Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kajang, Selangor and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Kajang, Selangor: $988 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kajang, Selangor
🇲🇾 Malaysia
$988
/mo nomad
Melbourne
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,821
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kajang, Selangor and in Melbourne

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

A single person spends $988 per month in Kajang, Selangor vs $2,821 in Melbourne, rent included.

  • Kajang, Selangor $988
  • Melbourne $2,821

A couple spends around $1,448 per month in Kajang, Selangor vs $4,235 in Melbourne, rent included.

  • Kajang, Selangor $1,448
  • Melbourne $4,235

A family of three spends $1,909 per month in Kajang, Selangor vs $5,650 in Melbourne, rent included.

  • Kajang, Selangor $1,909
  • Melbourne $5,650

Kajang, Selangor is about 65% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kajang, Selangor sits 27% below the global median, while Melbourne is 109% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kajang, Selangor
Melbourne
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.76 MYR 15.34
$17.43 A$25.08
-78.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.63 MYR 76.0
$84.6 A$122
-77.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.81 MYR 19.62
$12.46 A$17.92
-61.40%
Cappuccino
$2.96 MYR 12.09
$4.11 A$5.91
-27.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.80 MYR 3.26
$3.06 A$4.40
-73.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 MYR 1.92
$2.52 A$3.62
-81.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.35 MYR 17.76
$9.80 A$14.10
-55.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.08 MYR 24.81
$8.57 A$12.33
-29.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kajang, Selangor
Melbourne
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 MYR 6.88
$1.48 A$2.14
14.19%
White Bread (500g)
$1.05 MYR 4.28
$2.94 A$4.23
-64.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.43 MYR 5.84
$2.66 A$3.82
-46.24%
Eggs
$1.66 MYR 6.78
$5.54 A$7.97
-70.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.84 MYR 72.8
$10.51 A$15.13
69.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.56 MYR 18.62
$9.65 A$13.89
-52.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.80 MYR 39.98
$15.22 A$21.91
-35.61%
Apples (1kg)
$3.41 MYR 13.91
$3.99 A$5.75
-14.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 MYR 6.88
$3.02 A$4.34
-44.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.32 MYR 9.48
$3.10 A$4.46
-25.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.53 MYR 6.23
$4.82 A$6.93
-68.26%
Potato (1kg)
$1.34 MYR 5.46
$3.03 A$4.36
-55.78%
Onion (1kg)
$1.65 MYR 6.73
$2.44 A$3.52
-32.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 MYR 4.60
$2.46 A$3.54
-54.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 MYR 2.09
$1.63 A$2.34
-68.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.36 MYR 17.79
$44.07 A$63.4
-90.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.93 MYR 56.8
$12.70 A$18.28
9.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.86 MYR 11.65
$5.54 A$7.97
-48.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 MYR 12.68
$5.23 A$7.52
-40.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Kajang, Selangor
Melbourne
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.76 MYR 3.08
$3.74 A$5.38
-79.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.29 MYR 50.1
$138 A$198
-91.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.21 MYR 4.92
$4.51 A$6.50
-73.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.71 MYR 2.91
$1.36 A$1.96
-47.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.94 MYR 20.16
$30.45 A$43.81
-83.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 MYR 3.35
$1.47 A$2.12
-44.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.3K MYR 172.7K
$29.0K A$41.7K
45.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.3K MYR 143.9K
$26.5K A$38.1K
33.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kajang, Selangor
Melbourne
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$52.5 MYR 214
$234 A$336
-77.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.92 MYR 40.45
$27.93 A$40.19
-64.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.35 MYR 107
$55.7 A$80.2
-52.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kajang, Selangor
Melbourne
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.80 MYR 183
$49.40 A$71.1
-9.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.53 MYR 30.73
$21.48 A$30.91
-64.94%
Cinema Ticket
$4.91 MYR 20.05
$15.09 A$21.72
-67.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kajang, Selangor
Melbourne
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$166 MYR 677
$2,371 A$3,412
-93.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,418 MYR 18.0K
$30.2K A$43.5K
-85.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kajang, Selangor
Melbourne
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.6 MYR 223
$80.0 A$115
-31.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$16.33 MYR 66.6
$50.7 A$73.0
-67.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.6 MYR 333
$121 A$174
-32.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.2 MYR 396
$130 A$188
-25.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kajang, Selangor
Melbourne
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$396 MYR 1,615
$1,759 A$2,531
-77.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$337 MYR 1,375
$1,390 A$2,000
-75.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$744 MYR 3,035
$3,494 A$5,027
-78.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$502 MYR 2,047
$2,493 A$3,588
-79.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,919 MYR 7,828
$6,926 A$9,967
-72.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,012 MYR 4,129
$6,445 A$9,274
-84.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kajang, Selangor
Melbourne
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$4,383 A$6,307
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.06
5.9
-31.19%

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

Last update for Kajang, Selangor: October 12, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kajang, Selangor
$337
Melbourne
$1.4K 312% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Kajang, Selangor
$256
Melbourne
$384 50.1% $128
Eating Out
Kajang, Selangor
$119
Melbourne
$315 164% $195
Clothing & Footwear
Kajang, Selangor
$112
Melbourne
$172 52.9% $59
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kajang, Selangor
$89
Melbourne
$317 258% $229
Sport & Entertainment
Kajang, Selangor
$55
Melbourne
$80 45.7% $25
Getting Around
Kajang, Selangor
$20
Melbourne
$164 716% $144

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $396 in Kajang, Selangor versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Kajang, Selangor versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $256 vs $384 – making Kajang, Selangor the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇾 Kajang, Selangor
🇦🇺 Melbourne
🕒 Local time
06:02 6:02 AM
09:02 9:02 AM
3 h ahead of Kajang, Selangor
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,047,356
5,031,195
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kajang, Selangor Melbourne 6,350 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kajang, Selangor
  • Melbourne

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
Kajang, Selangor vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Kajang, Selangor and in Melbourne compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $988 in Kajang, Selangor, $2,821 in Melbourne – roughly 186% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Kajang, Selangor compared to Melbourne?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,482 per month in Kajang, Selangor and $4,231 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Kajang, Selangor and Melbourne?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kajang, Selangor, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Kajang, Selangor and $85.0 in Melbourne. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Kajang, Selangor or Melbourne?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $988 in Kajang, Selangor and $2,821 in Melbourne. That's a gap of about 186%.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kajang, Selangor, where all-in costs run around $988, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Kajang, Selangor it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Kajang, Selangor or Melbourne?
Families tend to lean toward Kajang, Selangor – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Kajang, Selangor or Melbourne safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Kajang, Selangor and Melbourne?
If budget matters most, go with Kajang, Selangor. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Kajang, Selangor vs other spots: cost of living compared

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