Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru

😐 Solo nomad: Kuala Lumpur is 9% more expensive than Johor Bahru without rent, and 14.4% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Kuala Lumpur is 38.7% more expensive than Johor Bahru without rent, and 20.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kuala Lumpur
Johor Bahru
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.58 MYR 19.31
$3.62 MYR 15.28
26.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.83 MYR 122
$18.97 MYR 80
51.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.77 MYR 20.13
$4.74 MYR 20
0.63%
Cappuccino
$2.96 MYR 12.48
$2.99 MYR 12.62
-1.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.85 MYR 3.58
$0.8 MYR 3.38
6.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.5 MYR 2.11
$0.48 MYR 2.04
4.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.23 MYR 17.82
$3.47 MYR 14.64
21.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.95 MYR 25.11
$6.68 MYR 28.17
-10.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kuala Lumpur
Johor Bahru
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.08 MYR 8.78
$1.86 MYR 7.86
11.83%
White Bread (500g)
$1 MYR 4.22
$0.93 MYR 3.91
7.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.64 MYR 6.92
$1.24 MYR 5.22
32.26%
Eggs
$2.29 MYR 9.64
$1.81 MYR 7.64
26.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.84 MYR 62.6
$10.66 MYR 44.96
39.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.52 MYR 19.05
$3.4 MYR 14.33
32.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.51 MYR 40.1
$8.2 MYR 34.57
15.98%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 MYR 12.46
$2.67 MYR 11.24
10.49%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 MYR 6.85
$1.45 MYR 6.11
11.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.7 MYR 11.37
$2.57 MYR 10.83
5.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.51 MYR 6.38
$1.22 MYR 5.14
23.77%
Potato (1kg)
$1.21 MYR 5.11
$1.19 MYR 5.01
1.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.4 MYR 5.92
$1.33 MYR 5.62
5.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 MYR 5.09
$0.9 MYR 3.81
34.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 MYR 2.87
$0.55 MYR 2.34
23.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.19 MYR 17.68
$4.11 MYR 17.32
1.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.11 MYR 76.4
$14.18 MYR 59.8
27.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.33 MYR 14.06
$2.7 MYR 11.37
23.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 MYR 18.5
$2.9 MYR 12.22
51.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Kuala Lumpur
Johor Bahru
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.72 MYR 3.06
$0.7 MYR 2.95
2.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.74 MYR 49.49
$11.92 MYR 50.3
-1.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.21 MYR 5.11
$1.02 MYR 4.28
18.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.13 MYR 4.78
$1.03 MYR 4.34
9.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.59 MYR 19.35
$9.07 MYR 38.25
-49.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.48 MYR 2.01
$0.5 MYR 2.11
-4.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40K MYR 168.8K
$35.4K MYR 149.3K
13.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33K MYR 139.2K
$27.4K MYR 115.6K
20.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kuala Lumpur
Johor Bahru
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$64.8 MYR 273
$40.76 MYR 172
58.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.7 MYR 49.34
$8.96 MYR 37.77
30.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.5 MYR 108
$31.37 MYR 132
-18.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kuala Lumpur
Johor Bahru
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.93 MYR 194
$35.46 MYR 150
29.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.76 MYR 32.73
$5.72 MYR 24.11
35.66%
Cinema Ticket
$5.23 MYR 22.03
$4.89 MYR 20.63
6.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kuala Lumpur
Johor Bahru
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$266 MYR 1,122
$189 MYR 797
40.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,267 MYR 39.1K
$6,908 MYR 29.1K
34.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kuala Lumpur
Johor Bahru
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.5 MYR 259
$49.24 MYR 208
24.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.04 MYR 160
$18.75 MYR 79.1
102.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.3 MYR 364
$54.9 MYR 231
57.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 MYR 336
$40.31 MYR 170
97.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kuala Lumpur
Johor Bahru
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$578 MYR 2,437
$472 MYR 1,991
22.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$371 MYR 1,566
$400 MYR 1,687
-7.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,061 MYR 4,472
$845 MYR 3,563
25.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$628 MYR 2,649
$599 MYR 2,528
4.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,071 MYR 12.9K
$1,824 MYR 7,692
68.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,532 MYR 6,459
$1,292 MYR 5,447
18.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kuala Lumpur
Johor Bahru
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,342 MYR 5,659
$1,008 MYR 4,252
33.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.47
4.07
9.83%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 28, 2025

Last update for Johor Bahru: October 28, 2025

Similar cities

Join the CityCost newsletter – low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.