Bangkok vs Kuala Lumpur Cost of Living
Bangkok (Thailand) · Overall index 36.1 — Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) · Overall index 30.4
Summary
- Overall, Kuala Lumpur is 16% cheaper than Bangkok.
- Rent in Kuala Lumpur is 29% cheaper than in Bangkok.
- Dining out in Kuala Lumpur is 19% cheaper than in Bangkok.
| Item | Bangkok | Kuala Lumpur | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -29% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $785 | $632 | -19% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $630 | $376 | -40% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,512 | $1,249 | -17% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,069 | $701 | -34% |
| Groceries | -13% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.61 | $0.5 | -18% |
| White bread (500g) | $2.14 | $1.69 | -21% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.56 | $2.35 | -8% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.53 | $1.8 | -29% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $6.93 | $6.57 | -5% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $6.15 | $5.8 | -6% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $10.3 | $7.49 | -27% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.84 | $2.45 | -14% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $0.93 | $0.95 | +2% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.4 | $2.07 | -14% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.38 | $2.46 | +3% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.38 | $1.31 | -5% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.39 | $1.14 | -18% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.2 | $1.1 | -8% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.22 | $0.9 | -26% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $7.66 | $6.65 | -13% |
| Transport | -16% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.01 | $0.78 | -23% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $44.6 | $39.3 | -12% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.59 | $1.38 | -13% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.81 | $0.65 | -20% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.37 | $0.3 | -19% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $10,133 | $9,592 | -5% |
| Dining out | -19% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.84 | $8.83 | 0% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $47.5 | $39.1 | -18% |
| Fast food combo meal | $5.21 | $3.81 | -27% |
| Cappuccino | $2.15 | $1.75 | -19% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.11 | $0.85 | -23% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $3.3 | $2.76 | -16% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.74 | $2.57 | -31% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.78 | $0.7 | -10% |
| Telecom | -7% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $33.4 | $31.5 | -6% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $37.1 | $32.6 | -12% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.19 | $0.17 | -11% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $8.29 | $8.33 | 0% |
| Utilities & household | -11% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $81.5 | $76.2 | -7% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.09 | $0.1 | +11% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.32 | $1.95 | -16% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.67 | $0.61 | -9% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $10.8 | $9.76 | -10% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $37.2 | $32.7 | -12% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $7.95 | $6.5 | -18% |
| Men's haircut | $15.5 | $13.5 | -13% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $12.7 | $9.73 | -23% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $991 | $876 | -12% |
3,212 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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