Dubai vs Kuala Lumpur - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Dubai Kuala Lumpur
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2309
$892
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$5128
$2135
🏠 One person rent
$1523
$450
🏘️ Family rent
$2687
$787
🍽️ Food expenses
$458
$295
🚐 Transport expenses
$185
$69.6
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$3493
$1450
😷 Air quality
Bad
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
6 km
16 km
🎓 Higher education
64
93
😀 Quality of life
86
76
🏙️ Population
3.33M
1.98M

The cost of living in Dubai is 159% more expensive than in Kuala Lumpur. Cities ranked 1098th and 6160th ($2309 vs $892) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st 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 1.5 months in Dubai compared to 1.6 months in Kuala Lumpur. Dubai ranked 1st best city to live in the United Arab Emirates vs Kuala Lumpur ranked 1st in Malaysia, while ranked 306th and 883rd among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Dubai vs Kuala Lumpur infographic

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Prices in Dubai vs Kuala Lumpur

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

Dubai Kuala Lumpur
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$10.5
$4.35
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$70.2
$27.4
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.4
$4.78
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$12.1
$4.99
☕ Cappuccino
$6.12
$3.17
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.36
$0.85
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1850
$495
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1170
$343
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3310
$1006
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2171
$604
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$131
$48.4
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$202
$75.4
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$86
$27.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.64%
4.53%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6006
$3145
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3452
$1425
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.64
$0.72
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$84.2
$12.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$11.1
$9.79
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.82
$0.51
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.77
$2.05
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.49
$1.02
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.15
$1.42
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.24
$2.5
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11
$14.7
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.27
$5.14
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10
$10.2
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.38
$2.94
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.87
$1.61
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.89
$2.88
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.65
$1.55
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.26
$1.18
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.52
$1.15
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.41
$0.46
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.19
$1.2
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.2
$17.6
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.6
$3.2
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.98
$4.31
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.18
$3.47
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.49
$3.34
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.95
$1.46
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.85
$2.21
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$75.9
$46.4
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$13.4
$4.89
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$88.8
$20
💇 Haircut, simple
$9.53
$6.4
👖 Brand Jeans
$56.6
$59.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$98.6
$80.1
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$779
$259
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$12682
$9485

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Dubai

Distance City Cost of living
13 km or 8 mi Sharjah
$1503
22 km or 14 mi Ajman
$2084
41 km or 25 mi Umm al-Quwain
$1768
104 km or 65 mi Fujairah
$1232
108 km or 67 mi Ras al-Khaimah
$1603
126 km or 78 mi Al Ain
$1050
129 km or 80 mi Abu Dhabi
$1802
234 km or 146 mi Bandar Abbas
$728
246 km or 153 mi Madinat Zayed
$1630
339 km or 211 mi Seeb
$994
344 km or 214 mi Nizwa
$786
380 km or 236 mi Doha
$1810
380 km or 236 mi Muscat
$1110
385 km or 239 mi Al Khor
$1719
399 km or 248 mi Jahrom
$561
440 km or 273 mi Fasa
$556
449 km or 279 mi Jiroft
$547
466 km or 290 mi Sirjan
$520
485 km or 301 mi Manama
$1267
486 km or 302 mi Riffa
$1218
487 km or 303 mi Isa Town
$1226
523 km or 325 mi Bam
$531
528 km or 328 mi Dhahran
$870
534 km or 332 mi Chabahar
$687
537 km or 334 mi Dammam
$989
554 km or 345 mi Shiraz
$558
560 km or 348 mi Qatif
$878
568 km or 353 mi Al-Mubarraz
$783
568 km or 353 mi Marvdasht
$546
574 km or 357 mi Rafsanjan
$515
578 km or 359 mi Iranshahr
$639
584 km or 363 mi Kerman
$467
595 km or 370 mi Jubail
$928
601 km or 373 mi Borazjan
$541
603 km or 375 mi Kazerun
$537
604 km or 375 mi Bushehr
$548
703 km or 437 mi Yasuj
$489
721 km or 448 mi Zahedan
$831
743 km or 461 mi Yazd
$577
773 km or 481 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