Are you considering moving to Malaysia and curious about the cost of living in Kuala Lumpur? Or maybe you’re just traveling to Kuala Lumpur long-term and curious about the cost of things. Search no further, I used my budgeting tracker [download my free travel itinerary and budget tracker here] to track all of my expenses for the first 3 months, so that I could break down the cost of living and basic things. Now, I’ve put it all together in one quick and easy place for you. Here’s how much money you need to live in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!
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Accommodation + WiFi & Utilities
Out of all my expenses, accommodation in Kuala Lumpur is the most expensive. It’s also one of the most expensive cities/countries (besides Singapore) in SE Asia. My rent for a shared place in the city center (a 2-minute walk to the LRT station) is $260 USD per month which includes WiFI, utilities, and clean drinking water.
There are cheaper accommodations outside of the city center but public transportation is non-existent in some areas the further you go, so you’ll end up paying more for transportation (Grab).
Sidenote: many long-term expats drive cars here and live in areas like Mont Kiara, Damansara Heights, and Bangsar.
Recommendations for sites to look for short and long-term accommodations in Kuala Lumpur: CoLiving, Agoda, KL Expats group, Airbnb, and WorldPackers.
Laundry
There are laundromats around that city which cost about $2.50 for 1 load of washing and drying. This option requires you to either stay for 2 hours or leave and come back to switch your clothes. Looking for a way to save time? There are also laundry locations where you can drop off your dirty laundry and they’ll deliver or you can pick it up at the end of the day. This service costs about $2.70 USD per lb of clothes to wash and then $2.70 USD per lb of clothes to dry.
Groceries
I typically only get fresh fruits and eggs for the week from the market and mostly eat out the remainder of the time, so for a typical month, I spend about $50 USD on groceries. And before you jump on me for eating out all the time – have you been to Malaysia? Two words: the food. 😋
Eating Out
The food scene in Kuala Lumpur ranges from extremely cheap street food ($1 USD) to fancy dinners ($30 USD) and everything in between. In a typical month, I spend about $200 USD for eating out including beverages at cafes I work at.
Transportation
Public transportation in Kuala Lumpur is SO cheap, so I usually use the LRT but if it’s raining or the place I’m going is a long walk from the LRT station (or it’s not available) I will occasionally take a Grab car. On average for a month, I spend about $50 USD on public transportation.
Gym Membership
There are a lot of beautiful parks to run in Kuala Lumpur, so if you’re a runner or walker I highly recommend getting up early and enjoying the “cooler” fresh air. While I did not join a specific gym for my time in Kuala Lumpur, I used ClassPass which gave me access to hundreds of studios and gyms around the city. I took advantage of trying out different yoga studios, indoor cycling, boxing, pilates, and HIIT sessions. If you’d like to try ClassPass, use my link here to get your first 2 weeks FREE! This works in most cities around the world!
Recommendations: Damai yoga studio, Flyproject, and Journey Indoor Cycling Studio
Co-working Membership
Unlike other cities I’ve lived in, Kuala Lumpur is not super digital nomad friendly. (Read the best cafes to work at in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam here.) There is not an abundance of cafes to spend the day working at. But there are a lot of paid co-working spaces you can grab a day pass, weekly pass, or monthly pass. I personally used Dojo, their day passes are $10 USD, weekly passes (7 days spread out within a month) are about $70 USD, and a monthly pass is $115 USD.
Recommendations: Dojo, WeWork, & Colony
Hair Salon
For a women’s haircut, it’s $20 USD, a root touch-up is $40 USD, and highlights start at $70 USD. At a higher-end boutique salon the prices are a lot higher. A women’s haircut is $80 USD, a root touch-up is $123 USD, and highlights start at $170 USD.
Nail Salon
There are salons all over the city (most found inside malls) but an average gel manicure is $15 USD and a gel pedicure is $25 USD.
Waxing Salon
Pricing varies between salons and services but here is an estimate. An eyebrow wax is $7 USD, an upper lip $3.50 USD, a Brazilian wax is $35 USD, leg waxing is $25 USD, and underarm waxing is $8.50 USD.
Recommendation: Strip at Suria KLCC
Facial Spa
Depending on the type of facial you’re getting, they can range from $20 USD to $200 USD. The spas here offer a wide range of facial treatments for hydration, anti-aging, acne, and brightening.
Lashes
Lash lifts and lash extensions range between $38 USD to $75 USD
Recommendation: Lashility on WhatsApp +60 149112800
Are there any other expenses you’re curious about in Kuala Lumpur or Malaysia? Drop a comment and let me know!
