Cost of Living in Malaysia - Updated Prices & Insights

Name: Malaysia
Address: MY

Solo nomad: Estimated monthly costs are $566 (excluding rent), and $898 including rent.

Family of 3: Estimated monthly costs are $1,264 (excluding rent), and $1,793 including rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 MYR 14.44

$2.13 MYR 8.65

$5.92 MYR 24.03

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 MYR 94.0

$13.88 MYR 56.4

$46.28 MYR 188

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 MYR 19.67

$3.88 MYR 15.75

$4.85 MYR 19.67

Cappuccino

$2.72 MYR 11.03

$1.17 MYR 4.73

$3.73 MYR 15.13

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

$0.78 MYR 3.17

$0.58 MYR 2.35

$1.20 MYR 4.86

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MYR 1.73

$0.29 MYR 1.18

$0.74 MYR 3.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 MYR 14.19

$1.87 MYR 7.58

$6.05 MYR 24.58

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.72

$3.47 MYR 14.07

$6.92 MYR 28.10

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MYR 7.18

$1.38 MYR 5.60

$2.31 MYR 9.37

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MYR 4.06

$0.73 MYR 2.97

$1.95 MYR 7.90

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.65

$0.62 MYR 2.50

$2.38 MYR 9.66

Eggs

$2.04 MYR 8.26

$1.12 MYR 4.55

$3.18 MYR 12.90

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.72 MYR 55.7

$5.84 MYR 23.73

$32.97 MYR 134

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 MYR 15.91

$2.06 MYR 8.35

$6.38 MYR 25.92

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.46 MYR 34.36

$4.23 MYR 17.16

$14.09 MYR 57.2

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MYR 11.75

$1.45 MYR 5.88

$4.35 MYR 17.67

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.03

$0.94 MYR 3.80

$2.40 MYR 9.75

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MYR 10.43

$1.17 MYR 4.74

$4.87 MYR 19.78

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.87

$0.68 MYR 2.76

$2.29 MYR 9.30

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 MYR 4.36

$0.46 MYR 1.86

$2.05 MYR 8.33

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.05

$0.60 MYR 2.44

$2.16 MYR 8.77

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MYR 4.35

$0.60 MYR 2.42

$1.91 MYR 7.75

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.16

$0.33 MYR 1.35

$0.86 MYR 3.47

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 MYR 17.49

$4.17 MYR 16.92

$5.15 MYR 20.92

Wine (Bottle)

$18.96 MYR 77.0

$8.68 MYR 35.23

$29.74 MYR 121

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 MYR 11.70

$1.43 MYR 5.81

$4.10 MYR 16.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 MYR 15.28

$1.91 MYR 7.74

$5.94 MYR 24.13

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MYR 2.80

$0.46 MYR 1.86

$1.15 MYR 4.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.59 MYR 47.07

$23.20 MYR 94.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$0.72 MYR 2.92

$1.43 MYR 5.79

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 MYR 3.04

$0.29 MYR 1.17

$1.15 MYR 4.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 MYR 20.64

$3.64 MYR 14.76

$9.49 MYR 38.52

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.01

$0.61 MYR 2.47

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

$40.1K MYR 162.9K

$34.5K MYR 139.9K

$44.6K MYR 181.1K

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

$31.8K MYR 129.0K

$28.5K MYR 115.8K

$35.1K MYR 142.7K

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

$50.1 MYR 203

$26.40 MYR 107

$81.5 MYR 331

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

$10.03 MYR 40.71

$5.86 MYR 23.79

$18.75 MYR 76.1

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.42 MYR 111

$21.61 MYR 87.7

$37.21 MYR 151

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.16 MYR 147

$16.38 MYR 66.5

$56.2 MYR 228

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.86 MYR 27.84

$3.57 MYR 14.51

$10.71 MYR 43.50

Cinema Ticket

$4.58 MYR 18.58

$3.44 MYR 13.96

$6.87 MYR 27.89

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

$183 MYR 744

$119 MYR 484

$358 MYR 1,453

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,892 MYR 28.0K

$3,519 MYR 14.3K

$14.1K MYR 57.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 MYR 240

$23.16 MYR 94.0

$92.6 MYR 376

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 MYR 136

$14.15 MYR 57.5

$59.0 MYR 239

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.8 MYR 300

$46.21 MYR 188

$104 MYR 423

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 MYR 266

$35.37 MYR 144

$106 MYR 431

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 MYR 1,597

$234 MYR 948

$701 MYR 2,846

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 MYR 1,109

$143 MYR 579

$475 MYR 1,929

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 MYR 2,950

$355 MYR 1,442

$1,232 MYR 5,000

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MYR 1,914

$288 MYR 1,170

$841 MYR 3,413

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,113 MYR 8,577

$1,283 MYR 5,208

$3,699 MYR 15.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,199 MYR 4,868

