Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Astrakhan

For one person, living is cheaper in Astrakhan: $155 a month against $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index

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Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,074

/mo nomad

Astrakhan

🇷🇺 Russia

$155

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Astrakhan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur versus $155 in Astrakhan.

Kuala Lumpur $1,074
Astrakhan $155

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,622 in Kuala Lumpur versus $341 in Astrakhan.

Kuala Lumpur $1,622
Astrakhan $341

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,170 in Kuala Lumpur versus $528 in Astrakhan.

Kuala Lumpur $2,170
Astrakhan $528

Living in Kuala Lumpur is roughly 593% more expensive than in Astrakhan.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuala Lumpur 21% lower, Astrakhan 89% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.98 MYR 20.28

$8.90 ₽712

-44.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.03 MYR 118

$43.38 ₽3,470

-33.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 MYR 19.78

$5.60 ₽448

-13.39%

Cappuccino

$3.02 MYR 12.30

$2.69 ₽215

12.27%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.21

$1.52 ₽122

-48.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.85

$0.83 ₽66.3

-45.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 MYR 18.24

$3.17 ₽253

41.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 MYR 25.11

$4.69 ₽375

31.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 MYR 8.60

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 MYR 4.56

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.85

Eggs

$2.46 MYR 10.01

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.24 MYR 58.0

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.37 MYR 17.80

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.86 MYR 40.19

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 MYR 14.09

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.24

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 MYR 9.23

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.16

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 5.00

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.31

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.64

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 MYR 2.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MYR 17.46

Wine (Bottle)

$19.77 MYR 80.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 MYR 13.70

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 MYR 20.45

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.44 MYR 50.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.87

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.07

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MYR 20.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 MYR 3.62

$0.82 ₽65.3

8.54%

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

$44.5K MYR 181.5K

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

$34.6K MYR 141.0K

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

$63.5 MYR 259

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

$8.62 MYR 35.13

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.24 MYR 107

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.20 MYR 200

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.32 MYR 29.84

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MYR 20.27

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

$472 MYR 1,921

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MYR 53.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 MYR 294

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.48 MYR 169

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 MYR 342

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 MYR 384

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 MYR 2,791

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 MYR 1,458

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 MYR 4,937

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 MYR 2,416

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,760 MYR 15.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,565 MYR 6,375

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,458 MYR 5,938

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

-78.05%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 26, 2026

Last update for Astrakhan: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lumpur

$358 33.3%

Astrakhan

–

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lumpur

$274 25.5%

Astrakhan

–

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lumpur

$131 12.2%

Astrakhan

–

Eating Out

Kuala Lumpur

$130 12.1%

Astrakhan

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lumpur

$98 9.2%

Astrakhan

–

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.5%

Astrakhan

–

Getting Around

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1%

Astrakhan

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $29 in Kuala Lumpur vs $43 in Astrakhan for two.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🇷🇺 Astrakhan

🕒 Local time

13:08 1:08 PM

09:08 9:08 AM

4 h behind Kuala Lumpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,982,112 Capital

524,371

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

100 RUB = 1.25 USD

100 RUB = 1.12 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 79.99 RUB (100 RUB = 1.25 USD). 1 EUR = 89.04 RUB (100 RUB = 1.12 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kuala Lumpur Astrakhan 7,050 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

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Kuala Lumpur
Astrakhan

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 Astrakhan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur and $155 in Astrakhan, so Astrakhan is about 86% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,611 in Kuala Lumpur and $232 in Astrakhan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur – a meal for two runs $29 versus $43 in Astrakhan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,074 per month in Kuala Lumpur versus $155 in Astrakhan – Astrakhan is about 86% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Astrakhan 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.