Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skudai and Kuala Lumpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Skudai: $889 a month against $1,096 in Kuala Lumpur, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Skudai
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Skudai Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index

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Skudai

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$889

/mo nomad

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,096

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skudai 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 Skudai and in Kuala Lumpur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $889 per month in Skudai vs $1,096 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Skudai $889
Kuala Lumpur $1,096

A couple spends around $1,325 per month in Skudai vs $1,649 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Skudai $1,325
Kuala Lumpur $1,649

A family of three spends $1,761 per month in Skudai vs $2,201 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Skudai $1,761
Kuala Lumpur $2,201

Skudai is about 19% cheaper than Kuala Lumpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Skudai and Kuala Lumpur are more affordable than the global median – Skudai 34% lower, Kuala Lumpur 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.69 MYR 15.06

$4.97 MYR 20.31

-25.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 MYR 76.1

$29.07 MYR 119

-35.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 MYR 20.21

$4.82 MYR 19.70

2.70%

Cappuccino

$2.84 MYR 11.61

$3.15 MYR 12.86

-9.84%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.16

$0.83 MYR 3.39

-7.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MYR 1.81

$0.48 MYR 1.96

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MYR 13.10

$4.52 MYR 18.45

-28.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 MYR 23.76

$6.27 MYR 25.62

-7.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MYR 6.78

$2.07 MYR 8.46

-19.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.22

$1.07 MYR 4.36

-3.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.04

$2.05 MYR 8.36

-27.80%

Eggs

$1.65 MYR 6.75

$2.56 MYR 10.45

-35.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.64 MYR 39.38

$13.82 MYR 56.4

-30.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 MYR 13.58

$4.56 MYR 18.62

-27.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 MYR 38.42

$9.99 MYR 40.82

-5.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 MYR 13.47

$3.48 MYR 14.22

-5.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.81

$1.87 MYR 7.64

-10.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 MYR 11.21

$2.36 MYR 9.63

16.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.81

$1.53 MYR 6.27

9.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.05

$1.30 MYR 5.30

13.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.75

$1.39 MYR 5.68

18.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 MYR 5.35

$1.16 MYR 4.75

12.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$0.72 MYR 2.92

-29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 MYR 16.93

$4.49 MYR 18.35

-7.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 MYR 56.9

$19.84 MYR 81.0

-29.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 MYR 11.08

$3.58 MYR 14.64

-24.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 MYR 12.13

$4.94 MYR 20.17

-39.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MYR 3.04

$0.76 MYR 3.10

-2.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.40 MYR 50.6

$12.07 MYR 49.31

2.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 MYR 3.95

$1.21 MYR 4.92

-19.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.45

$1.20 MYR 4.92

-70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 MYR 35.61

$4.76 MYR 19.44

83.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 MYR 3.32

$0.88 MYR 3.61

-7.95%

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

$42.1K MYR 172.1K

$45.0K MYR 183.6K

-6.30%

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

$33.2K MYR 135.7K

$35.3K MYR 144.0K

-5.74%

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

$48.84 MYR 200

$61.1 MYR 250

-20.08%

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

$8.07 MYR 32.95

$8.56 MYR 34.98

-5.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.60 MYR 109

$25.83 MYR 106

2.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.50 MYR 165

$49.77 MYR 203

-18.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.02 MYR 28.69

$7.68 MYR 31.38

-8.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MYR 19.53

$5.08 MYR 20.77

-5.91%

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

$165 MYR 676

$301 MYR 1,229

-45.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,487 MYR 18.3K

$13.4K MYR 54.7K

-66.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 MYR 214

$71.0 MYR 290

-26.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.35 MYR 66.8

$42.39 MYR 173

-61.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 MYR 311

$85.1 MYR 348

-10.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MYR 353

$96.2 MYR 393

-10.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 MYR 1,671

$626 MYR 2,557

-34.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 MYR 1,214

$377 MYR 1,538

-21.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$670 MYR 2,738

$1,159 MYR 4,736

-42.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MYR 1,953

$613 MYR 2,503

-21.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,056 MYR 8,398

$4,120 MYR 16.8K

-50.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,074 MYR 4,386

$1,500 MYR 6,129

-28.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,486 MYR 6,071

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

4.18

-2.87%

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

Last update for Skudai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skudai

$297 33.4%

Kuala Lumpur

$377 34.3% 26.7% $79

Groceries & Markets

Skudai

$225 25.4%

Kuala Lumpur

$277 25.3% 23% $52

Eating Out

Skudai

$111 12.5%

Kuala Lumpur

$132 12.1% 19.3% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Skudai

$104 11.7%

Kuala Lumpur

$133 12.1% 27.4% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skudai

$84 9.4%

Kuala Lumpur

$96 8.7% 14.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Skudai

$50 5.6%

Kuala Lumpur

$60 5.5% 19.7% $9.9

Getting Around

Skudai

$18 2%

Kuala Lumpur

$22 2% 23.2% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $409 in Skudai versus $626 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Skudai versus $29 in Kuala Lumpur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $277 – making Skudai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Skudai

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🕒 Local time

18:49 6:49 PM

Same time as Skudai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,733

1,982,112 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Skudai Kuala Lumpur 280 km

From you

Skudai
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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

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

Yes – Kuala Lumpur is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,334 per month in Skudai and $1,645 in Kuala Lumpur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skudai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $409 there versus $626 in Kuala Lumpur.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Kuala Lumpur, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Skudai and $29 in Kuala Lumpur. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Skudai – 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.