Kuala Lumpur vs Medan - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Kuala Lumpur Medan
🚶 Cost of living one person
$981
$461
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2371
$1179
🏠 One person rent
$468
$185
🏘️ Family rent
$806
$299
🍽️ Food expenses
$320
$174
🚐 Transport expenses
$107
$34
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1331
$230
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
16 km
12 km
🎓 Higher education
93
55
😀 Quality of life
84
48
🏙️ Population
9M
2.11M

The cost of living in Kuala Lumpur is 113% more expensive than in Medan. Cities ranked 5802nd and 8850th ($981 vs $461) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 48th in Malaysia and Indonesia, respectively. Check Malaysia vs Indonesia comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.4 months in Kuala Lumpur compared to 0.5 months in Medan. Kuala Lumpur ranked 1st best city to live in Malaysia vs Medan ranked 14th in Indonesia, while ranked 520th and 6907th among best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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Prices in Kuala Lumpur vs Medan

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

Kuala Lumpur Medan
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$4.71
$1.73
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$31
$11.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.12
$3.13
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$5
$1.74
☕ Cappuccino
$3.55
$1.8
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.01
$0.39
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$602
$169
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$350
$101
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1058
$308
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$631
$179
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$41.1
$43.1
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$63.5
$66.3
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$26.5
$28.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.51%
9.23%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3532
$1205
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1566
$591
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.78
$0.3
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$17.5
$8.11
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$10.8
$2.58
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.6
$0.75
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.3
$1.24
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.11
$1.17
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.58
$0.95
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.72
$1.42
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15.1
$7.93
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.47
$3.46
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.9
$6.63
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.33
$2.54
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.82
$1.1
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.77
$1.53
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.63
$0.9
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.37
$0.81
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.53
$1.42
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.49
$0.31
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.24
$1.09
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$18.9
$7.62
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.33
$1.56
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.57
$2.72
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$4.02
$1.92
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.89
$2.34
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.89
$0.8
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.43
$0.75
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$50.1
$19.7
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$5.12
$3.37
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$21.8
$14.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$6.47
$2.66
👖 Brand Jeans
$64.4
$55.4
👟 Brand Sneakers
$93.2
$102
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$309
$122
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$10356
$9091

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Kuala Lumpur

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.7 mi Petaling Jaya
$813
15 km or 9.1 mi Subang Jaya
$831
19 km or 12 mi Shah Alam
$750
24 km or 15 mi Putrajaya
$627
25 km or 16 mi Cyberjaya
$664
30 km or 19 mi Klang
$762
54 km or 33 mi Seremban
$678
123 km or 77 mi Malacca
$736
124 km or 77 mi Teluk Intan
$701
155 km or 97 mi Muar
$788
167 km or 104 mi Dumai
$513
176 km or 109 mi Ipoh
$696
196 km or 122 mi Kuantan
$588
199 km or 124 mi Batu Pahat
$780
211 km or 131 mi Tanjungbalai
$485
217 km or 135 mi Taiping
$572
219 km or 136 mi Kluang
$770
229 km or 142 mi Chukai
$640
282 km or 175 mi Tebing Tinggi
$461
291 km or 181 mi Butterworth
$740
291 km or 181 mi Kuala Terengganu
$572
292 km or 181 mi Pekanbaru
$495
293 km or 182 mi Pematangsiantar
$470
294 km or 183 mi George Town
$792
297 km or 184 mi Johor Bahru
$838
309 km or 192 mi Sungai Petani
$663
311 km or 193 mi Singapore City
$3119
315 km or 195 mi Bukit Merah
$2806
335 km or 208 mi Padangsidempuan
$558
338 km or 210 mi Kota Bharu
$551
341 km or 212 mi Medan
$461
346 km or 215 mi Batam
$533
360 km or 224 mi Binjai
$458
361 km or 225 mi Alor Setar
$564
394 km or 245 mi Tanjung Pinang
$495
402 km or 250 mi Kangar
$628
413 km or 257 mi Langkawi
$634
441 km or 274 mi Langsa
$451
451 km or 280 mi Hat Yai
$622
457 km or 284 mi Ko Lipe
$790

Cities near Medan

Distance City Cost of living
21 km or 13 mi Binjai
$458
67 km or 41 mi Tebing Tinggi
$461
90 km or 56 mi Pematangsiantar
$470
119 km or 74 mi Langsa
$451
148 km or 92 mi Tanjungbalai
$485
238 km or 148 mi Lhokseumawe
$438
264 km or 164 mi Teluk Intan
$701
264 km or 164 mi Taiping
$572
264 km or 164 mi Padangsidempuan
$558
268 km or 166 mi George Town
$792
269 km or 167 mi Butterworth
$740
286 km or 178 mi Ipoh
$696
298 km or 185 mi Sungai Petani
$663
307 km or 191 mi Gunungsitoli
$551
317 km or 197 mi Klang
$762
322 km or 200 mi Ko Lipe
$790
324 km or 201 mi Langkawi
$634
325 km or 202 mi Shah Alam
$750
331 km or 206 mi Alor Setar
$564
332 km or 206 mi Subang Jaya
$831
332 km or 206 mi Petaling Jaya
$813
341 km or 212 mi Kuala Lumpur
$981
342 km or 212 mi Cyberjaya
$664
345 km or 215 mi Putrajaya
$627
352 km or 219 mi Kangar
$628
378 km or 235 mi Seremban
$678
381 km or 237 mi Dumai
$513
422 km or 262 mi Hat Yai
$622
426 km or 265 mi Banda Aceh
$407
431 km or 268 mi Malacca
$736
445 km or 277 mi Ko Lanta
$846
466 km or 289 mi Pekanbaru
$495
468 km or 291 mi Muar
$788
470 km or 292 mi Phuket
$1059
483 km or 300 mi Kota Bharu
$551
487 km or 303 mi Ao Nang
$808
489 km or 304 mi Krabi
$891
515 km or 320 mi Batu Pahat
$780
518 km or 322 mi Kuantan
$588
529 km or 329 mi Kuala Terengganu
$572