Kuala Lumpur vs San Diego - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Kuala Lumpur San Diego
🚶 Cost of living one person
$892
$3346
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2135
$7719
🏠 One person rent
$450
$2248
🏘️ Family rent
$787
$4052
🍽️ Food expenses
$295
$722
🚐 Transport expenses
$69.6
$185
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1450
$5772
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
16 km
3 km
🎓 Higher education
93
87
😀 Quality of life
76
92
🏙️ Population
1.98M
1.39M

The cost of living in Kuala Lumpur is 73% less expensive than in San Diego. Cities ranked 6160th and 45th ($892 vs $3346) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 36th in Malaysia and the United States, respectively. Check Malaysia vs the United States comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.6 months in Kuala Lumpur compared to 1.7 months in San Diego. Kuala Lumpur ranked 1st best city to live in Malaysia vs San Diego ranked 12th in the United States, while ranked 883rd and 75th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Kuala Lumpur vs San Diego infographic

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Prices in Kuala Lumpur vs San Diego

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

Kuala Lumpur San Diego
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$4.35
$20.9
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$27.4
$85.8
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$4.78
$12.9
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$4.99
$8.25
☕ Cappuccino
$3.17
$5.51
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.85
$2.62
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$495
$2399
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$343
$1894
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1006
$4351
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$604
$3534
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$48.4
$184
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$75.4
$286
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$27.7
$69.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.53%
6.53%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3145
$9294
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1425
$7063
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.72
$2.52
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$12.4
$72.6
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$9.79
$20.2
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.51
$1.38
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.05
$1.16
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.02
$3.98
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.42
$3.91
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.5
$4.72
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.7
$15
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.14
$14.4
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.2
$18.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.94
$4.96
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.61
$1.69
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.88
$3.78
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.55
$5.11
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.18
$2.54
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.15
$2.34
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.46
$1.6
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.2
$3.2
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$17.6
$18.3
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.2
$3.1
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.31
$11.3
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$3.47
$16.2
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.34
$10.9
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.46
$5.94
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.21
$2.98
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$46.4
$72.4
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$4.89
$18
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$20
$132
💇 Haircut, simple
$6.4
$28
👖 Brand Jeans
$59.8
$56.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$80.1
$99.1
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$259
$1752
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$9485
$21468

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

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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
$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

Cities near San Diego

Distance City Cost of living
4.2 km or 2.6 mi Coronado
$2973
7.2 km or 4.5 mi National
$2877
13 km or 7.8 mi Lemon Grove
$2783
14 km or 9 mi Chula Vista
$2893
14 km or 9 mi La Mesa
$2775
16 km or 9.8 mi Imperial Beach
$2786
18 km or 11 mi La Jolla
$2821
21 km or 13 mi El Cajon
$2936
24 km or 15 mi Tijuana
$1050
25 km or 15 mi Santee
$2799
30 km or 19 mi Poway
$2765
38 km or 24 mi Encinitas
$2853
40 km or 25 mi Las Delicias
$922
43 km or 26 mi Rosarito Beach
$922
46 km or 29 mi Escondido
$2795
47 km or 30 mi San Marcos
$2718
52 km or 33 mi Carlsbad
$2997
54 km or 33 mi Vista
$2783
57 km or 36 mi Oceanside
$2926
73 km or 46 mi Fallbrook
$2767
88 km or 55 mi Temecula
$2579
91 km or 57 mi San Clemente
$2886
95 km or 59 mi Murrieta
$3006
97 km or 61 mi Dana Point
$2828
98 km or 61 mi French Valley
$2650
99 km or 61 mi San Juan Capistrano
$2842
99 km or 61 mi Wildomar
$2717
104 km or 65 mi Laguna Niguel
$3001
107 km or 66 mi Laguna Beach
$2928
107 km or 67 mi Menifee
$2587
109 km or 68 mi Ensenada
$912
109 km or 68 mi Lake Elsinore
$2654
110 km or 68 mi Mission Viejo
$3444
110 km or 69 mi Laguna Hills
$3035
111 km or 69 mi Rancho Santa Margarita
$2950
114 km or 71 mi Aliso Viejo
$3330
114 km or 71 mi Lake Forest
$3047
115 km or 72 mi Hemet
$2789
119 km or 74 mi Perris
$2595
119 km or 74 mi Temescal Valley
$2647