Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Bharu and Kuala Lumpur Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Bharu and Kuala Lumpur

🙂 Solo nomad: Kota Bharu is 32.8% cheaper than Kuala Lumpur without rent, and 39.9% cheaper with rent.
🙂 Family of 3: Kota Bharu is 36.9% cheaper than Kuala Lumpur without rent, and 27.2% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kota Bharu
Kuala Lumpur
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.82 MYR 7.66
$4.58 MYR 19.31
-60.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$21.31 MYR 89.9
$28.83 MYR 122
-26.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.21 MYR 17.76
$4.77 MYR 20.13
-11.74%
Cappuccino
$2.32 MYR 9.79
$2.96 MYR 12.48
-21.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.45 MYR 1.9
$0.85 MYR 3.58
-47.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 MYR 1.15
$0.5 MYR 2.11
-46.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.27 MYR 18.02
$4.23 MYR 17.82
0.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.17 MYR 17.58
$5.95 MYR 25.11
-29.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kota Bharu
Kuala Lumpur
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 MYR 6.62
$2.08 MYR 8.78
-24.52%
White Bread (500g)
$0.76 MYR 3.19
$1 MYR 4.22
-24.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.83 MYR 3.51
$1.64 MYR 6.92
-49.39%
Eggs
$1.55 MYR 6.55
$2.29 MYR 9.64
-32.31%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.17 MYR 64
$14.84 MYR 62.6
2.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.95 MYR 12.43
$4.52 MYR 19.05
-34.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.19 MYR 26.11
$9.51 MYR 40.1
-34.91%
Apples (1kg)
$1.4 MYR 5.88
$2.95 MYR 12.46
-52.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 MYR 6.04
$1.62 MYR 6.85
-11.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.38 MYR 5.8
$2.7 MYR 11.37
-48.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.9 MYR 3.8
$1.51 MYR 6.38
-40.40%
Potato (1kg)
$0.83 MYR 3.5
$1.21 MYR 5.11
-31.40%
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 MYR 4.89
$1.4 MYR 5.92
-17.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.92 MYR 3.86
$1.21 MYR 5.09
-23.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.4 MYR 1.71
$0.68 MYR 2.87
-41.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.07 MYR 12.97
$4.19 MYR 17.68
-26.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.59 MYR 61.5
$18.11 MYR 76.4
-19.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.4 MYR 5.9
$3.33 MYR 14.06
-57.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.43 MYR 14.45
$4.39 MYR 18.5
-21.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Kota Bharu
Kuala Lumpur
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.74 MYR 3.12
$0.72 MYR 3.06
2.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.63 MYR 49.04
$11.74 MYR 49.49
-0.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.69 MYR 2.91
$1.21 MYR 5.11
-42.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.54 MYR 2.26
$1.13 MYR 4.78
-52.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.64 MYR 15.35
$4.59 MYR 19.35
-20.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.5 MYR 2.11
$0.48 MYR 2.01
4.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31K MYR 130.6K
$40K MYR 168.8K
-22.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K MYR 114.8K
$33K MYR 139.2K
-17.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kota Bharu
Kuala Lumpur
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$38.1 MYR 161
$64.8 MYR 273
-41.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.15 MYR 34.38
$11.7 MYR 49.34
-30.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.59 MYR 112
$25.5 MYR 108
4.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kota Bharu
Kuala Lumpur
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.56 MYR 154
$45.93 MYR 194
-20.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.77 MYR 24.33
$7.76 MYR 32.73
-25.64%
Cinema Ticket
$4.26 MYR 17.98
$5.23 MYR 22.03
-18.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kota Bharu
Kuala Lumpur
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$116 MYR 489
$266 MYR 1,122
-56.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,301 MYR 26.6K
$9,267 MYR 39.1K
-32.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kota Bharu
Kuala Lumpur
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 MYR 225
$61.5 MYR 259
-13.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.9 MYR 79.7
$38.04 MYR 160
-50.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$61.7 MYR 260
$86.3 MYR 364
-28.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$51.8 MYR 219
$79.6 MYR 336
-34.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kota Bharu
Kuala Lumpur
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$264 MYR 1,114
$578 MYR 2,437
-54.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$141 MYR 595
$371 MYR 1,566
-62.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$845 MYR 3,565
$1,061 MYR 4,472
-20.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$478 MYR 2,015
$628 MYR 2,649
-23.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,767 MYR 7,450
$3,071 MYR 12.9K
-42.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,061 MYR 4,474
$1,532 MYR 6,459
-30.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kota Bharu
Kuala Lumpur
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$325 MYR 1,371
$1,342 MYR 5,659
-75.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.16
4.47
-6.94%

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

Last update for Kota Bharu: October 28, 2025

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 28, 2025

Similar cities

Join the CityCost newsletter – low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.