lumpur

$133 12.2% 18.8% $31

Getting Around

Hobart

$125 4.6%

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1% 81.8% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Hobart

$71 2.6%

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.4% 16.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,826 in Hobart versus $625 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 178% higher in Hobart, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in Hobart versus $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $373 vs $273 – making Kuala Lumpur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Hobart

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🕒 Local time

23:36 11:36 PM

20:36 8:36 PM

3 h behind Hobart

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

197,451

1,982,112 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 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 = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 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 = 0.219 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hobart Kuala Lumpur 6,860 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Hobart
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

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

Hobart costs about 152% more than Kuala Lumpur, 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 $4,036 per month in Hobart and $1,600 in Kuala Lumpur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuala Lumpur, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Hobart, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in Hobart and $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kuala Lumpur, where all-in costs run around $1,067, than in Hobart at $2,691. In Kuala Lumpur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hobart it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kuala Lumpur costs $1,067 versus $2,691 in Hobart. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Kuala Lumpur. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hobart makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.