Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Lumut, Perak

For one person, living is cheaper in Lumut, Perak: $983 a month against $1,073 in Kuala Lumpur, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Lumut, Perak
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Lumut, Perak Living Index

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Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,073

/mo nomad

Lumut, Perak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$983

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuala Lumpur and in Lumut, Perak

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

A single person spends $1,073 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $983 in Lumut, Perak, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,073
Lumut, Perak $983

A couple spends around $1,607 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,487 in Lumut, Perak, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,607
Lumut, Perak $1,487

A family of three spends $2,141 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,991 in Lumut, Perak, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $2,141
Lumut, Perak $1,991

Kuala Lumpur costs about 9% more than Lumut, Perak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kuala Lumpur and Lumut, Perak are more affordable than the global median – Kuala Lumpur 21% lower, Lumut, Perak 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 MYR 20.05

$3.58 MYR 14.46

38.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.96 MYR 109

$12.07 MYR 48.79

123.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 MYR 20.02

$4.95 MYR 20.01

Cappuccino

$3.09 MYR 12.48

$2.93 MYR 11.84

5.46%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.36

$0.77 MYR 3.12

7.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MYR 1.78

$0.39 MYR 1.56

12.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 MYR 18.10

$3.75 MYR 15.17

19.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 MYR 25.00

$5.95 MYR 24.04

3.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 MYR 8.42

$2.14 MYR 8.67

-2.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 MYR 4.27

$1.10 MYR 4.47

-3.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.17

$1.86 MYR 7.52

8.60%

Eggs

$2.54 MYR 10.27

$2.54 MYR 10.29

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 MYR 55.0

$14.18 MYR 57.4

-4.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 MYR 16.91

$4.50 MYR 18.21

-7.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.89 MYR 39.98

$10.18 MYR 41.15

-2.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MYR 13.72

$3.48 MYR 14.07

-2.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.19

$1.82 MYR 7.38

-2.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 MYR 9.11

$2.35 MYR 9.50

-4.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 MYR 6.36

$1.57 MYR 6.33

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.91

$1.23 MYR 4.96

-1.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 MYR 5.53

$1.33 MYR 5.36

3.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.56

$1.12 MYR 4.52

0.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 MYR 2.64

$0.71 MYR 2.87

-8.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MYR 18.04

$4.38 MYR 17.73

1.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.90 MYR 80.5

$19.26 MYR 77.9

3.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 MYR 13.83

$3.47 MYR 14.03

-1.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 MYR 20.02

$5.06 MYR 20.46

-2.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MYR 2.87

$0.75 MYR 3.02

-5.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.08 MYR 48.85

$12.06 MYR 48.76

0.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 MYR 4.41

$1.20 MYR 4.87

-9.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.05

$1.26 MYR 5.08

-0.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.00 MYR 20.23

$4.77 MYR 19.29

4.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 MYR 4.02

$0.87 MYR 3.54

13.79%

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

$44.5K MYR 179.8K

$44.5K MYR 180.0K

-0.15%

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

$34.7K MYR 140.3K

$35.0K MYR 141.6K

-0.94%

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

$63.7 MYR 258

$61.7 MYR 249

3.26%

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

$8.66 MYR 35.03

$8.70 MYR 35.18

-0.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.80 MYR 104

$26.02 MYR 105

-0.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.20 MYR 195

$37.25 MYR 151

29.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.19 MYR 29.08

$6.38 MYR 25.82

12.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.83 MYR 19.53

$4.83 MYR 19.54

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

$470 MYR 1,901

$237 MYR 960

98.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K MYR 71.0K

$12.9K MYR 52.1K

36.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 MYR 287

$70.9 MYR 287

0.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MYR 172

$41.11 MYR 166

3.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 MYR 351

$84.6 MYR 342

2.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.1 MYR 369

$94.7 MYR 383

-3.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 MYR 2,779

$418 MYR 1,690

64.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 MYR 1,461

$296 MYR 1,197

22.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 MYR 4,950

$716 MYR 2,896

70.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 MYR 2,363

$554 MYR 2,242

5.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 MYR 15.1K

$2,015 MYR 8,150

85.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,606 MYR 6,495

$1,194 MYR 4,829

34.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,410 MYR 5,701

$378 MYR 1,528

273.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: November 3, 2026

Last update for Lumut, Perak: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lumpur

$361 33.7%

Lumut, Perak

$296 30.1% 18.1% $65

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lumpur

$271 25.3%

Lumut, Perak

$277 28.1% 2% $5.5

Eating Out

Kuala Lumpur

$131 12.2%

Lumut, Perak

$114 11.6% 13.3% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lumpur

$131 12.2%

Lumut, Perak

$131 13.3% 0% $0

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lumpur

$98 9.2%

Lumut, Perak

$96 9.8% 1.8% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lumpur

$58 5.4%

Lumut, Perak

$47 4.8% 18.9% $11

Getting Around

Kuala Lumpur

$22 2.1%

Lumut, Perak

$23 2.3% 1.3% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $687 in Kuala Lumpur versus $418 in Lumut, Perak. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kuala Lumpur are about 3.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Kuala Lumpur versus $12 in Lumut, Perak. Groceries tell a different story – $271 in Kuala Lumpur vs $277 in Lumut, Perak – so Kuala Lumpur wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Lumut, Perak

🕒 Local time

22:54 10:54 PM

Same time as Kuala Lumpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,982,112 Capital

39,595

💱 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

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Kuala Lumpur Lumut, Perak 170 km

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Kuala Lumpur
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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 Lumut, Perak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kuala Lumpur is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,610 per month in Kuala Lumpur and $1,475 in Lumut, Perak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lumut, Perak, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $418 there versus $687 in Kuala Lumpur.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Kuala Lumpur and $12 in Lumut, Perak. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $470 per month in Kuala Lumpur and $237 in Lumut, Perak. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,073 in Kuala Lumpur and $983 in Lumut, Perak. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Lumut, Perak – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Lumut, Perak. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kuala Lumpur makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.