City Report Cards — Grades for Affordability, Safety & More
Every city gets graded. Affordability, safety, weather, internet — the full GPA. No extra credit for vibes.
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia · Academic Year 2026
$654/mo — seriously affordable
0.97/100k — very safe
32°C summer · 22°C winter low · 33% sunshine
99 Mbps — decent
$34k GDP/cap · 3.3% unemployment · 1.8% inflation
Democracy index 7.3 — solid, some caveats
EF score 557 — high proficiency
Principal's Comments
“Kuala Lumpur shows real promise. A few rough edges, but the ceiling is high. We'd recommend Kuala Lumpur to a friend.”
Grades based on data from Numbeo, UNODC, EIU, World Bank, EF EPI & Ookla Speedtest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the city grade calculated?▼
Each grade (A–F) comes from real data: Affordability from Numbeo rent, Safety from UNODC homicide rates, Internet from Ookla Speedtest, Democracy from EIU, Economy from World Bank/IMF, English from EF EPI. An A means top-tier globally for that metric.
Which city gets straight As?▼
No city scores an A in every category — there are always trade-offs. Singapore scores A for safety and internet but C or D for affordability. Chiang Mai scores A for affordability but C for democracy. The report card helps you spot which trade-offs matter least to you.
Which is the safest city in the world to live in?▼
Tokyo, Singapore, Vienna, and Amsterdam earn A grades for safety. Safety grades are based on homicide rates per 100,000 residents (UNODC data) — the most consistent cross-country crime measure.
Which city is most affordable for expats?▼
Southeast Asian cities (Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur) and Eastern European cities (Tbilisi, Belgrade, Krakow) earn A or B for affordability. Based on city-centre rent from Numbeo — a strong proxy for overall cost of living.
What does a D or F grade mean?▼
Below global average for that metric — not unlivable. A D in affordability (like Zurich or New York) still means a world-class city, just expensive. Use the full report card to understand which trade-offs you're making.