Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rawang and Kuala Lumpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Rawang: $735 a month against $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Rawang
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Rawang Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index

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Rawang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$735

/mo nomad

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,074

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $735 per month in Rawang vs $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Rawang $735
Kuala Lumpur $1,074

A couple spends around $1,173 per month in Rawang vs $1,622 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Rawang $1,173
Kuala Lumpur $1,622

A family of three spends $1,611 per month in Rawang vs $2,170 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Rawang $1,611
Kuala Lumpur $2,170

Rawang is about 32% cheaper than Kuala Lumpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Rawang and Kuala Lumpur are more affordable than the global median – Rawang 46% lower, Kuala Lumpur 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MYR 15.08

$4.98 MYR 20.20

-25.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.66 MYR 79.8

$29.03 MYR 118

-32.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 MYR 20.16

$4.85 MYR 19.70

2.47%

Cappuccino

$3.00 MYR 12.17

$3.02 MYR 12.24

-0.66%

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

$0.82 MYR 3.33

$0.79 MYR 3.19

3.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MYR 1.60

$0.45 MYR 1.84

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.23 MYR 17.16

$4.48 MYR 18.16

-5.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 MYR 17.94

$6.16 MYR 25.00

-28.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MYR 7.27

$2.11 MYR 8.56

-15.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.21

$1.12 MYR 4.54

-7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.85

$1.93 MYR 7.82

-12.44%

Eggs

$2.14 MYR 8.68

$2.46 MYR 9.97

-13.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.18 MYR 57.5

$14.24 MYR 57.8

-0.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.43 MYR 17.96

$4.37 MYR 17.72

1.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.17 MYR 41.25

$9.86 MYR 40.02

3.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MYR 11.83

$3.46 MYR 14.03

-15.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.40

$1.78 MYR 7.21

2.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 MYR 10.73

$2.27 MYR 9.20

16.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.80

$1.51 MYR 6.14

-5.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 4.96

$1.23 MYR 4.98

-0.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.31

$1.30 MYR 5.29

0.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 MYR 4.56

$1.14 MYR 4.62

-1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.32

$0.71 MYR 2.86

-19.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.49 MYR 18.23

$4.29 MYR 17.39

4.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.06 MYR 77.3

$19.77 MYR 80.2

-3.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 MYR 11.57

$3.36 MYR 13.65

-15.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MYR 20.04

$5.02 MYR 20.37

-1.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MYR 3.11

$0.70 MYR 2.85

10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.26 MYR 49.75

$12.44 MYR 50.5

-1.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 MYR 7.06

$1.20 MYR 4.85

45.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.52

$1.25 MYR 5.05

-70.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.83 MYR 27.70

$4.98 MYR 20.22

37.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 MYR 3.36

$0.89 MYR 3.60

-6.74%

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

$43.5K MYR 176.3K

$44.5K MYR 180.7K

-2.46%

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

$35.0K MYR 142.0K

$34.6K MYR 140.4K

1.14%

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

$36.97 MYR 150

$63.5 MYR 257

-41.74%

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

$9.75 MYR 39.54

$8.62 MYR 34.98

13.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.46 MYR 115

$26.24 MYR 106

8.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.63 MYR 153

$49.20 MYR 200

-23.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.70 MYR 27.19

$7.32 MYR 29.71

-8.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 MYR 19.76

$4.97 MYR 20.18

-2.01%

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

$401 MYR 1,626

$472 MYR 1,913

-14.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K MYR 44.4K

$13.2K MYR 53.5K

-17.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 MYR 244

$72.2 MYR 293

-16.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.90 MYR 142

$41.48 MYR 168

-15.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 MYR 334

$83.9 MYR 340

-1.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 MYR 288

$94.3 MYR 383

-24.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$143 MYR 578

$685 MYR 2,780

-79.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$104 MYR 424

$358 MYR 1,452

-70.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 MYR 2,337

$1,212 MYR 4,917

-52.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 MYR 951

$593 MYR 2,406

-60.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,963 MYR 7,963

$3,760 MYR 15.3K

-47.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 MYR 4,856

$1,565 MYR 6,348

-23.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,012 MYR 4,104

$1,458 MYR 5,914

-30.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

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

Last update for Rawang: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Rawang

$262 35.6%

Kuala Lumpur

$274 25.5% 4.7% $12

Eating Out

Rawang

$115 15.7%

Kuala Lumpur

$130 12.1% 12.8% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Rawang

$112 15.2%

Kuala Lumpur

$131 12.2% 17.4% $19

Accommodation & Living

Rawang

$104 14.2%

Kuala Lumpur

$358 33.3% 243% $254

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rawang

$75 10.2%

Kuala Lumpur

$98 9.2% 30.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Rawang

$47 6.4%

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.5% 24.9% $12

Getting Around

Rawang

$19 2.6%

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1% 19.7% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $143 in Rawang versus $685 in Kuala Lumpur. 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 44% higher in Kuala Lumpur, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Rawang versus $29 in Kuala Lumpur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $274 – making Rawang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Rawang

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🕒 Local time

08:59 8:59 AM

Same time as Rawang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000

1,982,112 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rawang Kuala Lumpur 23 km

From you

Rawang
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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

Rawang vs Kuala Lumpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kuala Lumpur is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,103 per month in Rawang and $1,611 in Kuala Lumpur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rawang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $143 there versus $685 in Kuala Lumpur.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Rawang and $29 in Kuala Lumpur. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Kuala Lumpur, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Rawang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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

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