Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shah Alam and Ulan Ude

For one person, living is cheaper in Shah Alam: $937 a month against $1,104 in Ulan Ude, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Shah Alam
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Shah Alam Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Ulan Ude
Learn more

Ulan Ude Living Index

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Shah Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$937

/mo nomad

Ulan Ude

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,104

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shah Alam and in Ulan Ude

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

A single person spends $937 per month in Shah Alam vs $1,104 in Ulan Ude, rent included.

Shah Alam $937
Ulan Ude $1,104

A couple spends around $1,432 per month in Shah Alam vs $1,731 in Ulan Ude, rent included.

Shah Alam $1,432
Ulan Ude $1,731

A family of three spends $1,927 per month in Shah Alam vs $2,358 in Ulan Ude, rent included.

Shah Alam $1,927
Ulan Ude $2,358

Shah Alam is about 15% cheaper than Ulan Ude, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Shah Alam and Ulan Ude are more affordable than the global median – Shah Alam 31% lower, Ulan Ude 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.69 MYR 15.07

$7.10 ₽593

-48.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.56 MYR 79.8

$49.25 ₽4,111

-60.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.05 MYR 16.52

$7.34 ₽612

-44.82%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.17

$3.61 ₽302

-17.45%

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

$0.72 MYR 2.95

$1.79 ₽149

-59.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MYR 1.57

$1.82 ₽152

-79.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 MYR 13.86

$3.58 ₽299

-5.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 MYR 17.69

$5.95 ₽497

-27.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 MYR 7.63

$1.48 ₽124

26.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 MYR 4.43

$0.85 ₽70.6

28.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.05

$1.37 ₽114

8.03%

Eggs

$2.24 MYR 9.12

$2.13 ₽178

5.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 MYR 56.8

$12.42 ₽1,037

12.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.37 MYR 17.81

$6.62 ₽553

-33.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.48 MYR 38.67

$13.42 ₽1,120

-29.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 MYR 14.08

$2.13 ₽177

61.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MYR 6.71

$1.89 ₽157

-13.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 MYR 11.20

$1.78 ₽148

54.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.40

$2.75 ₽230

-33.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.93

$0.69 ₽57.3

75.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.26

$0.81 ₽67.3

149.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MYR 5.86

$2.20 ₽184

-34.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MYR 2.35

$0.69 ₽57.6

-15.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.37 MYR 17.82

$2.89 ₽241

51.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.51 MYR 75.5

$6.74 ₽563

174.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 MYR 10.90

$1.49 ₽125

79.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MYR 18.15

$1.18 ₽98.7

277.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MYR 3.07

$0.47 ₽39.09

59.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.00 MYR 65.3

$23.86 ₽1,991

-32.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.05

$1.30 ₽108

-4.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.53

$0.18 ₽15.24

105.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.23 MYR 29.51

$7.12 ₽594

1.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 MYR 3.26

$0.86 ₽71.4

-6.98%

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

$46.1K MYR 188.3K

$47.8K ₽4.0M

-3.55%

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

$36.2K MYR 147.7K

$36.8K ₽3.1M

-1.70%

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

$37.60 MYR 153

$93.6 ₽7,812

-59.83%

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

$10.01 MYR 40.84

$4.79 ₽400

108.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.97 MYR 118

$7.75 ₽647

273.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.53 MYR 165

$24.29 ₽2,028

66.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.02 MYR 20.48

$47.90 ₽3,997

-89.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 MYR 26.17

$7.18 ₽599

-10.72%

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

$196 MYR 800

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,644 MYR 18.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MYR 238

$71.8 ₽5,993

-18.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MYR 163

$30.52 ₽2,547

30.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.8 MYR 276

$122 ₽10.2K

-44.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.5 MYR 279

$122 ₽10.1K

-43.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$339 MYR 1,384

$506 ₽42.2K

-32.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 MYR 1,258

$375 ₽31.3K

-17.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 MYR 2,322

$775 ₽64.7K

-26.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$553 MYR 2,255

$599 ₽50.0K

-7.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,519 MYR 6,197

$2,103 ₽175.5K

-27.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,170 MYR 4,772

$1,558 ₽130.0K

-24.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,244 MYR 5,076

$890 ₽74.3K

39.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

21.67

-81.36%

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

Last update for Shah Alam: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ulan Ude: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shah Alam

$308 32.9%

Ulan Ude

$375 33.9% 21.5% $66

Groceries & Markets

Shah Alam

$263 28.1%

Ulan Ude

$235 21.3% 10.8% $28

Eating Out

Shah Alam

$108 11.5%

Ulan Ude

$166 15.1% 54.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Shah Alam

$106 11.3%

Ulan Ude

$156 14.1% 47.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shah Alam

$77 8.2%

Ulan Ude

$106 9.6% 38.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Shah Alam

$53 5.7%

Ulan Ude

$39 3.5% 27.6% $15

Getting Around

Shah Alam

$22 2.4%

Ulan Ude

$28 2.5% 26.4% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $339 in Shah Alam versus $506 in Ulan Ude. 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 40% higher in Shah Alam, 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 $20.00 in Shah Alam versus $49.00 in Ulan Ude. Groceries tell a different story – $263 in Shah Alam vs $235 in Ulan Ude – so Ulan Ude wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Shah Alam

🇷🇺 Ulan Ude

🕒 Local time

18:51 6:51 PM

Same time as Shah Alam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

812,327

436,138

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shah Alam Ulan Ude 5,450 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Shah Alam
Ulan Ude

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

Shah Alam vs Ulan Ude: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ulan Ude is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,405 per month in Shah Alam and $1,657 in Ulan Ude. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $937 in Shah Alam and $1,104 in Ulan Ude. That's a gap of about 18%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Shah Alam and $49.00 in Ulan Ude. 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 Shah Alam, where all-in costs run around $937, than in Ulan Ude at $1,104. In Shah Alam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ulan Ude it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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