Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Skudai

For one person, living is cheaper in Skudai: $900 a month against $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Skudai
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Skudai Living Index

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Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,074

/mo nomad

Skudai

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$900

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,074 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $900 in Skudai, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,074
Skudai $900

A couple spends around $1,622 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,370 in Skudai, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,622
Skudai $1,370

A family of three spends $2,170 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,840 in Skudai, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $2,170
Skudai $1,840

Kuala Lumpur costs about 19% more than Skudai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kuala Lumpur and Skudai are more affordable than the global median – Kuala Lumpur 21% lower, Skudai 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.98 MYR 20.35

$3.63 MYR 14.84

37.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.03 MYR 119

$18.25 MYR 74.6

59.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 MYR 19.85

$4.90 MYR 20.05

-1.02%

Cappuccino

$3.02 MYR 12.34

$2.87 MYR 11.73

5.23%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.22

$0.83 MYR 3.40

-4.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.86

$0.45 MYR 1.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 MYR 18.30

$3.33 MYR 13.62

34.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 MYR 25.20

$5.62 MYR 22.97

9.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 MYR 8.63

$1.74 MYR 7.11

21.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 MYR 4.58

$1.02 MYR 4.18

9.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.88

$1.48 MYR 6.06

30.41%

Eggs

$2.46 MYR 10.05

$1.66 MYR 6.78

48.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.24 MYR 58.2

$9.64 MYR 39.43

47.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.37 MYR 17.86

$3.20 MYR 13.09

36.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.86 MYR 40.33

$9.61 MYR 39.28

2.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 MYR 14.14

$3.42 MYR 13.98

1.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.27

$1.70 MYR 6.94

4.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 MYR 9.27

$2.61 MYR 10.68

-13.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.18

$1.64 MYR 6.69

-7.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 5.02

$1.41 MYR 5.75

-12.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.33

$1.73 MYR 7.08

-24.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.65

$1.37 MYR 5.59

-16.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$0.51 MYR 2.09

39.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MYR 17.52

$4.28 MYR 17.49

0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.77 MYR 80.8

$13.83 MYR 56.5

42.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 MYR 13.75

$2.74 MYR 11.19

22.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 MYR 20.52

$2.99 MYR 12.22

67.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$0.83 MYR 3.40

-15.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.44 MYR 50.9

$10.95 MYR 44.78

13.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.89

$1.01 MYR 4.13

18.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.09

$0.36 MYR 1.46

247.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MYR 20.37

$9.03 MYR 36.92

-44.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 MYR 3.63

$0.86 MYR 3.51

3.49%

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

$44.5K MYR 182.1K

$44.3K MYR 181.0K

0.63%

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

$34.6K MYR 141.5K

$36.0K MYR 147.2K

-3.85%

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

$63.5 MYR 259

$48.79 MYR 199

30.07%

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

$8.62 MYR 35.25

$8.16 MYR 33.38

5.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.24 MYR 107

$26.88 MYR 110

-2.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.20 MYR 201

$36.95 MYR 151

33.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.32 MYR 29.95

$7.55 MYR 30.86

-3.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MYR 20.34

$4.93 MYR 20.17

0.81%

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

$472 MYR 1,928

$235 MYR 962

100.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MYR 53.9K

$4,393 MYR 18.0K

200.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 MYR 295

$50.5 MYR 206

42.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.48 MYR 170

$16.62 MYR 68.0

149.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 MYR 343

$77.2 MYR 316

8.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 MYR 386

$85.4 MYR 349

10.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 MYR 2,801

$357 MYR 1,461

91.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 MYR 1,464

$311 MYR 1,270

15.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 MYR 4,955

$650 MYR 2,659

86.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 MYR 2,425

$565 MYR 2,310

4.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,760 MYR 15.4K

$1,956 MYR 7,997

92.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,565 MYR 6,397

$1,161 MYR 4,746

34.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,458 MYR 5,960

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Skudai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lumpur

$358 33.3%

Skudai

$311 34.5% 13.2% $47

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lumpur

$274 25.5%

Skudai

$226 25.2% 17.4% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lumpur

$131 12.2%

Skudai

$103 11.5% 21.3% $28

Eating Out

Kuala Lumpur

$130 12.1%

Skudai

$111 12.4% 14.7% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lumpur

$98 9.2%

Skudai

$84 9.3% 14.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.5%

Skudai

$47 5.2% 20.8% $12

Getting Around

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1%

Skudai

$17 1.9% 24.7% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $685 in Kuala Lumpur versus $357 in Skudai. 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 $29 in Kuala Lumpur versus $18 in Skudai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $226 – making Skudai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Skudai

🕒 Local time

00:02 12:02 AM

Same time as Kuala Lumpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,982,112 Capital

159,733

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Kuala Lumpur Skudai 280 km

From you

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 Skudai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kuala Lumpur is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,611 per month in Kuala Lumpur and $1,349 in Skudai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skudai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $357 there versus $685 in Kuala Lumpur.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Kuala Lumpur, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Kuala Lumpur and $18 in Skudai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur and $900 in Skudai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

For expats, Skudai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 19% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.