Abu Dhabi vs Kuala Lumpur - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Abu Dhabi Kuala Lumpur
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1802
$892
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4691
$2135
🏠 One person rent
$1140
$450
🏘️ Family rent
$2569
$787
🍽️ Food expenses
$442
$295
🚐 Transport expenses
$69.3
$69.6
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$3906
$1450
😷 Air quality
Bad
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
11 km
16 km
🎓 Higher education
52
93
😀 Quality of life
83
76
🏙️ Population
1.48M
1.98M

The cost of living in Abu Dhabi is 102% more expensive than in Kuala Lumpur. Cities ranked 2486th and 6160th ($1802 vs $892) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 3rd and 1st in the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia, respectively. Check the United Arab Emirates vs Malaysia comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 2.2 months in Abu Dhabi compared to 1.6 months in Kuala Lumpur. Abu Dhabi ranked 3rd best city to live in the United Arab Emirates vs Kuala Lumpur ranked 1st in Malaysia, while ranked 405th and 883rd among best cities to live in the world.

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Prices in Abu Dhabi vs Kuala Lumpur

Prices for goods and services in Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Abu Dhabi Kuala Lumpur
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$10.9
$4.35
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$76.3
$27.4
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.62
$4.78
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$10.9
$4.99
☕ Cappuccino
$5.81
$3.17
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.09
$0.85
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1179
$495
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$880
$343
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2759
$1006
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2207
$604
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$95.9
$48.4
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$147
$75.4
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$104
$27.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
5.18%
4.53%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4957
$3145
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4315
$1425
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.67
$0.72
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$24.7
$12.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$7.28
$9.79
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.8
$0.51
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.79
$2.05
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.34
$1.02
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.04
$1.42
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.07
$2.5
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.41
$14.7
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.83
$5.14
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.7
$10.2
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.12
$2.94
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.8
$1.61
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.75
$2.88
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.47
$1.55
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.06
$1.18
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$1.15
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.38
$0.46
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.66
$1.2
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$13.6
$17.6
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.21
$3.2
🚬 Cigarette pack
$6.21
$4.31
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.61
$3.47
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.03
$3.34
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.83
$1.46
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$4.95
$2.21
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$66.9
$46.4
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$13.7
$4.89
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$90.5
$20
💇 Haircut, simple
$13.7
$6.4
👖 Brand Jeans
$67.3
$59.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$105
$80.1
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$667
$259
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$12787
$9485

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Abu Dhabi

Distance City Cost of living
117 km or 73 mi Madinat Zayed
$1630
129 km or 80 mi Dubai
$2309
142 km or 88 mi Sharjah
$1503
143 km or 89 mi Al Ain
$1050
152 km or 94 mi Ajman
$2084
170 km or 105 mi Umm al-Quwain
$1768
211 km or 131 mi Fujairah
$1232
237 km or 147 mi Ras al-Khaimah
$1603
300 km or 187 mi Doha
$1810
318 km or 198 mi Al Khor
$1719
356 km or 221 mi Bandar Abbas
$728
365 km or 227 mi Nizwa
$786
395 km or 246 mi Seeb
$994
425 km or 264 mi Riffa
$1218
427 km or 265 mi Manama
$1267
428 km or 266 mi Isa Town
$1226
439 km or 273 mi Muscat
$1110
454 km or 282 mi Jahrom
$561
468 km or 291 mi Dhahran
$870
481 km or 299 mi Dammam
$989
486 km or 302 mi Al-Mubarraz
$783
501 km or 311 mi Fasa
$556
514 km or 320 mi Qatif
$878
548 km or 341 mi Jubail
$928
568 km or 353 mi Sirjan
$520
575 km or 357 mi Jiroft
$547
599 km or 372 mi Shiraz
$558
610 km or 379 mi Bushehr
$548
617 km or 384 mi Borazjan
$541
620 km or 385 mi Marvdasht
$546
632 km or 392 mi Kazerun
$537
637 km or 396 mi Chabahar
$687
649 km or 404 mi Bam
$531
678 km or 421 mi Rafsanjan
$515
698 km or 434 mi Kerman
$467
701 km or 435 mi Iranshahr
$639
741 km or 460 mi Yasuj
$489
775 km or 481 mi Riyadh
$1586
790 km or 491 mi Al Wafrah
$1268
792 km or 492 mi Behbahan
$507

Cities near Kuala Lumpur

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.7 mi Petaling Jaya
$738
15 km or 9.1 mi Subang Jaya
$732
19 km or 12 mi Shah Alam
$687
24 km or 15 mi Putrajaya
$571
25 km or 16 mi Cyberjaya
$617
30 km or 19 mi Klang
$729
54 km or 33 mi Seremban
$630
123 km or 77 mi Malacca
$699
124 km or 77 mi Teluk Intan
$673
155 km or 97 mi Muar
$752
167 km or 104 mi Dumai
$585
176 km or 109 mi Ipoh
$670
196 km or 122 mi Kuantan
$518
199 km or 124 mi Batu Pahat
$750
211 km or 131 mi Tanjungbalai
$538
217 km or 135 mi Taiping
$759
219 km or 136 mi Kluang
$745
229 km or 142 mi Chukai
$579
282 km or 175 mi Tebing Tinggi
$504
291 km or 181 mi Butterworth
$671
291 km or 181 mi Kuala Terengganu
$544
292 km or 181 mi Pekanbaru
$590
293 km or 182 mi Pematangsiantar
$518
294 km or 183 mi George Town
$669
297 km or 184 mi Johor Bahru
$709
309 km or 192 mi Sungai Petani
$637
311 km or 193 mi Singapore City
$3168
315 km or 195 mi Bukit Merah
$2852
335 km or 208 mi Padangsidempuan
$624
338 km or 210 mi Kota Bharu
$517
341 km or 212 mi Medan
$519
346 km or 215 mi Batam
$604
360 km or 224 mi Binjai
$503
361 km or 225 mi Alor Setar
$523
394 km or 245 mi Tanjung Pinang
$549
402 km or 250 mi Kangar
$563
413 km or 257 mi Langkawi
$594
441 km or 274 mi Langsa
$490
451 km or 280 mi Hat Yai
$561
457 km or 284 mi Ko Lipe
$742