Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Casablanca

For one person, living is cheaper in Casablanca: $977 a month against $1,096 in Kuala Lumpur, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Kuala Lumpur
🇲🇾 Malaysia
$1,096
/mo nomad
Casablanca
🇲🇦 Morocco
$977
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,096 in Kuala Lumpur versus $977 in Casablanca.

  • Kuala Lumpur $1,096
  • Casablanca $977

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,649 in Kuala Lumpur versus $1,525 in Casablanca.

  • Kuala Lumpur $1,649
  • Casablanca $1,525

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,201 in Kuala Lumpur versus $2,074 in Casablanca.

  • Kuala Lumpur $2,201
  • Casablanca $2,074

Living in Kuala Lumpur is roughly 12% more expensive than in Casablanca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuala Lumpur 19% lower, Casablanca 28% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kuala Lumpur
Casablanca
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.97 MYR 20.29
$4.80 MAD 46.77
3.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.07 MYR 119
$33.06 MAD 322
-12.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.82 MYR 19.67
$8.04 MAD 78.4
-40.05%
Cappuccino
$3.15 MYR 12.85
$1.96 MAD 19.15
60.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MYR 3.38
$1.08 MAD 10.51
-23.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 MYR 1.96
$0.64 MAD 6.24
-25.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.52 MYR 18.42
$4.14 MAD 40.33
9.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.27 MYR 25.58
$5.74 MAD 56.0
9.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kuala Lumpur
Casablanca
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.07 MYR 8.45
$0.97 MAD 9.46
113.40%
White Bread (500g)
$1.07 MYR 4.36
$0.83 MAD 8.13
28.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.05 MYR 8.35
$1.89 MAD 18.43
8.47%
Eggs
$2.56 MYR 10.43
$1.89 MAD 18.47
35.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.82 MYR 56.4
$11.10 MAD 108
24.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.56 MYR 18.60
$7.20 MAD 70.2
-36.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.99 MYR 40.76
$11.76 MAD 115
-15.05%
Apples (1kg)
$3.48 MYR 14.20
$1.63 MAD 15.93
113.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.87 MYR 7.63
$1.56 MAD 15.22
19.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.36 MYR 9.61
$0.79 MAD 7.74
198.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.53 MYR 6.26
$0.76 MAD 7.42
101.32%
Potato (1kg)
$1.30 MYR 5.29
$0.62 MAD 6.08
109.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.39 MYR 5.68
$0.65 MAD 6.37
113.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.16 MYR 4.74
$0.49 MAD 4.81
136.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 MYR 2.92
$0.50 MAD 4.86
44.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.49 MYR 18.33
$4.11 MAD 40.11
9.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.84 MYR 80.9
$8.18 MAD 79.7
142.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.58 MYR 14.62
$2.29 MAD 22.36
56.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.94 MYR 20.14
$3.05 MAD 29.75
61.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Kuala Lumpur
Casablanca
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.76 MYR 3.09
$0.84 MAD 8.20
-9.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.07 MYR 49.25
$25.29 MAD 247
-52.27%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.21 MYR 4.92
$0.86 MAD 8.39
40.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.20 MYR 4.91
$0.30 MAD 2.89
300.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MYR 19.42
$4.56 MAD 44.43
4.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 MYR 3.60
$1.51 MAD 14.76
-41.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$45.0K MYR 183.4K
$30.8K MAD 300.3K
45.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.3K MYR 143.8K
$31.2K MAD 304.0K
13.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kuala Lumpur
Casablanca
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.1 MYR 249
$51.0 MAD 497
19.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.56 MYR 34.93
$9.96 MAD 97.1
-14.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.83 MYR 105
$41.12 MAD 401
-37.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kuala Lumpur
Casablanca
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.77 MYR 203
$32.46 MAD 316
53.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.68 MYR 31.34
$21.00 MAD 205
-63.43%
Cinema Ticket
$5.08 MYR 20.74
$7.57 MAD 73.8
-32.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kuala Lumpur
Casablanca
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$301 MYR 1,228
$572 MAD 5,577
-47.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.4K MYR 54.6K
$5,556 MAD 54.2K
140.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kuala Lumpur
Casablanca
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.0 MYR 290
$59.2 MAD 577
20.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.39 MYR 173
$44.48 MAD 434
-4.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.1 MYR 347
$94.0 MAD 917
-9.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.2 MYR 392
$60.1 MAD 586
59.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kuala Lumpur
Casablanca
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$626 MYR 2,554
$595 MAD 5,804
5.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$377 MYR 1,536
$347 MAD 3,386
8.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,159 MYR 4,729
$1,105 MAD 10.8K
4.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$613 MYR 2,500
$645 MAD 6,289
-5.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,120 MYR 16.8K
$2,214 MAD 21.6K
86.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,500 MYR 6,121
$1,238 MAD 12.1K
21.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kuala Lumpur
Casablanca
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,486 MYR 6,063
$670 MAD 6,536
121.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.18
4.83
-13.46%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 19, 2026

Last update for Casablanca: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kuala Lumpur
$377
Casablanca
$347 7.8% $29
Groceries & Markets
Kuala Lumpur
$277
Casablanca
$207 25.2% $70
Clothing & Footwear
Kuala Lumpur
$133
Casablanca
$116 12.5% $17
Eating Out
Kuala Lumpur
$132
Casablanca
$125 5.5% $7.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kuala Lumpur
$96
Casablanca
$102 6.9% $6.6
Sport & Entertainment
Kuala Lumpur
$60
Casablanca
$48 20.6% $12
Getting Around
Kuala Lumpur
$22
Casablanca
$31 38.8% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Kuala Lumpur and $595 in Casablanca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuala Lumpur pays 122% 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: $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur vs $33.00 in Casablanca. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $207, with Casablanca cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur
🇲🇦 Casablanca
🕒 Local time
18:51 6:51 PM
11:51 11:51 AM
7 h behind Kuala Lumpur
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,982,112 Capital
3,215,935
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kuala Lumpur Casablanca 11,580 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kuala Lumpur
  • Casablanca

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 Casablanca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Casablanca cheaper than Kuala Lumpur?
Casablanca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Kuala Lumpur or Casablanca?
Average pay runs 122% higher in Kuala Lumpur, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Kuala Lumpur and Casablanca?
Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Kuala Lumpur versus $595 in Casablanca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Kuala Lumpur or in Casablanca?
Dining out is cheaper in Casablanca – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Kuala Lumpur and in Casablanca?
All in, you'll spend $1,096 per month in Kuala Lumpur versus $977 in Casablanca – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Kuala Lumpur or in Casablanca?
At $977 in Casablanca versus $1,096 in Kuala Lumpur, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Casablanca but tight or insufficient in Kuala Lumpur. The gap between the two cities makes Casablanca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Kuala Lumpur or Casablanca more family-friendly?
For families, Casablanca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Kuala Lumpur, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Kuala Lumpur or Casablanca?
Safety-wise, Kuala Lumpur and Casablanca are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Casablanca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Kuala Lumpur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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