# Kuala Lumpur — relocation profile

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia · Flawed democracy · livability 73/100

## At a glance

- **Country:** Malaysia
- **Region:** Asia
- **Estimated monthly cost of living (solo, renting in the centre):** $1,748/month
- **Livability score:** 73 / 100 (rank 40 of 132 Townleap cities)
- **Settler safety score:** 68 / 100 (rank 80 of 132)
- **Cost vs New York City:** 82% cheaper
- **Also appears in:** Remote Workers, Lowest Crime, Budget Maximizers, Startup Cities, Rising Stars, Mountain Towns, Remote Work Visa Cities, Fresh Start Cities, Hidden Gems, Family-Friendly Cities, English-Friendly Cities, Retire Abroad, Young Professionals, Asia & Pacific, Tech Settler, Leaving the UK, Freelance-Friendly

## Cost of living

| Item | USD / month |
| --- | --- |
| Rent — 1-bed, city centre | $690 |
| Rent — 1-bed, outside centre | $382 |
| Rent — 3-bed, city centre | $1,324 |
| Average net salary (after tax) | $1,585 |
| **Total monthly cost (solo, rent included)** | **$1,748** |

One-off cost to land (deposit, agency fee, furnishing, first admin): $3,011.

Reference point: 82% cheaper than NYC.

## Settling

- **Democracy index (EIU, 0–10):** 7.1
- **Regime type:** Flawed democracy
- **Homicide rate:** 1.0 per 100,000/year
- **Time to permanent residency:** 10 years
- **Time to citizenship:** 10 years
- **English proficiency:** High (EF EPI 581)
- **Main languages:** Malay

## Day to day

- **Summer (low–high):** 24–32°C
- **Winter (low–high):** 23–32°C
- **Internet speed:** 135.19 Mbps
- **Healthcare index (0–100):** 65.6
- **Natural features:** mountains_nearby

## Economy

- **GDP per capita:** $38,779 (2024, country-level)
- **Inflation:** 1.8% (2024)
- **Unemployment:** 3.8% (2025)
- **Population:** 2,076,000

## Similar cities

| City | Country | Rent (1-bed, centre) | Monthly cost | Page |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bangkok | Thailand | $703 | $1,814 | /cities/bangkok |
| Phuket | Thailand | $708 | $1,891 | /cities/phuket |
| Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | $661 | $1,816 | /cities/rio-de-janeiro |
| Tbilisi | Georgia | $681 | $1,861 | /cities/tbilisi |
| Taipei | Taiwan | $735 | $1,954 | /cities/taipei |

## Related pages

- Cost of living breakdown: /cost-of-living/kuala-lumpur
- Compare with another city: /cities/compare
- Visa and residency paths: /cities/kuala-lumpur/visa

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Source: [Townleap](https://www.townleap.com/cities/kuala-lumpur) — permanent-relocation data for people picking a country to actually live in, not visit.

Cost figures are Numbeo-derived and in USD unless labelled otherwise. Economics are World Bank. Every number on this page is also on the HTML page at the same URL — this variant exists so you do not have to parse a React app to read a rent figure.