Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyiv and Johor Bahru Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyiv and Johor Bahru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $975 in Kyiv versus $966 in Johor Bahru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,507 in Kyiv versus $1,378 in Johor Bahru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,038 in Kyiv versus $1,791 in Johor Bahru.

Living in Kyiv is roughly 1% more expensive than Johor Bahru, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kyiv 27% lower, Johor Bahru 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.57 ₴378

$3.53 MYR 13.93

142.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.96 ₴1,408

$18.69 MYR 73.8

71.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 ₴265

$4.76 MYR 18.82

26.05%

Cappuccino

$1.61 ₴71.1

$3.01 MYR 11.90

-46.51%

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

$0.63 ₴27.84

$0.85 MYR 3.35

-25.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₴18.89

$0.49 MYR 1.93

-12.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.11 ₴48.86

$3.51 MYR 13.85

-68.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₴79.9

$6.76 MYR 26.71

-73.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₴55.3

$1.80 MYR 7.11

-30.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 ₴34.08

$0.98 MYR 3.89

-21.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ₴84.2

$1.24 MYR 4.89

54.03%

Eggs

$1.96 ₴86.6

$1.84 MYR 7.26

6.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.66 ₴426

$10.67 MYR 42.16

-9.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.44 ₴196

$3.55 MYR 14.01

25.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.99 ₴352

$8.25 MYR 32.60

-3.15%

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 ₴42.81

$2.66 MYR 10.51

-63.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₴69.2

$1.46 MYR 5.76

7.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 ₴80.7

$2.57 MYR 10.16

-28.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 ₴100.0

$1.25 MYR 4.93

81.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ₴35.36

$1.14 MYR 4.51

-29.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₴24.35

$1.34 MYR 5.30

-58.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 ₴63.0

$0.94 MYR 3.71

52.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₴25.91

$0.52 MYR 2.04

13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 ₴127

$4.17 MYR 16.47

-30.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 ₴255

$14.50 MYR 57.3

-60.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₴36.64

$2.68 MYR 10.59

-69.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₴67.7

$2.92 MYR 11.53

-47.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 ₴8.42

$0.72 MYR 2.86

-73.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.83 ₴433

$11.81 MYR 46.65

-16.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.07 ₴91.2

$0.97 MYR 3.84

113.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₴15.32

$1.02 MYR 4.04

-65.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.27 ₴188

$9.09 MYR 35.92

-53.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 ₴61.2

$0.47 MYR 1.84

195.74%

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

$31.8K ₴1.4M

$34.8K MYR 137.4K

-8.63%

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

$25.0K ₴1.1M

$28.1K MYR 111.0K

-11.14%

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

$111 ₴4,885

$40.87 MYR 161

171.23%

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

$5.81 ₴256

$9.23 MYR 36.44

-37.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.11 ₴313

$30.64 MYR 121

-76.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.90 ₴1,670

$35.09 MYR 139

8.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.29 ₴718

$5.82 MYR 22.99

179.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 ₴207

$4.90 MYR 19.35

-4.08%

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

$386 ₴17.0K

$191 MYR 755

101.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,702 ₴339.4K

$6,900 MYR 27.3K

11.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 ₴3,008

$49.07 MYR 194

39.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ₴1,571

$19.14 MYR 75.6

86.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₴4,466

$54.2 MYR 214

86.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 ₴5,061

$39.65 MYR 157

189.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 ₴26.3K

$468 MYR 1,848

27.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 ₴15.4K

$396 MYR 1,565

-12.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 ₴57.3K

$843 MYR 3,331

54.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 ₴27.4K

$599 MYR 2,366

3.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,691 ₴118.6K

$2,090 MYR 8,254

28.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,097 ₴48.3K

$1,190 MYR 4,700

-7.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 ₴32.5K

$1,155 MYR 4,562

-36.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.34

4.07

375.18%

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

Last update for Kyiv: April 26, 2026

Last update for Johor Bahru: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $598 in Kyiv and $468 in Johor Bahru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johor Bahru pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Kyiv vs $19.00 in Johor Bahru. Groceries flip the comparison at $179 vs $218, with Kyiv cheaper for home cooking.

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

Kyiv vs Johor Bahru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kyiv and Johor Bahru differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($975 vs $966 including rent). Johor Bahru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Johor Bahru earns 56% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $598 in Kyiv versus $468 in Johor Bahru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Johor Bahru – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $32.00 in Kyiv. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $975 per month in Kyiv versus $966 in Johor Bahru – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $966 in Johor Bahru versus $975 in Kyiv, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Johor Bahru but tight or insufficient in Kyiv. The gap between the two cities makes Johor Bahru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kyiv and Johor Bahru are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Johor Bahru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Kyiv. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.