Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Szeged

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur: $1,074 a month against $1,223 in Szeged, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Szeged
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Szeged Living Index

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Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,074

/mo nomad

Szeged

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,074 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,223 in Szeged, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,074
Szeged $1,223

A couple spends around $1,622 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,918 in Szeged, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,622
Szeged $1,918

A family of three spends $2,170 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $2,613 in Szeged, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $2,170
Szeged $2,613

Kuala Lumpur is about 12% cheaper than Szeged, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kuala Lumpur and Szeged are more affordable than the global median – Kuala Lumpur 21% lower, Szeged 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.98 MYR 20.26

$9.23 Ft 3,004

-46.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.03 MYR 118

$58.0 Ft 18.9K

-49.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 MYR 19.76

$9.04 Ft 2,942

-46.35%

Cappuccino

$3.02 MYR 12.29

$2.37 Ft 772

27.43%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.20

$1.57 Ft 512

-49.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.85

$1.31 Ft 426

-65.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 MYR 18.22

$2.23 Ft 727

100.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 MYR 25.09

$2.31 Ft 750

166.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 MYR 8.59

$1.18 Ft 385

78.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 MYR 4.56

$1.35 Ft 440

-17.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.85

$2.43 Ft 792

-20.58%

Eggs

$2.46 MYR 10.00

$3.56 Ft 1,160

-30.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.24 MYR 58.0

$10.68 Ft 3,474

33.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.37 MYR 17.78

$6.58 Ft 2,140

-33.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.86 MYR 40.15

$15.85 Ft 5,156

-37.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 MYR 14.07

$2.19 Ft 711

57.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.24

$2.25 Ft 732

-20.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 MYR 9.23

$2.00 Ft 649

13.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.16

$3.34 Ft 1,086

-54.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 5.00

$1.03 Ft 334

19.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.31

$1.04 Ft 339

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.63

$1.59 Ft 518

-28.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 MYR 2.87

$0.50 Ft 163

42.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MYR 17.45

$7.94 Ft 2,582

-45.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.77 MYR 80.5

$5.18 Ft 1,684

281.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 MYR 13.69

$1.23 Ft 400

173.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 MYR 20.43

$1.98 Ft 643

153.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.86

$1.71 Ft 557

-59.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.44 MYR 50.6

$28.69 Ft 9,334

-56.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.86

$3.03 Ft 986

-60.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.07

$1.64 Ft 535

-23.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MYR 20.28

$18.32 Ft 5,960

-72.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 MYR 3.61

$1.82 Ft 591

-51.10%

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

$44.5K MYR 181.3K

$26.9K Ft 8.8M

65.38%

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

$34.6K MYR 140.9K

$35.5K Ft 11.6M

-2.48%

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

$63.5 MYR 258

$128 Ft 41.6K

-50.32%

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

$8.62 MYR 35.10

$21.90 Ft 7,127

-60.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.24 MYR 107

$19.74 Ft 6,424

32.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.20 MYR 200

$51.5 Ft 16.7K

-4.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.32 MYR 29.81

$29.38 Ft 9,560

-75.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MYR 20.25

$8.64 Ft 2,812

-42.48%

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

$472 MYR 1,920

$250 Ft 81.4K

88.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MYR 53.7K

$6,580 Ft 2.1M

100.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 MYR 294

$112 Ft 36.5K

-35.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.48 MYR 169

$32.50 Ft 10.6K

27.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 MYR 341

$93.6 Ft 30.4K

-10.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 MYR 384

$110 Ft 35.9K

-14.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 MYR 2,789

$518 Ft 168.5K

32.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 MYR 1,457

$375 Ft 122.1K

-4.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 MYR 4,933

$739 Ft 240.4K

64.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 MYR 2,414

$615 Ft 200.2K

-3.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,760 MYR 15.3K

$3,210 Ft 1.0M

17.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,565 MYR 6,369

$2,316 Ft 753.7K

-32.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,458 MYR 5,933

$1,224 Ft 398.3K

19.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

6.67

-37.48%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 26, 2026

Last update for Szeged: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lumpur

$358 33.3%

Szeged

$375 30.7% 4.8% $17

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lumpur

$274 25.5%

Szeged

$249 20.4% 9.3% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lumpur

$131 12.2%

Szeged

$157 12.8% 19.5% $26

Eating Out

Kuala Lumpur

$130 12.1%

Szeged

$157 12.8% 20.3% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lumpur

$98 9.2%

Szeged

$169 13.9% 72.3% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.5%

Szeged

$69 5.6% 16.2% $9.6

Getting Around

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1%

Szeged

$47 3.8% 106% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $685 in Kuala Lumpur versus $518 in Szeged. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 19% higher in Kuala Lumpur, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Kuala Lumpur versus $58 in Szeged. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Kuala Lumpur vs $249 in Szeged – so Szeged wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🇭🇺 Szeged

🕒 Local time

02:22 2:22 AM

19:22 7:22 PM

7 h behind Kuala Lumpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,982,112 Capital

157,930

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kuala Lumpur Szeged 9,100 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Lumpur
Szeged

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 Szeged: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Szeged is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,611 per month in Kuala Lumpur and $1,834 in Szeged. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Szeged, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $518 there versus $685 in Kuala Lumpur.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Szeged – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Kuala Lumpur and $58 in Szeged. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur and $1,223 in Szeged, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kuala Lumpur costs $1,074 versus $1,223 in Szeged. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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