Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Boroko

For one person, living is cheaper in Boroko: $883 a month against $1,067 in Kuala Lumpur, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 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 Boroko
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Boroko Living Index

Jump to prices

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,067

/mo nomad

Boroko

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$883

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,067 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $883 in Boroko, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,067
Boroko $883

A couple spends around $1,662 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,279 in Boroko, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,662
Boroko $1,279

A family of three spends $2,257 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,676 in Boroko, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $2,257
Boroko $1,676

Kuala Lumpur costs about 21% more than Boroko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.80 MYR 19.60

$7.32 PGK 32.06

-34.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.82 MYR 118

$34.97 PGK 153

-17.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 MYR 20.40

$5.65 PGK 24.75

-11.50%

Cappuccino

$3.05 MYR 12.47

$2.49 PGK 10.91

22.49%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.46

$0.73 PGK 3.22

16.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.84

$0.68 PGK 2.99

-33.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 MYR 18.41

$2.57 PGK 11.28

75.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 MYR 24.50

$3.60 PGK 15.78

66.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 MYR 8.63

$1.51 PGK 6.60

39.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.40

$1.20 PGK 5.27

-10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.24

$1.22 PGK 5.34

65.57%

Eggs

$2.55 MYR 10.40

$3.69 PGK 16.19

-30.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.85 MYR 56.6

$4.91 PGK 21.53

182.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 MYR 17.91

$5.74 PGK 25.15

-23.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 MYR 39.46

$6.51 PGK 28.52

48.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 MYR 14.16

$3.93 PGK 17.21

-11.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.23

$3.13 PGK 13.74

-43.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 MYR 9.21

$2.68 PGK 11.77

-16.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 MYR 6.34

$2.67 PGK 11.70

-41.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.43

$2.84 PGK 12.45

-53.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.64

$0.85 PGK 3.75

62.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.79

$1.13 PGK 4.94

3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 MYR 2.73

$0.43 PGK 1.87

55.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MYR 17.87

$5.51 PGK 24.17

-20.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.87 MYR 77.1

$4.87 PGK 21.34

287.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 MYR 14.78

$1.13 PGK 4.95

220.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 MYR 20.64

$1.58 PGK 6.93

220.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.92

$0.43 PGK 1.88

67.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.46 MYR 50.9

$29.80 PGK 131

-58.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MYR 5.11

$4.54 PGK 19.88

-72.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MYR 5.05

$1.36 PGK 5.96

-8.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.82 MYR 19.68

$11.18 PGK 49.00

-56.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 MYR 3.52

$0.79 PGK 3.47

8.86%

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

$41.4K MYR 168.8K

$20.6K PGK 90.3K

100.76%

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

$34.6K MYR 141.1K

$17.4K PGK 76.3K

98.55%

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

$61.5 MYR 251

$62.5 PGK 274

-1.63%

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

$8.60 MYR 35.12

$22.96 PGK 101

-62.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.25 MYR 107

$90.5 PGK 396

-70.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.06 MYR 200

$42.26 PGK 185

16.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.69 MYR 31.39

$14.52 PGK 63.6

-47.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MYR 20.23

$6.56 PGK 28.74

-24.54%

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

$295 MYR 1,204

$328 PGK 1,439

-10.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MYR 54.0K

$2,247 PGK 9,849

488.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 MYR 296

$32.17 PGK 141

125.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.57 MYR 170

$13.05 PGK 57.2

218.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 MYR 350

$45.08 PGK 198

90.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.2 MYR 389

$26.83 PGK 118

254.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$625 MYR 2,553

$3,311 PGK 14.5K

-81.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 MYR 1,545

$225 PGK 984

68.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 MYR 4,806

$3,352 PGK 14.7K

-64.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 MYR 2,608

$224 PGK 982

184.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,112 MYR 16.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,504 MYR 6,141

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,491 MYR 6,088

$356 PGK 1,561

318.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

-62.00%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 5, 2026

Last update for Boroko: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lumpur

$378 34.7%

Boroko

$225 25.2% 40.6% $154

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lumpur

$273 25%

Boroko

$211 23.6% 22.8% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lumpur

$133 12.2%

Boroko

$53 5.9% 60.3% $80

Eating Out

Kuala Lumpur

$130 11.9%

Boroko

$131 14.7% 1% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lumpur

$96 8.8%

Boroko

$176 19.7% 82.6% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.4%

Boroko

$55 6.2% 6.1% $3.6

Getting Around

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1%

Boroko

$43 4.8% 88.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $625 in Kuala Lumpur versus $3,311 in Boroko. 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 319% 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 $35.00 in Boroko. Groceries tell a different story – $273 in Kuala Lumpur vs $211 in Boroko – so Boroko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🇵🇬 Boroko

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

00:24 12:24 AM

2 h ahead of Kuala Lumpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,982,112 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.204 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.91 PGK (1 PGK = 0.204 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kuala Lumpur Boroko 5,230 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Lumpur
Boroko

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 Boroko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuala Lumpur costs about 21% more than Boroko, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,600 per month in Kuala Lumpur and $1,324 in Boroko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $295 per month in Kuala Lumpur and $328 in Boroko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Kuala Lumpur, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Boroko, where all-in costs run around $883, than in Kuala Lumpur at $1,067. In Boroko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kuala Lumpur it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Boroko costs $883 versus $1,067 in Kuala Lumpur. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Boroko. 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.