Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Yakutsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur: $1,096 a month against $1,267 in Yakutsk, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Yakutsk outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

53

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Yakutsk
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Yakutsk Living Index

Jump to prices

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,096

/mo nomad

Yakutsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,096 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,267 in Yakutsk, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,096
Yakutsk $1,267

A couple spends around $1,649 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,829 in Yakutsk, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,649
Yakutsk $1,829

A family of three spends $2,201 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $2,391 in Yakutsk, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $2,201
Yakutsk $2,391

Kuala Lumpur is about 13% cheaper than Yakutsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Kuala Lumpur and Yakutsk are more affordable than the global median – Kuala Lumpur 19% lower, Yakutsk 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.97 MYR 20.29

$14.54 ₽1,214

-65.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.07 MYR 119

$42.12 ₽3,515

-30.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 MYR 19.67

$9.14 ₽762

-47.26%

Cappuccino

$3.15 MYR 12.85

$4.32 ₽360

-27.08%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.38

$1.72 ₽143

-51.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.96

$0.93 ₽78.0

-48.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 MYR 18.42

$3.57 ₽298

26.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.27 MYR 25.58

$2.44 ₽204

156.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 MYR 8.45

$1.91 ₽159

8.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.36

$0.96 ₽80.0

11.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MYR 8.35

$1.67 ₽140

22.75%

Eggs

$2.56 MYR 10.43

$2.20 ₽183

16.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.82 MYR 56.4

$13.78 ₽1,150

0.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MYR 18.60

$8.03 ₽670

-43.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.99 MYR 40.76

$12.70 ₽1,060

-21.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 MYR 14.20

$3.06 ₽256

13.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 MYR 7.63

$2.45 ₽205

-23.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 MYR 9.61

$3.19 ₽267

-26.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.26

$5.09 ₽425

-69.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.29

$1.23 ₽102

5.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.68

$1.14 ₽94.8

21.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 MYR 4.74

$1.18 ₽98.6

-1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MYR 2.92

$1.06 ₽88.4

-32.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.49 MYR 18.33

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 MYR 80.9

$9.72 ₽811

104.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.58 MYR 14.62

$1.42 ₽118

152.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MYR 20.14

$3.03 ₽253

63.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.09

$0.71 ₽59.6

7.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.07 MYR 49.25

$20.12 ₽1,679

-40.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.92

$1.98 ₽166

-38.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$0.21 ₽17.48

471.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MYR 19.42

$4.94 ₽413

-3.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.60

$0.88 ₽73.7

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

$45.0K MYR 183.4K

$18.1K ₽1.5M

148.17%

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

$35.3K MYR 143.8K

$19.6K ₽1.6M

79.62%

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

$61.1 MYR 249

$201 ₽16.8K

-69.59%

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

$8.56 MYR 34.93

$4.80 ₽400

78.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.83 MYR 105

$10.85 ₽905

138.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.77 MYR 203

$72.8 ₽6,072

-31.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.68 MYR 31.34

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 MYR 20.74

$7.29 ₽608

-30.32%

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

$301 MYR 1,228

$471 ₽39.3K

-36.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MYR 54.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 MYR 290

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.39 MYR 173

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 MYR 347

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 MYR 392

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 MYR 2,554

$922 ₽76.9K

-32.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 MYR 1,536

$420 ₽35.1K

-10.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 MYR 4,729

$1,226 ₽102.3K

-5.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$613 MYR 2,500

$595 ₽49.6K

3.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,120 MYR 16.8K

$2,213 ₽184.7K

86.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,500 MYR 6,121

$1,938 ₽161.7K

-22.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,486 MYR 6,063

$974 ₽81.3K

52.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

-80.10%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 19, 2026

Last update for Yakutsk: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lumpur

$377 34.3%

Yakutsk

$420 33.2% 11.7% $44

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lumpur

$277 25.3%

Yakutsk

$288 22.7% 3.9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lumpur

$133 12.1%

Yakutsk

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Kuala Lumpur

$132 12.1%

Yakutsk

$229 18.1% 72.9% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lumpur

$96 8.7%

Yakutsk

$217 17.1% 127% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lumpur

$60 5.5%

Yakutsk

$87 6.9% 45.7% $27

Getting Around

Kuala Lumpur

$22 2%

Yakutsk

$26 2.1% 16.4% $3.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Kuala Lumpur versus $922 in Yakutsk. 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 53% 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 $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur versus $42.00 in Yakutsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $288 – making Kuala Lumpur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🇷🇺 Yakutsk

🕒 Local time

19:39 7:39 PM

20:39 8:39 PM

1 h ahead of Kuala Lumpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,982,112 Capital

361,154

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kuala Lumpur Yakutsk 6,950 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Lumpur
Yakutsk

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 Yakutsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Yakutsk is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,645 per month in Kuala Lumpur and $1,901 in Yakutsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuala Lumpur, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Yakutsk, 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 $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur and $42.00 in Yakutsk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kuala Lumpur, where all-in costs run around $1,096, than in Yakutsk at $1,267. In Kuala Lumpur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yakutsk it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuala Lumpur – 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.

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