Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Kajang, Selangor

For one person, living is cheaper in Kajang, Selangor: $988 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Kajang, Selangor
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Kajang, Selangor Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Kajang, Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$988

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Kajang, Selangor

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Melbourne and in Kajang, Selangor actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $988 in Kajang, Selangor, rent included.

Melbourne $2,821
Kajang, Selangor $988

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $1,448 in Kajang, Selangor, rent included.

Melbourne $4,235
Kajang, Selangor $1,448

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $1,909 in Kajang, Selangor, rent included.

Melbourne $5,650
Kajang, Selangor $1,909

Melbourne costs about 186% more than Kajang, Selangor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Melbourne sits 109% above the global median, while Kajang, Selangor is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$3.76 MYR 15.34

363.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$18.63 MYR 76.0

353.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$4.81 MYR 19.62

159.04%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$2.96 MYR 12.09

38.85%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.80 MYR 3.26

282.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.47 MYR 1.92

436.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$4.35 MYR 17.76

125.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$6.08 MYR 24.81

40.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.69 MYR 6.88

-12.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.05 MYR 4.28

180.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.43 MYR 5.84

86.01%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.66 MYR 6.78

233.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$17.84 MYR 72.8

-41.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$4.56 MYR 18.62

111.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$9.80 MYR 39.98

55.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$3.41 MYR 13.91

17.01%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.69 MYR 6.88

78.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.32 MYR 9.48

33.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$1.53 MYR 6.23

215.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.34 MYR 5.46

126.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.65 MYR 6.73

47.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$1.13 MYR 4.60

117.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.51 MYR 2.09

219.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$4.36 MYR 17.79

910.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$13.93 MYR 56.8

-8.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.86 MYR 11.65

93.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$3.11 MYR 12.68

68.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.76 MYR 3.08

392.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$12.29 MYR 50.1

1018.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$1.21 MYR 4.92

272.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.71 MYR 2.91

91.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$4.94 MYR 20.16

516.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$0.82 MYR 3.35

79.27%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$42.3K MYR 172.7K

-31.49%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$35.3K MYR 143.9K

-24.93%

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

$234 A$336

$52.5 MYR 214

345.36%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$9.92 MYR 40.45

181.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$26.35 MYR 107

111.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$44.80 MYR 183

10.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$7.53 MYR 30.73

185.26%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$4.91 MYR 20.05

207.33%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$166 MYR 677

1328.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$4,418 MYR 18.0K

583.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$54.6 MYR 223

46.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$16.33 MYR 66.6

210.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$81.6 MYR 333

47.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$97.2 MYR 396

34.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$396 MYR 1,615

344.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$337 MYR 1,375

312.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$744 MYR 3,035

369.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$502 MYR 2,047

396.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$1,919 MYR 7,828

260.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$1,012 MYR 4,129

536.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

4.06

45.32%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kajang, Selangor: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Kajang, Selangor

$337 34.1% 75.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Kajang, Selangor

$256 25.9% 33.4% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Kajang, Selangor

$89 9% 72% $229

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Kajang, Selangor

$119 12.1% 62.1% $195

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Kajang, Selangor

$112 11.4% 34.6% $59

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Kajang, Selangor

$20 2% 87.7% $144

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Kajang, Selangor

$55 5.5% 31.4% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Melbourne versus $396 in Kajang, Selangor. 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 $85.0 in Melbourne versus $19.00 in Kajang, Selangor. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $256 – making Kajang, Selangor the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇲🇾 Kajang, Selangor

🕒 Local time

18:00 6:00 PM

15:00 3:00 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

1,047,356

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Kajang, Selangor 6,350 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Kajang, Selangor

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

Melbourne vs Kajang, Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne, $988 in Kajang, Selangor – roughly 186% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,231 per month in Melbourne and $1,482 in Kajang, Selangor. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Melbourne and $19.00 in Kajang, Selangor. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,821 in Melbourne and $988 in Kajang, Selangor. That's a gap of about 186%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kajang, Selangor, where all-in costs run around $988, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Kajang, Selangor it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kajang, Selangor – 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 Kajang, Selangor. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.