Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Maracaibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracaibo: $784 a month against $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Maracaibo
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Maracaibo Living Index

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Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,074

/mo nomad

Maracaibo

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kuala Lumpur and in Maracaibo

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

A single person spends $1,074 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $784 in Maracaibo, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,074
Maracaibo $784

A couple spends around $1,622 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,297 in Maracaibo, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,622
Maracaibo $1,297

A family of three spends $2,170 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,811 in Maracaibo, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $2,170
Maracaibo $1,811

Kuala Lumpur costs about 37% more than Maracaibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Kuala Lumpur and Maracaibo are more affordable than the global median – Kuala Lumpur 21% lower, Maracaibo 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.98 MYR 20.28

$10.33 VES 9,159

-51.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.03 MYR 118

$39.75 VES 35.2K

-26.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 MYR 19.78

$8.77 VES 7,774

-44.70%

Cappuccino

$3.02 MYR 12.30

$2.75 VES 2,441

9.82%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.21

$1.15 VES 1,020

-31.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.85

$1.31 VES 1,159

-65.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 MYR 18.24

$2.21 VES 1,963

102.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 MYR 25.11

$3.08 VES 2,728

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 MYR 8.60

$1.97 VES 1,744

7.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 MYR 4.56

$2.11 VES 1,874

-46.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.85

$1.07 VES 953

80.37%

Eggs

$2.46 MYR 10.01

$3.78 VES 3,350

-34.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.24 MYR 58.0

$6.55 VES 5,808

117.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.37 MYR 17.80

$6.38 VES 5,660

-31.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.86 MYR 40.19

$7.37 VES 6,532

33.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 MYR 14.09

$4.82 VES 4,277

-28.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.24

$1.36 VES 1,202

30.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 MYR 9.23

$1.56 VES 1,385

45.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.16

$1.36 VES 1,205

11.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 5.00

$1.23 VES 1,095

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.31

$1.74 VES 1,543

-25.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.64

$1.02 VES 903

11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 MYR 2.88

$1.98 VES 1,757

-64.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MYR 17.46

$2.93 VES 2,597

46.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.77 MYR 80.5

$9.08 VES 8,054

117.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 MYR 13.70

$1.09 VES 967

208.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 MYR 20.45

$2.62 VES 2,325

91.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.86

$0.47 VES 416

48.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.44 MYR 50.7

$42.53 VES 37.7K

-70.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.87

$4.08 VES 3,621

-70.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.07

$1.95 VES 1,729

-35.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MYR 20.30

$17.66 VES 15.7K

-71.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 MYR 3.62

$0.74 VES 657

20.27%

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

$44.5K MYR 181.5K

$15.2K VES 13.4M

193.98%

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

$34.6K MYR 141.0K

$27.6K VES 24.5M

25.48%

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

$63.5 MYR 259

$62.5 VES 55.4K

1.60%

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

$8.62 MYR 35.13

$7.45 VES 6,604

15.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.24 MYR 107

$25.27 VES 22.4K

3.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.20 MYR 200

$33.17 VES 29.4K

48.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.32 MYR 29.84

$28.71 VES 25.5K

-74.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MYR 20.27

$4.89 VES 4,332

1.64%

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

$472 MYR 1,921

$148 VES 131.0K

219.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MYR 53.7K

$7,133 VES 6.3M

84.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 MYR 294

$27.31 VES 24.2K

164.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.48 MYR 169

$32.34 VES 28.7K

28.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 MYR 342

$61.9 VES 54.9K

35.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 MYR 384

$56.7 VES 50.2K

66.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 MYR 2,791

$159 VES 141.2K

330.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 MYR 1,458

$95.2 VES 84.4K

276.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 MYR 4,937

$301 VES 266.8K

302.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 MYR 2,416

$196 VES 174.0K

202.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,760 MYR 15.3K

$765 VES 678.3K

391.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,565 MYR 6,375

$508 VES 450.0K

208.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,458 MYR 5,938

$215 VES 190.8K

577.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

-79.15%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 26, 2026

Last update for Maracaibo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lumpur

$358 33.3%

Maracaibo

$95 12.1% 73.4% $263

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lumpur

$274 25.5%

Maracaibo

$243 31% 11.4% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lumpur

$131 12.2%

Maracaibo

$80 10.2% 38.9% $51

Eating Out

Kuala Lumpur

$130 12.1%

Maracaibo

$169 21.6% 29.7% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lumpur

$98 9.2%

Maracaibo

$95 12.1% 3.2% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.5%

Maracaibo

$43 5.5% 27.4% $16

Getting Around

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1%

Maracaibo

$58 7.4% 157% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $685 in Kuala Lumpur versus $159 in Maracaibo. 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 6.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Kuala Lumpur versus $40 in Maracaibo. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Kuala Lumpur vs $243 in Maracaibo – so Maracaibo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🇻🇪 Maracaibo

🕒 Local time

16:59 4:59 PM

04:59 4:59 AM

12 h behind Kuala Lumpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,982,112 Capital

2,000,000

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.13 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.55 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 887 VES (1,000 VES = 1.13 USD). 1 EUR = 989 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kuala Lumpur Maracaibo 18,310 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Lumpur
Maracaibo

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 Maracaibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kuala Lumpur is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,611 per month in Kuala Lumpur and $1,176 in Maracaibo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maracaibo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $159 there versus $685 in Kuala Lumpur.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Kuala Lumpur, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Kuala Lumpur and $40 in Maracaibo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Maracaibo, where all-in costs run around $784, than in Kuala Lumpur at $1,074. In Maracaibo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kuala Lumpur it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Maracaibo. 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.