Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Dededo

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur: $1,096 a month against $2,734 in Dededo, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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

$1,096

/mo nomad

Dededo

🇬🇺 Guam

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,096 in Kuala Lumpur versus $2,734 in Dededo.

Kuala Lumpur $1,096
Dededo $2,734

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,649 in Kuala Lumpur versus $3,908 in Dededo.

Kuala Lumpur $1,649
Dededo $3,908

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,201 in Kuala Lumpur versus $5,082 in Dededo.

Kuala Lumpur $2,201
Dededo $5,082

Living in Kuala Lumpur costs roughly 60% less than in Dededo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kuala Lumpur is 19% below, Dededo is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.97 MYR 20.32

$24.58 $24.58

-79.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.07 MYR 119

$49.68 $49.68

-41.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 MYR 19.70

$16.93 $16.93

-71.53%

Cappuccino

$3.15 MYR 12.86

$4.47 $4.47

-29.53%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.39

$1.12 $1.12

-25.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.96

$1.03 $1.03

-53.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 MYR 18.45

$2.83 $2.83

59.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.27 MYR 25.62

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 MYR 8.46

$6.97 $6.97

-70.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.36

$9.23 $9.23

-88.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MYR 8.36

$2.22 $2.22

-7.66%

Eggs

$2.56 MYR 10.45

$7.03 $7.03

-63.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.82 MYR 56.4

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MYR 18.62

$18.09 $18.09

-74.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.99 MYR 40.82

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 MYR 14.22

$7.99 $7.99

-56.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 MYR 7.64

$8.07 $8.07

-76.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 MYR 9.63

$10.17 $10.17

-76.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.27

$9.78 $9.78

-84.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.30

$6.25 $6.25

-79.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.68

$8.48 $8.48

-83.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 MYR 4.75

$4.48 $4.48

-74.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MYR 2.92

$2.04 $2.04

-64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.49 MYR 18.36

$9.23 $9.23

-51.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 MYR 81.1

$22.99 $22.99

-13.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.58 MYR 14.64

$2.44 $2.44

46.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MYR 20.17

$5.10 $5.10

-3.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.07 MYR 49.32

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.92

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MYR 4.92

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MYR 19.45

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.61

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

$45.0K MYR 183.7K

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

$35.3K MYR 144.0K

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

$61.1 MYR 250

$203 $203

-69.91%

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

$8.56 MYR 34.98

$49.16 $49.16

-82.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.83 MYR 106

$50.8 $50.8

-49.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.77 MYR 203

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.68 MYR 31.39

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 MYR 20.77

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

$301 MYR 1,229

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MYR 54.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 MYR 290

$59.1 $59.1

20.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.39 MYR 173

$98.5 $98.5

-56.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 MYR 348

$102 $102

-16.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 MYR 393

$120 $120

-19.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 MYR 2,558

$1,635 $1,635

-61.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 MYR 1,538

$1,322 $1,322

-71.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 MYR 4,736

$3,231 $3,231

-64.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$613 MYR 2,503

$2,003 $2,003

-69.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,120 MYR 16.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,500 MYR 6,130

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,486 MYR 6,072

$3,805 $3,805

-60.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 19, 2026

Last update for Dededo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lumpur

$377 34.3%

Dededo

–

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lumpur

$277 25.3%

Dededo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lumpur

$133 12.1%

Dededo

–

Eating Out

Kuala Lumpur

$132 12.1%

Dededo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lumpur

$96 8.7%

Dededo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lumpur

$60 5.5%

Dededo

–

Getting Around

Kuala Lumpur

$22 2%

Dededo

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Kuala Lumpur and $1,635 in Dededo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dededo pays about 2.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $29 in Kuala Lumpur vs $50 in Dededo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $614 per month, with Kuala Lumpur cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🇬🇺 Dededo

🕒 Local time

00:23 12:23 AM

02:23 2:23 AM

2 h ahead of Kuala Lumpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,982,112 Capital

45,000

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kuala Lumpur Dededo 4,880 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Lumpur
Dededo

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 Dededo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuala Lumpur wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Dededo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kuala Lumpur the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Kuala Lumpur. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Kuala Lumpur versus $1,635 in Dededo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,096 per month in Kuala Lumpur versus $2,734 in Dededo – a 149% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 122% higher in Dededo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,096 in Kuala Lumpur versus $2,734 in Dededo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuala Lumpur but tight or insufficient in Dededo. The gap between the two cities makes Kuala Lumpur the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Safety-wise, Kuala Lumpur and Dededo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Kuala Lumpur wins on affordability, Dededo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.