Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh

😐 Solo nomad: Kuala Lumpur is 4.5% more expensive than Ipoh without rent, and 22.3% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Kuala Lumpur is 28.7% more expensive than Ipoh without rent, and 24% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kuala Lumpur
Ipoh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.58 MYR 19.31
$2.64 MYR 11.12
73.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.83 MYR 122
$19 MYR 80.1
51.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.77 MYR 20.13
$3.73 MYR 15.71
27.88%
Cappuccino
$2.96 MYR 12.48
$2.23 MYR 9.39
32.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.85 MYR 3.58
$0.78 MYR 3.29
8.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.5 MYR 2.11
$0.36 MYR 1.52
38.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.23 MYR 17.82
$3.5 MYR 14.78
20.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.95 MYR 25.11
$4.54 MYR 19.13
31.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kuala Lumpur
Ipoh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.08 MYR 8.78
$1.91 MYR 8.04
8.90%
White Bread (500g)
$1 MYR 4.22
$1.04 MYR 4.37
-3.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.64 MYR 6.92
$1.32 MYR 5.56
24.24%
Eggs
$2.29 MYR 9.64
$1.89 MYR 7.95
21.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.84 MYR 62.6
$12.87 MYR 54.3
15.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.52 MYR 19.05
$5.25 MYR 22.15
-13.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.51 MYR 40.1
$7.79 MYR 32.83
22.08%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 MYR 12.46
$2.88 MYR 12.12
2.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 MYR 6.85
$1.78 MYR 7.53
-8.99%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.7 MYR 11.37
$3.05 MYR 12.87
-11.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.51 MYR 6.38
$2.09 MYR 8.8
-27.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.21 MYR 5.11
$1.5 MYR 6.33
-19.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.4 MYR 5.92
$1.33 MYR 5.62
5.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 MYR 5.09
$1.65 MYR 6.95
-26.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 MYR 2.87
$0.46 MYR 1.94
47.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.19 MYR 17.68
$4.13 MYR 17.4
1.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.11 MYR 76.4
$16.43 MYR 69.3
10.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.33 MYR 14.06
$3.51 MYR 14.82
-5.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 MYR 18.5
$4.27 MYR 18
2.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Kuala Lumpur
Ipoh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.72 MYR 3.06
$0.74 MYR 3.12
-2.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.74 MYR 49.49
$11.83 MYR 49.9
-0.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.21 MYR 5.11
$1.15 MYR 4.83
5.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.13 MYR 4.78
$1.13 MYR 4.78
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.59 MYR 19.35
$4.38 MYR 18.46
4.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.48 MYR 2.01
$0.46 MYR 1.93
4.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40K MYR 168.8K
$43.7K MYR 184.1K
-8.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33K MYR 139.2K
$31.1K MYR 131.2K
6.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kuala Lumpur
Ipoh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$64.8 MYR 273
$64.5 MYR 272
0.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.7 MYR 49.34
$9.63 MYR 40.59
21.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.5 MYR 108
$28.28 MYR 119
-9.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kuala Lumpur
Ipoh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.93 MYR 194
$23.18 MYR 97.7
98.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.76 MYR 32.73
$6.03 MYR 25.43
28.69%
Cinema Ticket
$5.23 MYR 22.03
$3.02 MYR 12.75
73.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kuala Lumpur
Ipoh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$266 MYR 1,122
$119 MYR 503
122.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,267 MYR 39.1K
$2,370 MYR 9,994
291.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kuala Lumpur
Ipoh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.5 MYR 259
$58.1 MYR 245
5.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.04 MYR 160
$27.54 MYR 116
38.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.3 MYR 364
$74.1 MYR 313
16.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 MYR 336
$52.1 MYR 220
52.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kuala Lumpur
Ipoh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$578 MYR 2,437
$392 MYR 1,653
47.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$371 MYR 1,566
$267 MYR 1,125
39.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,061 MYR 4,472
$657 MYR 2,770
61.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$628 MYR 2,649
$474 MYR 2,000
32.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,071 MYR 12.9K
$1,585 MYR 6,684
93.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,532 MYR 6,459
$1,229 MYR 5,185
24.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kuala Lumpur
Ipoh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,342 MYR 5,659
$932 MYR 3,929
44.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.47
3.96
12.88%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 28, 2025

Last update for Ipoh: October 29, 2025

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