Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Tawau Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Tawau

😐 Solo nomad: Kuala Lumpur is 11.1% more expensive than Tawau without rent, and 23.2% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Kuala Lumpur is 5.9% more expensive than Tawau without rent, and 23.9% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.83 MYR 19.60

$3.58 MYR 14.53

34.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.81 MYR 117

$18.92 MYR 76.8

52.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 MYR 18.81

$4.06 MYR 16.47

14.04%

Cappuccino

$3.07 MYR 12.46

$2.31 MYR 9.37

32.90%

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

$0.87 MYR 3.53

$0.74 MYR 3.00

17.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.11

$0.40 MYR 1.61

30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.21 MYR 17.09

$2.42 MYR 9.82

73.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 MYR 23.56

$3.38 MYR 13.74

71.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 MYR 8.12

$1.60 MYR 6.51

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MYR 4.07

$1.30 MYR 5.28

-23.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.77

$1.68 MYR 6.83

-0.60%

Eggs

$2.27 MYR 9.20

$2.06 MYR 8.38

10.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.87 MYR 60.4

$15.03 MYR 61.0

-1.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 MYR 18.32

$4.38 MYR 17.78

2.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.85 MYR 39.99

$9.68 MYR 39.28

1.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MYR 11.64

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 MYR 6.45

$1.46 MYR 5.92

8.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 MYR 10.49

$2.51 MYR 10.17

2.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.91

$1.37 MYR 5.56

6.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 5.01

$1.24 MYR 5.02

-0.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 MYR 5.46

$1.27 MYR 5.14

6.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 MYR 4.71

$1.04 MYR 4.23

11.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 MYR 2.71

$0.57 MYR 2.30

17.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 MYR 16.92

$4.29 MYR 17.40

-2.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.47 MYR 75.0

$17.83 MYR 72.4

3.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 MYR 13.84

$2.77 MYR 11.25

23.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 MYR 17.39

$2.90 MYR 11.78

47.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.94

$0.70 MYR 2.84

2.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.94 MYR 48.47

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.93

$1.19 MYR 4.85

1.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 MYR 4.50

$1.02 MYR 4.16

8.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.79 MYR 19.43

$5.74 MYR 23.30

-16.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 MYR 1.95

$0.50 MYR 2.03

-4.00%

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

$40.7K MYR 165.3K

$35.9K MYR 146.0K

13.29%

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

$32.0K MYR 129.7K

$31.4K MYR 127.5K

1.76%

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

$64.5 MYR 262

$44.04 MYR 179

46.48%

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

$11.58 MYR 47.01

$9.01 MYR 36.58

28.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.61 MYR 104

$29.27 MYR 119

-12.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.05 MYR 187

$37.38 MYR 152

23.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.01 MYR 32.52

$5.88 MYR 23.86

36.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.35 MYR 21.70

$2.75 MYR 11.15

94.55%

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

$266 MYR 1,080

$190 MYR 771

39.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,472 MYR 38.5K

$6,787 MYR 27.6K

39.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 MYR 249

$60.5 MYR 246

1.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.95 MYR 150

$27.72 MYR 113

33.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 MYR 353

$73.6 MYR 299

17.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 MYR 325

$50.8 MYR 206

57.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 MYR 2,346

$391 MYR 1,589

47.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 MYR 1,482

$267 MYR 1,085

36.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 MYR 4,284

$655 MYR 2,658

61.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 MYR 2,623

$478 MYR 1,942

35.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,619 MYR 14.7K

$1,706 MYR 6,928

112.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,550 MYR 6,294

$747 MYR 3,031

107.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,500 MYR 6,090

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

4.07

9.83%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: January 12, 2026

Last update for Tawau: January 12, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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