Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yakutsk and Kuala Lumpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur: $1,096 a month against $1,267 in Yakutsk, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Yakutsk outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Yakutsk
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Yakutsk Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index

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Yakutsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,267

/mo nomad

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,096

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,267 per month in Yakutsk vs $1,096 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Yakutsk $1,267
Kuala Lumpur $1,096

A couple spends around $1,829 per month in Yakutsk vs $1,649 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Yakutsk $1,829
Kuala Lumpur $1,649

A family of three spends $2,391 per month in Yakutsk vs $2,201 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Yakutsk $2,391
Kuala Lumpur $2,201

Yakutsk costs about 16% more than Kuala Lumpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Yakutsk and Kuala Lumpur are more affordable than the global median – Yakutsk 6% lower, Kuala Lumpur 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.54 ₽1,214

$4.97 MYR 20.29

192.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.12 ₽3,515

$29.07 MYR 119

44.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₽762

$4.82 MYR 19.67

89.63%

Cappuccino

$4.32 ₽360

$3.15 MYR 12.85

37.14%

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

$1.72 ₽143

$0.83 MYR 3.38

107.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₽78.0

$0.48 MYR 1.96

93.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 ₽298

$4.52 MYR 18.42

-21.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₽204

$6.27 MYR 25.58

-61.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₽159

$2.07 MYR 8.45

-7.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 ₽80.0

$1.07 MYR 4.36

-10.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 ₽140

$2.05 MYR 8.35

-18.54%

Eggs

$2.20 ₽183

$2.56 MYR 10.43

-14.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.78 ₽1,150

$13.82 MYR 56.4

-0.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 ₽670

$4.56 MYR 18.60

76.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 ₽1,060

$9.99 MYR 40.76

27.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 ₽256

$3.48 MYR 14.20

-12.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 ₽205

$1.87 MYR 7.63

31.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₽267

$2.36 MYR 9.61

35.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 ₽425

$1.53 MYR 6.26

232.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₽102

$1.30 MYR 5.29

-5.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₽94.8

$1.39 MYR 5.68

-17.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₽98.6

$1.16 MYR 4.74

1.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 ₽88.4

$0.72 MYR 2.92

47.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.49 MYR 18.33

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ₽811

$19.84 MYR 80.9

-51.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ₽118

$3.58 MYR 14.62

-60.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ₽253

$4.94 MYR 20.14

-38.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 ₽59.6

$0.76 MYR 3.09

-6.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.12 ₽1,679

$12.07 MYR 49.25

66.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 ₽166

$1.21 MYR 4.92

63.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₽17.48

$1.20 MYR 4.91

-82.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 ₽413

$4.76 MYR 19.42

3.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 ₽73.7

$0.88 MYR 3.60

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

$18.1K ₽1.5M

$45.0K MYR 183.4K

-59.71%

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

$19.6K ₽1.6M

$35.3K MYR 143.8K

-44.33%

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

$201 ₽16.8K

$61.1 MYR 249

228.85%

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

$4.80 ₽400

$8.56 MYR 34.93

-43.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.85 ₽905

$25.83 MYR 105

-57.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.8 ₽6,072

$49.77 MYR 203

46.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.68 MYR 31.34

Cinema Ticket

$7.29 ₽608

$5.08 MYR 20.74

43.50%

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

$471 ₽39.3K

$301 MYR 1,228

56.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MYR 54.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 MYR 290

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.39 MYR 173

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 MYR 347

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 MYR 392

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$922 ₽76.9K

$626 MYR 2,554

47.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ₽35.1K

$377 MYR 1,536

11.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ₽102.3K

$1,159 MYR 4,729

5.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$595 ₽49.6K

$613 MYR 2,500

-2.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,213 ₽184.7K

$4,120 MYR 16.8K

-46.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,938 ₽161.7K

$1,500 MYR 6,121

29.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$974 ₽81.3K

$1,486 MYR 6,063

-34.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

402.39%

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

Last update for Yakutsk: October 18, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yakutsk

$420 33.2%

Kuala Lumpur

$377 34.3% 10.4% $44

Groceries & Markets

Yakutsk

$288 22.7%

Kuala Lumpur

$277 25.3% 3.8% $11

Eating Out

Yakutsk

$229 18.1%

Kuala Lumpur

$132 12.1% 42.2% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yakutsk

$217 17.1%

Kuala Lumpur

$96 8.7% 55.9% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Yakutsk

$87 6.9%

Kuala Lumpur

$60 5.5% 31.4% $27

Getting Around

Yakutsk

$26 2.1%

Kuala Lumpur

$22 2% 14.1% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Yakutsk

- * 0%

Kuala Lumpur

$133 12.1%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $922 in Yakutsk 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.

Salaries run about 53% higher in Kuala Lumpur, 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 $42.00 in Yakutsk versus $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $277 – making Kuala Lumpur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Yakutsk

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🕒 Local time

19:51 7:51 PM

18:51 6:51 PM

1 h behind Yakutsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

361,154

1,982,112 Capital

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Yakutsk Kuala Lumpur 6,950 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Yakutsk
Kuala Lumpur

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

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

Yes – Yakutsk is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,901 per month in Yakutsk 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 Kuala Lumpur, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Yakutsk, 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 $42.00 in Yakutsk and $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur. 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 Kuala Lumpur, where all-in costs run around $1,096, than in Yakutsk at $1,267. In Kuala Lumpur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yakutsk it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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