Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kedah and Kuala Lumpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Kedah: $877 a month against $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Kedah
Learn more

Kedah Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
Learn more

Kuala Lumpur Living Index

Jump to prices

Kedah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$877

/mo nomad

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,074

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $877 in Kedah versus $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur.

Kedah $877
Kuala Lumpur $1,074

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Kedah versus $1,622 in Kuala Lumpur.

Kedah $1,399
Kuala Lumpur $1,622

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,920 in Kedah versus $2,170 in Kuala Lumpur.

Kedah $1,920
Kuala Lumpur $2,170

Living in Kedah costs roughly 18% less than in Kuala Lumpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kedah 36% lower, Kuala Lumpur 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MYR 15.19

$4.98 MYR 20.35

-25.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.32 MYR 50.4

$29.03 MYR 119

-57.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 MYR 18.65

$4.85 MYR 19.84

-5.98%

Cappuccino

$2.91 MYR 11.90

$3.02 MYR 12.34

-3.64%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.15

$0.79 MYR 3.22

-2.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.60

$0.45 MYR 1.86

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 MYR 17.31

$4.48 MYR 18.29

-5.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 MYR 17.80

$6.16 MYR 25.19

-29.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MYR 7.68

$2.11 MYR 8.63

-10.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 MYR 4.33

$1.12 MYR 4.58

-5.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MYR 7.01

$1.93 MYR 7.88

-10.88%

Eggs

$2.19 MYR 8.94

$2.46 MYR 10.04

-10.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 MYR 55.4

$14.24 MYR 58.2

-4.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 MYR 17.75

$4.37 MYR 17.86

-0.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.84 MYR 36.13

$9.86 MYR 40.32

-10.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 MYR 12.02

$3.46 MYR 14.13

-15.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.67

$1.78 MYR 7.27

-8.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 MYR 11.24

$2.27 MYR 9.26

21.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.94

$1.51 MYR 6.18

-3.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 MYR 4.50

$1.23 MYR 5.02

-10.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.45

$1.30 MYR 5.33

-16.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.63

$1.14 MYR 4.65

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.34

$0.71 MYR 2.89

-19.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MYR 18.89

$4.29 MYR 17.52

7.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.76 MYR 76.7

$19.77 MYR 80.8

-5.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 MYR 12.19

$3.36 MYR 13.75

-11.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 MYR 21.79

$5.02 MYR 20.52

6.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.11

$0.70 MYR 2.87

8.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.85 MYR 52.5

$12.44 MYR 50.9

3.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.78

$1.20 MYR 4.88

38.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.54

$1.25 MYR 5.09

-69.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 MYR 29.79

$4.98 MYR 20.37

46.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 MYR 2.47

$0.89 MYR 3.63

-32.58%

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

$45.6K MYR 186.5K

$44.5K MYR 182.1K

2.44%

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)

$36.47 MYR 149

$63.5 MYR 259

-42.53%

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

$9.66 MYR 39.47

$8.62 MYR 35.24

12.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.48 MYR 120

$26.24 MYR 107

12.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.63 MYR 142

$49.20 MYR 201

-29.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.85 MYR 28.01

$7.32 MYR 29.93

-6.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.79 MYR 19.59

$4.97 MYR 20.33

-3.62%

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

$388 MYR 1,584

$472 MYR 1,927

-17.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MYR 43.6K

$13.2K MYR 53.9K

-19.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 MYR 241

$72.2 MYR 295

-18.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.76 MYR 142

$41.48 MYR 170

-16.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.6 MYR 334

$83.9 MYR 343

-2.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.7 MYR 289

$94.3 MYR 385

-25.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 MYR 1,462

$685 MYR 2,800

-47.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 MYR 1,054

$358 MYR 1,463

-27.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 MYR 2,911

$1,212 MYR 4,953

-41.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 MYR 2,479

$593 MYR 2,424

2.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,930 MYR 7,889

$3,760 MYR 15.4K

-48.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,258 MYR 5,140

$1,565 MYR 6,395

-19.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,339 MYR 5,473

$1,458 MYR 5,957

-8.13%

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 Kedah: 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

Kedah

$258 29.4%

Kuala Lumpur

$358 33.3% 38.8% $100

Groceries & Markets

Kedah

$257 29.3%

Kuala Lumpur

$274 25.5% 6.9% $18

Eating Out

Kedah

$113 12.9%

Kuala Lumpur

$130 12.1% 15.4% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Kedah

$111 12.6%

Kuala Lumpur

$131 12.2% 18.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kedah

$76 8.6%

Kuala Lumpur

$98 9.2% 30% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Kedah

$44 5%

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.5% 33.8% $15

Getting Around

Kedah

$19 2.2%

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1% 16.6% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $358 in Kedah and $685 in Kuala Lumpur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuala Lumpur pays 9% 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: $12 in Kedah vs $29 in Kuala Lumpur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $274 per month, with Kedah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kedah

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🕒 Local time

19:10 7:10 PM

Same time as Kedah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

417,800

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kedah Kuala Lumpur 360 km

From you

Kedah
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

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

Kedah and Kuala Lumpur differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($877 vs $1,074 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Kedah. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $358 in Kedah versus $685 in Kuala Lumpur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $388 in Kedah versus $472 in Kuala Lumpur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Kuala Lumpur. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Kedah gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kedah 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.

It comes down to priorities – Kedah wins on affordability, Kuala Lumpur on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.