Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Abakan

For one person, living is cheaper in Abakan: $892 a month against $1,086 in Kuala Lumpur, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Abakan
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Abakan Living Index

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Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,086

/mo nomad

Abakan

🇷🇺 Russia

$892

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuala Lumpur and in Abakan

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

A single person spends $1,086 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $892 in Abakan, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,086
Abakan $892

A couple spends around $1,663 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,382 in Abakan, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,663
Abakan $1,382

A family of three spends $2,239 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,873 in Abakan, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $2,239
Abakan $1,873

Kuala Lumpur costs about 22% more than Abakan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kuala Lumpur and Abakan are more affordable than the global median – Kuala Lumpur 20% lower, Abakan 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.76 MYR 19.40

$11.16 ₽931

-57.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.15 MYR 119

$33.28 ₽2,778

-12.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.50

$6.14 ₽512

-22.15%

Cappuccino

$3.08 MYR 12.57

$3.06 ₽256

0.65%

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

$0.84 MYR 3.42

$1.15 ₽96.3

-26.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$0.60 ₽50.3

-21.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.49 MYR 18.31

$1.84 ₽154

144.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 MYR 24.35

$3.05 ₽255

95.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 MYR 8.31

$1.16 ₽96.8

75.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 MYR 4.51

$0.73 ₽61.0

52.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.22

$1.37 ₽114

47.45%

Eggs

$2.49 MYR 10.15

$1.56 ₽130

59.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.20 MYR 57.9

$11.08 ₽925

28.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.44 MYR 18.11

$6.13 ₽512

-27.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.85 MYR 40.19

$11.51 ₽960

-14.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 MYR 14.29

$1.71 ₽143

104.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.44

$1.75 ₽146

4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 MYR 9.36

$1.74 ₽145

31.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MYR 6.53

$3.47 ₽290

-53.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.44

$0.80 ₽67.2

66.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.53

$0.61 ₽50.5

122.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MYR 4.83

$1.28 ₽107

-7.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 MYR 2.72

$0.64 ₽53.1

4.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 MYR 18.46

$2.59 ₽216

74.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.75 MYR 80.6

$8.89 ₽742

122.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 MYR 14.43

$1.12 ₽93.4

216.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MYR 20.12

$1.96 ₽164

151.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$0.44 ₽36.75

59.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 MYR 50.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 MYR 5.04

$2.55 ₽213

-51.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MYR 4.84

$0.36 ₽29.63

230.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 MYR 19.90

$5.75 ₽480

-15.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.59

$0.78 ₽65.1

12.82%

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

$41.8K MYR 170.4K

$40.3K ₽3.4M

3.64%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.4K

$31.6K ₽2.6M

10.61%

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

$61.2 MYR 250

$75.9 ₽6,337

-19.44%

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

$8.63 MYR 35.22

$5.81 ₽485

48.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.31 MYR 107

$9.20 ₽768

185.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.33 MYR 201

$35.47 ₽2,960

39.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.47 MYR 30.46

$22.35 ₽1,865

-66.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MYR 20.17

$6.09 ₽508

-18.72%

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

$302 MYR 1,234

$322 ₽26.9K

-6.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MYR 54.4K

$5,975 ₽498.7K

123.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 MYR 292

$42.65 ₽3,560

67.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.57 MYR 170

$52.0 ₽4,343

-20.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 MYR 345

$109 ₽9,058

-22.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 MYR 397

$80.3 ₽6,704

21.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 MYR 2,490

$336 ₽28.1K

81.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 MYR 1,513

$237 ₽19.8K

56.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 MYR 4,646

$533 ₽44.5K

113.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 MYR 2,696

$353 ₽29.5K

87.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,114 MYR 16.8K

$2,257 ₽188.4K

82.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,500 MYR 6,120

$1,625 ₽135.6K

-7.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,494 MYR 6,093

$594 ₽49.6K

151.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

21.45

-80.51%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 12, 2026

Last update for Abakan: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lumpur

$371 34.1%

Abakan

$237 26.6% 36.1% $134

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lumpur

$276 25.4%

Abakan

$216 24.2% 21.7% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lumpur

$133 12.2%

Abakan

$128 14.3% 3.9% $5.2

Eating Out

Kuala Lumpur

$129 11.9%

Abakan

$167 18.7% 29.3% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lumpur

$96 8.9%

Abakan

$91 10.2% 5.4% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.5%

Abakan

$48 5.3% 19.5% $12

Getting Around

Kuala Lumpur

$22 2.1%

Abakan

$6.1 * 0.7% 72.9% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $610 in Kuala Lumpur versus $336 in Abakan. 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 152% higher in Kuala Lumpur, 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 $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur versus $33.00 in Abakan. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Kuala Lumpur vs $216 in Abakan – so Abakan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🇷🇺 Abakan

🕒 Local time

12:19 12:19 PM

11:19 11:19 AM

1 h behind Kuala Lumpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,982,112 Capital

187,239

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kuala Lumpur Abakan 5,700 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Lumpur
Abakan

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

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

Yes – Kuala Lumpur is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,629 per month in Kuala Lumpur and $1,338 in Abakan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,086 in Kuala Lumpur and $892 in Abakan. That's a gap of about 22%.

Kindergarten costs $302 per month in Kuala Lumpur and $322 in Abakan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Abakan, where all-in costs run around $892, than in Kuala Lumpur at $1,086. In Abakan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kuala Lumpur it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Abakan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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