Chicago vs Kuala Lumpur - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Kuala Lumpur
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2799
$866
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6454
$2078
🏠 One person rent
$1702
$415
🏘️ Family rent
$2727
$706
🍽️ Food expenses
$702
$295
🚐 Transport expenses
$204
$74
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5210
$1175
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
16 km
🎓 Higher education
100
93
😀 Quality of life
97
78
🏙️ Population
2.75M
1.98M

The cost of living in Chicago is 223% more expensive than in Kuala Lumpur. Cities ranked 394th and 6384th ($2799 vs $866) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 338th and 1st in the United States and Malaysia, respectively. Check the United States vs Malaysia comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.9 months in Chicago compared to 1.4 months in Kuala Lumpur. Chicago ranked 2nd best city to live in the United States vs Kuala Lumpur ranked 1st in Malaysia, while ranked 16th and 985th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Chicago vs Kuala Lumpur infographic

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Prices in Chicago vs Kuala Lumpur

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

Chicago Kuala Lumpur
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$19.2
$4.41
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$86.5
$26.8
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$4.77
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.36
$4.73
☕ Cappuccino
$5.6
$3.11
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.99
$0.88
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1993
$522
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1414
$311
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3215
$927
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2313
$550
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$108
$36
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$168
$55.1
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$64.8
$25.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.77%
4.46%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3645
$3056
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2499
$1519
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.48
$0.7
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$74.8
$16.2
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$17
$9.83
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.01
$0.53
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.08
$2.04
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$4.01
$1.01
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.93
$1.45
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.3
$2.47
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.4
$14
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.3
$4.97
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.8
$9.52
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.04
$3.13
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.8
$1.65
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.11
$2.66
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.56
$1.5
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.37
$1.27
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.76
$1.39
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.79
$0.46
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.14
$1.26
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.7
$17.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.81
$3.22
🚬 Cigarette pack
$16.5
$4.3
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$12.8
$3.73
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7
$3.59
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.84
$1.76
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.14
$2.29
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$68.2
$46.7
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$17.1
$4.79
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$135
$21
💇 Haircut, simple
$28.7
$5.58
👖 Brand Jeans
$61.8
$62.4
👟 Brand Sneakers
$94.8
$94.3
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2032
$267
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$23423
$9002

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2384
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2360
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2396
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2386
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2367
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2202
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2287
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2393
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2385
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2399
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2366
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2400
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2426
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2288
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2398
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2406
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2405
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2549
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2393
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2413
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2395
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$2030
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2327
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2392
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2379
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2462
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$2008
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2388
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2399
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2468
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2363
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2495
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2268
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2392
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2368
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2261
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2392
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1989
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2376
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2426

Cities near Kuala Lumpur

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.7 mi Petaling Jaya
$731
15 km or 9.1 mi Subang Jaya
$789
19 km or 12 mi Shah Alam
$681
24 km or 15 mi Putrajaya
$584
25 km or 16 mi Cyberjaya
$609
30 km or 19 mi Klang
$704
54 km or 33 mi Seremban
$643
123 km or 77 mi Malacca
$689
124 km or 77 mi Teluk Intan
$654
155 km or 97 mi Muar
$771
167 km or 104 mi Dumai
$519
176 km or 109 mi Ipoh
$657
196 km or 122 mi Kuantan
$552
199 km or 124 mi Batu Pahat
$788
211 km or 131 mi Tanjungbalai
$488
217 km or 135 mi Taiping
$552
219 km or 136 mi Kluang
$771
229 km or 142 mi Chukai
$598
282 km or 175 mi Tebing Tinggi
$461
291 km or 181 mi Butterworth
$701
291 km or 181 mi Kuala Terengganu
$534
292 km or 181 mi Pekanbaru
$503
293 km or 182 mi Pematangsiantar
$472
294 km or 183 mi George Town
$754
297 km or 184 mi Johor Bahru
$789
309 km or 192 mi Sungai Petani
$653
311 km or 193 mi Singapore City
$3201
315 km or 195 mi Bukit Merah
$2909
335 km or 208 mi Padangsidempuan
$563
338 km or 210 mi Kota Bharu
$517
341 km or 212 mi Medan
$466
346 km or 215 mi Batam
$542
360 km or 224 mi Binjai
$460
361 km or 225 mi Alor Setar
$509
394 km or 245 mi Tanjung Pinang
$502
402 km or 250 mi Kangar
$570
413 km or 257 mi Langkawi
$592
441 km or 274 mi Langsa
$449
451 km or 280 mi Hat Yai
$592
457 km or 284 mi Ko Lipe
$756