Dubai vs Kuala Lumpur - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Dubai Kuala Lumpur
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2514
$866
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$5509
$2078
🏠 One person rent
$1723
$415
🏘️ Family rent
$3020
$706
🍽️ Food expenses
$455
$295
🚐 Transport expenses
$184
$74
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4067
$1175
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
6 km
16 km
🎓 Higher education
65
93
😀 Quality of life
91
78
🏙️ Population
3.94M
1.98M

The cost of living in Dubai is 190% more expensive than in Kuala Lumpur. Cities ranked 848th and 6384th ($2514 vs $866) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd 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 1.6 months in Dubai compared to 1.4 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 158th and 985th 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
$10.3
$4.41
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$68.2
$26.8
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.32
$4.77
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$12.9
$4.73
☕ Cappuccino
$5.8
$3.11
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.14
$0.88
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2095
$522
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1336
$311
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3716
$927
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2461
$550
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$138
$36
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$211
$55.1
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$96.1
$25.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.52%
4.46%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$7516
$3056
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3977
$1519
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.62
$0.7
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$86.3
$16.2
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$9.15
$9.83
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.77
$0.53
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.92
$2.04
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.43
$1.01
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.1
$1.45
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.47
$2.47
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.8
$14
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.16
$4.97
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.2
$9.52
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.38
$3.13
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.9
$1.65
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.73
$2.66
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.53
$1.5
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.2
$1.27
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.11
$1.39
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.44
$0.46
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.94
$1.26
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.4
$17.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.62
$3.22
🚬 Cigarette pack
$6.12
$4.3
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.15
$3.73
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.73
$3.59
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.6
$1.76
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.44
$2.29
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$81.6
$46.7
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$14.6
$4.79
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$77.7
$21
💇 Haircut, simple
$8.82
$5.58
👖 Brand Jeans
$78.3
$62.4
👟 Brand Sneakers
$122
$94.3
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$857
$267
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$15029
$9002

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
$1419
22 km or 14 mi Ajman
$2521
41 km or 25 mi Umm al-Quwain
$1183
104 km or 65 mi Fujairah
$1228
108 km or 67 mi Ras al-Khaimah
$1398
126 km or 78 mi Al Ain
$1449
129 km or 80 mi Abu Dhabi
$1942
234 km or 146 mi Bandar Abbas
$632
246 km or 153 mi Madinat Zayed
$1730
339 km or 211 mi Seeb
$1078
344 km or 214 mi Nizwa
$792
380 km or 236 mi Doha
$1849
380 km or 236 mi Muscat
$1081
385 km or 239 mi Al Khor
$1770
399 km or 248 mi Jahrom
$530
440 km or 273 mi Fasa
$529
449 km or 279 mi Jiroft
$568
466 km or 290 mi Sirjan
$534
485 km or 301 mi Manama
$1237
486 km or 302 mi Riffa
$1201
487 km or 303 mi Isa Town
$1230
523 km or 325 mi Bam
$557
528 km or 328 mi Dhahran
$908
534 km or 332 mi Chabahar
$573
537 km or 334 mi Dammam
$1008
554 km or 345 mi Shiraz
$553
560 km or 348 mi Qatif
$873
568 km or 353 mi Al-Mubarraz
$806
568 km or 353 mi Marvdasht
$530
574 km or 357 mi Rafsanjan
$604
578 km or 359 mi Iranshahr
$624
584 km or 363 mi Kerman
$761
595 km or 370 mi Jubail
$930
601 km or 373 mi Borazjan
$477
603 km or 375 mi Kazerun
$503
604 km or 375 mi Bushehr
$453
703 km or 437 mi Yasuj
$463
721 km or 448 mi Zahedan
$808
743 km or 461 mi Yazd
$545
773 km or 481 mi Behbahan
$483

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