Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Selangor and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Selangor: $1,020 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Selangor
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Selangor Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Selangor and in Melbourne

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in Selangor versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Selangor $1,020
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,469 in Selangor versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Selangor $1,469
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,918 in Selangor versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Selangor $1,918
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Selangor costs roughly 64% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Selangor is 24% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.33 MYR 17.67

$17.43 A$25.08

-75.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.20 MYR 78.3

$84.6 A$122

-77.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.04 MYR 16.46

$12.46 A$17.92

-67.58%

Cappuccino

$2.26 MYR 9.23

$4.11 A$5.91

-45.01%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.18

$3.06 A$4.40

-74.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$2.52 A$3.62

-81.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 MYR 18.08

$9.80 A$14.10

-54.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 MYR 20.24

$8.57 A$12.33

-42.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

$1.48 A$2.14

30.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.30

$2.94 A$4.23

-64.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.25

$2.66 A$3.82

-42.48%

Eggs

$1.92 MYR 7.82

$5.54 A$7.97

-65.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.26 MYR 58.2

$10.51 A$15.13

35.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 MYR 17.78

$9.65 A$13.89

-54.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 MYR 39.16

$15.22 A$21.91

-36.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 MYR 14.04

$3.99 A$5.75

-13.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 MYR 7.52

$3.02 A$4.34

-39.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 MYR 9.55

$3.10 A$4.46

-24.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MYR 6.49

$4.82 A$6.93

-67.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.45

$3.03 A$4.36

-55.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 MYR 4.21

$2.44 A$3.52

-57.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 MYR 4.52

$2.46 A$3.54

-54.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$1.63 A$2.34

-66.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 MYR 18.35

$44.07 A$63.4

-89.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.53 MYR 79.7

$12.70 A$18.28

53.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.59 MYR 14.64

$5.54 A$7.97

-35.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MYR 19.81

$5.23 A$7.52

-7.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 MYR 4.87

$3.74 A$5.38

-68.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.26 MYR 50.0

$138 A$198

-91.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$4.51 A$6.50

-72.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.10

$1.36 A$1.96

-8.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 MYR 17.72

$30.45 A$43.81

-85.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 MYR 2.99

$1.47 A$2.12

-50.34%

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

$41.9K MYR 171.0K

$29.0K A$41.7K

44.49%

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

$35.3K MYR 143.8K

$26.5K A$38.1K

33.15%

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

$63.4 MYR 258

$234 A$336

-72.89%

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

$8.50 MYR 34.69

$27.93 A$40.19

-69.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.97 MYR 106

$55.7 A$80.2

-53.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 MYR 168

$49.40 A$71.1

-16.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.87 MYR 28.04

$21.48 A$30.91

-68.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MYR 20.59

$15.09 A$21.72

-66.53%

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

$122 MYR 499

$2,371 A$3,412

-94.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,175 MYR 29.3K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-76.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MYR 289

$80.0 A$115

-11.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.40 MYR 169

$50.7 A$73.0

-18.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 MYR 315

$121 A$174

-36.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 MYR 339

$130 A$188

-36.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MYR 2,083

$1,759 A$2,531

-70.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 MYR 1,413

$1,390 A$2,000

-75.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 MYR 3,589

$3,494 A$5,027

-74.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 MYR 1,963

$2,493 A$3,588

-80.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,578 MYR 6,438

$6,926 A$9,967

-77.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$705 MYR 2,875

$6,445 A$9,274

-89.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,019 MYR 4,157

$4,383 A$6,307

-76.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

5.9

-32.88%

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

Last update for Selangor: October 12, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Selangor

$346 34%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 301% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Selangor

$266 26.1%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 44.2% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Selangor

$123 12%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 40.2% $49

Eating Out

Selangor

$111 10.9%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 183% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Selangor

$98 9.6%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 224% $220

Sport & Entertainment

Selangor

$51 5%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 55.5% $28

Getting Around

Selangor

$25 2.4%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 568% $139

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $511 in Selangor and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 330% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Selangor vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $384 per month, with Selangor cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Selangor

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

05:11 5:11 AM

08:11 8:11 AM

3 h ahead of Selangor

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

281,717

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Selangor Melbourne 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Selangor
Melbourne

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

Selangor vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Selangor and Melbourne differ by about 177% in total monthly costs ($1,020 vs $2,821 including rent). Selangor is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 330% lower in Melbourne. 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: $511 in Selangor versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $122 in Selangor versus $2,371 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,020 in Selangor versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Selangor but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Selangor 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, Selangor and Melbourne 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 Selangor gentler on the wallet – expenses run 177% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.