Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Kangar, Perlis

For one person, living is cheaper in Kangar, Perlis: $927 a month against $1,073 in Kuala Lumpur, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
Learn more

Kuala Lumpur Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Kangar, Perlis
Learn more

Kangar, Perlis Living Index

Jump to prices

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,073

/mo nomad

Kangar, Perlis

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuala Lumpur and in Kangar, Perlis

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

A single person spends $1,073 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $927 in Kangar, Perlis, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,073
Kangar, Perlis $927

A couple spends around $1,607 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,421 in Kangar, Perlis, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,607
Kangar, Perlis $1,421

A family of three spends $2,141 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,916 in Kangar, Perlis, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $2,141
Kangar, Perlis $1,916

Kuala Lumpur costs about 16% more than Kangar, Perlis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Kuala Lumpur and Kangar, Perlis are more affordable than the global median – Kuala Lumpur 21% lower, Kangar, Perlis 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 MYR 20.11

$3.70 MYR 15.00

34.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.96 MYR 109

$19.24 MYR 78.0

40.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 MYR 20.08

$4.71 MYR 19.12

5.10%

Cappuccino

$3.09 MYR 12.52

$2.94 MYR 11.93

5.10%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.37

$0.74 MYR 3.00

12.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MYR 1.78

$0.39 MYR 1.58

12.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 MYR 18.16

$3.88 MYR 15.74

15.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 MYR 25.07

$4.44 MYR 17.99

39.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 MYR 8.45

$1.85 MYR 7.51

12.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 MYR 4.29

$1.08 MYR 4.40

-1.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.19

$1.42 MYR 5.75

42.25%

Eggs

$2.54 MYR 10.30

$2.23 MYR 9.04

13.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 MYR 55.2

$13.65 MYR 55.4

-0.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 MYR 16.96

$4.37 MYR 17.73

-4.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.89 MYR 40.11

$9.63 MYR 39.07

2.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MYR 13.76

$3.18 MYR 12.89

6.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.21

$1.65 MYR 6.71

7.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 MYR 9.14

$2.46 MYR 9.98

-8.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 MYR 6.38

$1.58 MYR 6.42

-0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.92

$1.28 MYR 5.20

-5.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 MYR 5.55

$1.38 MYR 5.59

-0.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.57

$1.12 MYR 4.54

0.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 MYR 2.64

$0.56 MYR 2.28

16.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MYR 18.09

$4.29 MYR 17.42

3.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.90 MYR 80.7

$18.78 MYR 76.2

5.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 MYR 13.88

$2.93 MYR 11.87

16.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 MYR 20.08

$4.63 MYR 18.78

6.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MYR 2.87

$0.74 MYR 3.01

-4.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.08 MYR 49.00

$12.05 MYR 48.90

0.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 MYR 4.42

$1.20 MYR 4.85

-9.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.07

$0.54 MYR 2.17

131.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.00 MYR 20.29

$7.13 MYR 28.91

-29.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 MYR 4.03

$0.78 MYR 3.18

26.92%

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

$44.5K MYR 180.3K

$44.1K MYR 178.8K

0.87%

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

$34.7K MYR 140.7K

$35.4K MYR 143.8K

-2.12%

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

$63.7 MYR 258

$48.94 MYR 199

30.16%

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

$8.66 MYR 35.14

$9.52 MYR 38.63

-9.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.80 MYR 105

$28.21 MYR 114

-8.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.20 MYR 196

$37.14 MYR 151

29.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.19 MYR 29.17

$6.40 MYR 25.96

12.34%

Cinema Ticket

$4.83 MYR 19.59

$4.76 MYR 19.31

1.47%

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

$470 MYR 1,907

$239 MYR 969

96.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K MYR 71.2K

$6,932 MYR 28.1K

153.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 MYR 288

$55.6 MYR 225

27.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MYR 173

$34.80 MYR 141

22.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 MYR 352

$80.9 MYR 328

7.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.1 MYR 370

$75.2 MYR 305

21.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 MYR 2,787

$417 MYR 1,690

64.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 MYR 1,466

$293 MYR 1,190

23.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 MYR 4,965

$712 MYR 2,888

71.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 MYR 2,370

$547 MYR 2,220

6.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 MYR 15.2K

$1,995 MYR 8,093

87.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,606 MYR 6,515

$1,178 MYR 4,780

36.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,410 MYR 5,719

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

4.06

2.71%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: November 3, 2026

Last update for Kangar, Perlis: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lumpur

$361 33.7%

Kangar, Perlis

$293 31.7% 18.8% $68

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lumpur

$271 25.3%

Kangar, Perlis

$258 27.9% 4.6% $13

Eating Out

Kuala Lumpur

$131 12.2%

Kangar, Perlis

$112 12.1% 14.9% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lumpur

$131 12.2%

Kangar, Perlis

$111 12% 15.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lumpur

$98 9.2%

Kangar, Perlis

$87 9.4% 11.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lumpur

$58 5.4%

Kangar, Perlis

$47 5% 19.4% $11

Getting Around

Kuala Lumpur

$22 2.1%

Kangar, Perlis

$19 2% 15.1% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $687 in Kuala Lumpur versus $417 in Kangar, Perlis. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Kuala Lumpur versus $19 in Kangar, Perlis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $258 – making Kangar, Perlis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Kangar, Perlis

🕒 Local time

23:43 11:43 PM

Same time as Kuala Lumpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,982,112 Capital

284,853

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kuala Lumpur Kangar, Perlis 400 km

From you

Kuala Lumpur
Kangar, Perlis

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 Kangar, Perlis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,073 in Kuala Lumpur, $927 in Kangar, Perlis – Kangar, Perlis comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,610 per month in Kuala Lumpur and $1,390 in Kangar, Perlis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kangar, Perlis, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $417 there versus $687 in Kuala Lumpur.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Kuala Lumpur and $19 in Kangar, Perlis. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Kuala Lumpur, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,073 in Kuala Lumpur and $927 in Kangar, Perlis, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kangar, Perlis – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.