$780 MYR 3,166

$1,625 MYR 6,596

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$927 MYR 3,764

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

3.1

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

Last update: January 20, 2026

By City in Malaysia

Lowest

Highest

Rank	City	Population	Living Index	Solo costs (no rent) / month	Solo costs (with rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (no rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (with rent) / month	Mobile download speed (Mbps)	Internet download speed (Mbps)
1	Alor Setar	423868	33	$384	$663	$944	$1,356	265.88	174.31
2	Ampang Jaya	531904	43	$476	$844	$1,057	$1,680	125.84	256.39
3	Bangi	-	43	$482	$867	$1,330	$1,573	15.61	217.31
4	Batu Kawan	-	47	$587	$921	$1,455	$1,931	148.57	210.8
5	Batu Pahat	401210	47	$600	$944	$1,246	$1,871	354.83	190.46
6	Bayan Lepas	217600	40	$617	$782	$1,263	$1,850	173.18	244.07
7	Bintulu	240172	40	$651	$786	$1,310	$1,692	41.12	236.94
8	Bukit Mertajam	-	33	$500	$640	$1,258	$1,763	23.92	220.9
9	Butterworth	339132	43	$608	$869	$1,154	$1,761	37.19	230.16
10	Cheras	440000	66	$522	$1,343	$1,264	$1,769	95.72	251.69
11	Cyberjaya, Selangor	-	40	$472	$804	$1,142	$1,582	35.53	248.56
12	George Town	794313	42	$574	$850	$1,421	$1,775	118.2	243.98
13	Gombak	-	41	$560	$805	$1,297	$1,638	26.47	246.11
14	Ipoh	759952	43	$538	$863	$1,233	$1,757	254.74	229.68
15	Johor Bahru	858118	48	$519	$959	$1,165	$1,808	133.77	279.01
16	Kajang, Selangor	1047356	46	$675	$925	$1,322	$1,845	171.59	242.76
17	Kampar	98878	42	$551	$850	$1,158	$1,728	15.56	180.48
18	Kangar, Perlis	284853	44	$566	$890	$1,444	$1,774	66.96	150.02
19	Kedah	-	43	$481	$870	$1,303	$1,819	60.19	174.31
20	Kemaman	215582	47	$599	$941	$1,148	$1,893	44.61	166.25
21	Kepong	-	38	$517	$767	$1,417	$1,700	60.65	257.01
22	Klang	902025	44	$461	$861	$1,075	$1,674	142.74	238.83
23	Kluang	235715	49	$727	$989	$1,328	$1,930	77.75	196.69
24	Kota Bharu	-	33	$503	$661	$1,188	$1,579	95.49	161.76
25	Kota Damansara	-	46	$609	$911	$1,366	$1,871	127.09	267.95
26	Kota Kinabalu	500425	43	$621	$862	$1,322	$1,858	38.46	219.86
27	Kuala Lipis	20000	42	$527	$837	$1,142	$1,749	83.14	130.73
28	Kuala Lumpur	1982112	53	$624	$1,071	$1,480	$2,138	23.84	257.01
29	Kuala Terengganu	375424	35	$575	$712	$1,336	$1,542	114.75	164.28
30	Kuantan	548014	39	$506	$772	$936	$1,540	27.87	217.81
31	Kuching	349147	39	$534	$781	$1,218	$1,646	86.91	223.66
32	Kulim	319056	49	$599	$984	$1,319	$2,008	32.24	216.88
33	Labuan	95120	45	$605	$915	$1,199	$1,839	16.27	192.32
34	Langkawi	-	41	$466	$823	$1,106	$1,686	87.56	136.09
35	Lumut, Perak	-	47	$514	$949	$1,427	$1,862	306.63	189.58
36	Malacca	-	38	$565	$778	$1,186	$1,534	79.6	234.51
37	Miri	248877	35	$494	$681	$991	$1,507	91.22	223.34
38	Muar	314776	50	$639	$1,005	$1,453	$2,038	93.72	207.23
39	Nilai	38612	44	$586	$888	$1,441	$1,767	25.28	220.53
40	Penang	-	43	$598	$842	$1,324	$1,909	77.32	232.83
41	Petaling Jaya	771687	45	$520	$916	$1,194	$1,771	83.07	267.95
42	Puchong	400000	41	$537	$830	$1,403	$1,740	104.48	256.7
43	Putra Heights	-	44	$553	$892	$1,363	$1,779	67.02	256.7
44	Putrajaya	109202	40	$444	$802	$1,284	$1,614	124.87	244.33
45	Rawang	50000	43	$546	$868	$1,095	$1,734	187.29	246.11
46	Sandakan, Sabah	-	42	$545	$855	$1,046	$1,712	131.64	191.46
47	Sarawak	-	45	$660	$904	$1,405	$1,692	13.76	223.66
48	Selangor	281717	49	$648	$968	$1,296	$1,830	44.65	189.13
49	Semenyih	45000	45	$630	$904	$1,429	$1,793	33.17	242.76
50	Sentul	-	42	$513	$833	$1,165	$1,691	83.63	257.01

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cost of Living in Malaysia - Frequently Asked Questions

Cost of Living in Malaysia is generally approachable for travelers, expats, and digital nomads. In key cities you get reliable services, a wide range of housing options, and tasty, affordable food, with prices that scale gently by neighborhood. Outside the big metros, daily expenses can drop further while still offering modern amenities. Public transport is improving, and coworking spaces are common in urban centers. Tip: Map out a two or three neighborhood shortlist near transit to balance convenience and cost.

Daily life in Malaysia blends convenience with variety. In cities you can find a spectrum of housing from compact apartments to family homes, with rents varying by district and proximity to transit. Food is a standout, from hawker stalls to modern cafes, offering ample choices for any budget. Public transport includes rail and bus networks, plus ride hailing and short commutes in smaller towns. The Malaysia living cost is shaped by your locale and routines, so a pragmatic search can save you both time and money. Tip: Start with a 2 week trial in your top neighborhood.

Quality of life in Malaysia is heightened when you tailor routines to your budget and preferences. Use a simple framework: secure a comfortable base in a transit-friendly neighborhood, allocate for daily needs, and keep a buffer for activities and travel. Seasonality matters; the monsoon and humidity can shape outdoor plans and comfort indoors. Urban cores give easy access to coworking, nightlife, and services, while smaller towns offer quieter living and quicker access to nature. Tip: visit a few areas during different times of day and week to gauge pace, noise, and convenience.