Cost of Living in Malaysia

Select city in Malaysia:

Summary of cost of living in Malaysia:

The estimated monthly costs for a family of four are 2,026.7$ (7,904.0RM), excluding rent.
The estimated monthly costs for a single person are 555.6$ (2,166.7RM), excluding rent.
Cost of living in Malaysia is, on average, 48.8% lower than in United States.
Rent in Malaysia is, on average, 75.8% lower than in United States.

Restaurants	Edit	Range
Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant	15.00 RM	10.00-25.00
Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks)	80.00 RM	60.00-200.00
Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal)	20.00 RM	16.00-20.00
Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint)	15.00 RM	8.00-28.00
Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle)	20.00 RM	15.00-32.00
Cappuccino (Regular Size)	11.74 RM	6.00-16.00
Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle)	3.25 RM	2.40-5.00
Bottled Water (12 oz)	1.66 RM	1.00-3.00

Markets	Edit
Milk (Regular, 1 Liter)	7.64 RM	6.00-10.00
Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf)	3.84 RM	2.72-6.35
White Rice (1 lb)	2.73 RM	1.27-4.54
Eggs (12, Large Size)	8.59 RM	4.80-12.00
Local Cheese (1 lb)	24.79 RM	11.34-54.43
Chicken Fillets (1 lb)	7.91 RM	4.04-12.66
Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb)	16.06 RM	8.16-27.22
Apples (1 lb)	5.56 RM	2.27-8.62
Bananas (1 lb)	2.96 RM	1.81-4.99
Oranges (1 lb)	5.01 RM	2.27-9.07
Tomatoes (1 lb)	2.92 RM	1.36-4.54
Potatoes (1 lb)	2.24 RM	0.91-4.08
Onions (1 lb)	2.46 RM	1.36-4.04
Lettuce (1 Head)	4.72 RM	2.99-8.00
Bottled Water (50 oz)	2.41 RM	1.50-3.80
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range)	78.00 RM	35.00-120.00
Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle)	12.00 RM	6.00-16.43
Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle)	16.30 RM	8.00-30.00
Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro)	18.00 RM	17.40-21.50

Transportation	Edit
One-Way Ticket (Local Transport)	3.00 RM	2.00-5.00
Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price)	50.00 RM	50.00-100.00
Taxi Start (Standard Tariff)	5.00 RM	3.00-7.00
Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff)	6.44 RM	3.22-9.66
Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff)	25.00 RM	15.00-36.98
Gasoline (1 Liter)	2.16 RM	2.05-2.65
Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car)	170,560.00 RM	160,000.00-170,560.00
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car)	139,235.27 RM	130,000.00-147,000.00

Utilities (Monthly)	Edit
Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage)	215.59 RM	120.00-350.00
Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data)	40.93 RM	25.00-65.00
Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher)	114.11 RM	90.00-150.55

Sports And Leisure	Edit
Monthly Fitness Club Membership	156.86 RM	70.00-220.00
Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend)	26.75 RM	10.00-45.00
Cinema Ticket (International Release)	20.00 RM	15.00-30.00

Childcare	Edit
Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child	831.88 RM	500.00-1,536.25
International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child	33,289.77 RM	20,000.00-62,700.00

Clothing And Shoes	Edit
Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar)	256.93 RM	120.00-400.00
Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M)	143.21 RM	60.00-250.00
Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range)	327.77 RM	200.00-450.00
Men's Leather Business Shoes	287.49 RM	129.00-500.00

Rent Per Month	Edit
1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre	1,652.71 RM	950.00-3,000.00
1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre	1,138.87 RM	600.00-1,800.00
3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre	2,880.28 RM	1,500.00-5,000.00
3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre	1,903.22 RM	1,200.00-3,500.00

Buy Apartment Price	Edit
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre	802.78 RM	478.00-1,499.99
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre	447.82 RM	293.66-603.86

Salaries And Financing	Edit
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)	3,784.06 RM
Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %)	4.28	3.18-5.00

Prices in Malaysia

This country had 2934 entries in the past 12 months by 328 different contributors.
Last update: 16 February 2026
Our data for each country are based on all entries from all cities in that country.

Sources and References