Kuala Lumpur vs Bangkok Cost of Living
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) · Overall index 30.4 — Bangkok (Thailand) · Overall index 36.1
Summary
- Overall, Bangkok is 19% more expensive than Kuala Lumpur.
- Rent in Bangkok is 40% more expensive than in Kuala Lumpur.
- Dining out in Bangkok is 23% more expensive than in Kuala Lumpur.
| Item | Kuala Lumpur | Bangkok | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +40% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $632 | $785 | +24% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $376 | $630 | +68% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,249 | $1,512 | +21% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $701 | $1,069 | +52% |
| Groceries | +15% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.5 | $0.61 | +22% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.69 | $2.14 | +27% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.35 | $2.56 | +9% |
| Eggs (12) | $1.8 | $2.53 | +41% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $6.57 | $6.93 | +5% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $5.8 | $6.15 | +6% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $7.49 | $10.3 | +38% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.45 | $2.84 | +16% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $0.95 | $0.93 | -2% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.07 | $2.4 | +16% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.46 | $2.38 | -3% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.31 | $1.38 | +5% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.14 | $1.39 | +22% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.1 | $1.2 | +9% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $0.9 | $1.22 | +36% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $6.65 | $7.66 | +15% |
| Transport | +18% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $0.78 | $1.01 | +29% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $39.3 | $44.6 | +13% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.38 | $1.59 | +15% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.65 | $0.81 | +25% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.3 | $0.37 | +23% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $9,592 | $10,133 | +6% |
| Dining out | +23% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.83 | $8.84 | 0% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $39.1 | $47.5 | +21% |
| Fast food combo meal | $3.81 | $5.21 | +37% |
| Cappuccino | $1.75 | $2.15 | +23% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.85 | $1.11 | +31% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.76 | $3.3 | +20% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.57 | $3.74 | +46% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.7 | $0.78 | +11% |
| Telecom | +7% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $31.5 | $33.4 | +6% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $32.6 | $37.1 | +14% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.17 | $0.19 | +12% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $8.33 | $8.29 | 0% |
| Utilities & household | +13% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $76.2 | $81.5 | +7% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.1 | $0.09 | -10% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $1.95 | $2.32 | +19% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.61 | $0.67 | +10% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $9.76 | $10.8 | +11% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $32.7 | $37.2 | +14% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $6.5 | $7.95 | +22% |
| Men's haircut | $13.5 | $15.5 | +15% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $9.73 | $12.7 | +31% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $876 | $991 | +13% |
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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