Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and George Town

For one person, living is cheaper in George Town: $956 a month against $1,086 in Kuala Lumpur, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
Learn more

Kuala Lumpur Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in George Town
Learn more

George Town Living Index

Jump to prices

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,086

/mo nomad

George Town

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuala Lumpur and in George Town

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,086 in Kuala Lumpur versus $956 in George Town.

Kuala Lumpur $1,086
George Town $956

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,663 in Kuala Lumpur versus $1,599 in George Town.

Kuala Lumpur $1,663
George Town $1,599

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,239 in Kuala Lumpur versus $2,243 in George Town.

Kuala Lumpur $2,239
George Town $2,243

Living in Kuala Lumpur is roughly 14% more expensive than in George Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuala Lumpur 20% lower, George Town 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.76 MYR 19.40

$3.41 MYR 13.92

39.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.15 MYR 119

$15.33 MYR 62.5

90.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.50

$4.55 MYR 18.58

5.05%

Cappuccino

$3.08 MYR 12.57

$2.61 MYR 10.66

18.01%

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

$0.84 MYR 3.42

$0.78 MYR 3.16

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$0.35 MYR 1.43

34.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.49 MYR 18.31

$2.42 MYR 9.88

85.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 MYR 24.35

$4.46 MYR 18.21

33.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 MYR 8.31

$1.85 MYR 7.56

10.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 MYR 4.51

$1.05 MYR 4.28

5.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.22

$1.68 MYR 6.85

20.24%

Eggs

$2.49 MYR 10.15

$2.21 MYR 9.03

12.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.20 MYR 57.9

$13.65 MYR 55.7

4.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.44 MYR 18.11

$4.51 MYR 18.38

-1.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.85 MYR 40.19

$8.49 MYR 34.62

16.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 MYR 14.29

$2.43 MYR 9.89

44.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.44

$1.43 MYR 5.84

27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 MYR 9.36

$2.23 MYR 9.12

2.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MYR 6.53

$1.19 MYR 4.86

34.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.44

$0.93 MYR 3.77

43.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.53

$0.85 MYR 3.45

60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MYR 4.83

$0.70 MYR 2.87

68.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 MYR 2.72

$0.57 MYR 2.31

17.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 MYR 18.46

$4.42 MYR 18.03

2.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.75 MYR 80.6

$18.74 MYR 76.5

5.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 MYR 14.43

$2.42 MYR 9.89

46.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MYR 20.12

$3.59 MYR 14.65

37.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$0.47 MYR 1.91

48.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 MYR 50.8

$10.84 MYR 44.24

14.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 MYR 5.04

$1.24 MYR 5.08

-0.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MYR 4.84

$0.51 MYR 2.09

133.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 MYR 19.90

$6.87 MYR 28.03

-28.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.59

$0.84 MYR 3.43

4.76%

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

$41.8K MYR 170.4K

$42.3K MYR 172.6K

-1.28%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.4K

$28.7K MYR 117.0K

21.68%

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

$61.2 MYR 250

$36.87 MYR 150

65.91%

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

$8.63 MYR 35.22

$8.21 MYR 33.51

5.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.31 MYR 107

$28.51 MYR 116

-7.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.33 MYR 201

$40.21 MYR 164

22.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.47 MYR 30.46

$5.04 MYR 20.55

48.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MYR 20.17

$4.76 MYR 19.43

3.99%

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

$302 MYR 1,234

$173 MYR 705

75.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MYR 54.4K

$4,848 MYR 19.8K

174.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 MYR 292

$53.1 MYR 216

34.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.57 MYR 170

$34.45 MYR 141

20.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 MYR 345

$74.5 MYR 304

13.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 MYR 397

$69.8 MYR 285

39.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 MYR 2,490

$505 MYR 2,059

20.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 MYR 1,513

$374 MYR 1,524

-0.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 MYR 4,646

$932 MYR 3,804

22.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 MYR 2,696

$992 MYR 4,046

-33.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,114 MYR 16.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,500 MYR 6,120

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,494 MYR 6,093

$1,094 MYR 4,462

36.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

4.04

3.47%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 12, 2026

Last update for George Town: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lumpur

$371 34.1%

George Town

$374 39.1% 0.8% $2.8

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lumpur

$276 25.4%

George Town

$240 25.1% 13% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lumpur

$133 12.2%

George Town

$104 10.9% 21.4% $28

Eating Out

Kuala Lumpur

$129 11.9%

George Town

$98 10.2% 24.1% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lumpur

$96 8.9%

George Town

$74 7.7% 23.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.5%

George Town

$50 5.2% 16% $9.5

Getting Around

Kuala Lumpur

$22 2.1%

George Town

$17 1.7% 26.4% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $610 in Kuala Lumpur and $505 in George Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuala Lumpur pays 37% 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 $15.00 in George Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $240 per month, with George Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 George Town

🕒 Local time

08:32 8:32 AM

Same time as Kuala Lumpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,982,112 Capital

794,313

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kuala Lumpur George Town 290 km

From you

Kuala Lumpur
George Town

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 George Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George Town is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 37% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $610 in Kuala Lumpur versus $505 in George Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in George Town runs roughly 15% less than in Kuala Lumpur. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $302 in Kuala Lumpur versus $173 in George Town. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $956 in George Town versus $1,086 in Kuala Lumpur, a $1,500 budget is realistic in George Town but tight or insufficient in Kuala Lumpur. The gap between the two cities makes George Town the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, George Town 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.

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

Expats usually find George Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Kuala Lumpur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.