Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulan Ude and Shah Alam

For one person, living is cheaper in Shah Alam: $933 a month against $1,094 in Ulan Ude, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Ulan Ude
Learn more

Ulan Ude Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Shah Alam
Learn more

Shah Alam Living Index

Jump to prices

Ulan Ude

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,094

/mo nomad

Shah Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$933

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,094 per month in Ulan Ude vs $933 in Shah Alam, rent included.

Ulan Ude $1,094
Shah Alam $933

A couple spends around $1,704 per month in Ulan Ude vs $1,429 in Shah Alam, rent included.

Ulan Ude $1,704
Shah Alam $1,429

A family of three spends $2,314 per month in Ulan Ude vs $1,925 in Shah Alam, rent included.

Ulan Ude $2,314
Shah Alam $1,925

Ulan Ude costs about 17% more than Shah Alam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ulan Ude and Shah Alam are more affordable than the global median – Ulan Ude 19% lower, Shah Alam 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.05 ₽589

$3.72 MYR 15.19

89.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.40 ₽3,956

$19.34 MYR 78.9

145.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.98 ₽583

$4.21 MYR 17.16

65.80%

Cappuccino

$3.59 ₽300

$2.87 MYR 11.70

25.09%

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

$1.77 ₽148

$0.78 MYR 3.17

126.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₽146

$0.39 MYR 1.58

348.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ₽299

$3.40 MYR 13.85

5.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 ₽486

$4.33 MYR 17.65

34.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ₽120

$1.79 MYR 7.29

-19.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 ₽64.9

$1.06 MYR 4.31

-26.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ₽112

$1.47 MYR 6.01

-8.84%

Eggs

$2.11 ₽176

$2.17 MYR 8.85

-2.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.17 ₽1,015

$13.59 MYR 55.4

-10.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 ₽533

$4.36 MYR 17.78

46.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.98 ₽1,083

$9.51 MYR 38.79

36.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ₽177

$3.53 MYR 14.38

-39.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 ₽156

$1.62 MYR 6.61

15.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ₽146

$2.62 MYR 10.67

-33.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₽230

$1.73 MYR 7.05

58.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ₽56.4

$1.25 MYR 5.08

-45.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 ₽66.1

$2.04 MYR 8.33

-61.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 ₽175

$1.43 MYR 5.82

46.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₽56.0

$0.54 MYR 2.19

24.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 ₽245

$4.33 MYR 17.66

-32.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.37 ₽532

$18.85 MYR 76.9

-66.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 ₽125

$2.76 MYR 11.26

-45.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₽100

$4.64 MYR 18.94

-74.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₽38.55

$0.75 MYR 3.05

-38.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.23 ₽2,022

$16.11 MYR 65.7

50.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₽107

$1.20 MYR 4.90

6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ₽14.16

$0.41 MYR 1.67

-58.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ₽614

$7.48 MYR 30.52

-1.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ₽70.4

$0.81 MYR 3.32

3.70%

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

$47.2K ₽3.9M

$42.1K MYR 171.7K

12.10%

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

$35.0K ₽2.9M

$34.9K MYR 142.5K

0.33%

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

$90.6 ₽7,558

$36.85 MYR 150

145.73%

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

$4.84 ₽404

$9.64 MYR 39.32

-49.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.58 ₽633

$28.94 MYR 118

-73.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.71 ₽1,979

$40.19 MYR 164

-41.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.45 ₽3,960

$4.88 MYR 19.92

872.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.09 ₽592

$6.58 MYR 26.86

7.75%

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

$199 MYR 812

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,548 MYR 18.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 ₽6,067

$57.6 MYR 235

26.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.73 ₽2,481

$39.52 MYR 161

-24.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₽9,870

$67.8 MYR 277

74.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₽10.1K

$70.0 MYR 285

73.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 ₽42.9K

$340 MYR 1,386

51.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 ₽31.5K

$308 MYR 1,255

22.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$779 ₽65.0K

$564 MYR 2,301

38.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$591 ₽49.3K

$560 MYR 2,283

5.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,092 ₽174.6K

$1,502 MYR 6,128

39.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,557 ₽129.9K

$1,165 MYR 4,753

33.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$899 ₽75.0K

$1,264 MYR 5,156

-28.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.67

4.04

436.39%

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

Last update for Ulan Ude: October 10, 2026

Last update for Shah Alam: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulan Ude

$378 34.5%

Shah Alam

$308 33% 18.5% $70

Groceries & Markets

Ulan Ude

$229 20.9%

Shah Alam

$261 28% 14.2% $33

Eating Out

Ulan Ude

$164 15%

Shah Alam

$107 11.5% 34.7% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Ulan Ude

$154 14.1%

Shah Alam

$106 11.3% 31.4% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulan Ude

$103 9.4%

Shah Alam

$75 8.1% 26.8% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Ulan Ude

$38 3.5%

Shah Alam

$53 5.7% 40.8% $15

Getting Around

Ulan Ude

$28 2.6%

Shah Alam

$22 2.4% 20.8% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $514 in Ulan Ude versus $340 in Shah Alam. 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 41% 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 $47.00 in Ulan Ude versus $19.00 in Shah Alam. Groceries tell a different story – $229 in Ulan Ude vs $261 in Shah Alam – so Ulan Ude wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Ulan Ude

🇲🇾 Shah Alam

🕒 Local time

17:50 5:50 PM

Same time as Ulan Ude

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

436,138

812,327

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 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 RUB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Ulan Ude
Shah Alam

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Yes – Ulan Ude is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,640 per month in Ulan Ude and $1,399 in Shah Alam. 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 $1,094 in Ulan Ude and $933 in Shah Alam. That's a gap of about 17%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Ulan Ude and $19.00 in Shah Alam. 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 $933, than in Ulan Ude at $1,094. 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.