How Much Does It Cost to Live In Selangor?
Selangor is the most developed state in Malaysia and with this title – come the prices.
If you plan on moving here, the cost of your living will depend on which area you will be working/staying at, but that goes for all places in the world.
Also, if you’re a foreigner from a first world country, Malaysia is a cheap place to live, definitely, but if you want to live and work here, count in the lower incomes that come with low prices, too.
You can get by and have a reasonably comfortable life in Selangor for 1000$ a month.
Malaysia : Cost of Living by City
Cost of Living in Malaysia
RESTAURANTS
You can spend around 30$ per person for a meal with wine at a nice, fancy restaurant, but if you want to save some money – Selangor is very budget friendly. You can get a meal at a local food stall for less than a dollar and there are plenty of US originated restaurants like McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, etc. with low prices. Dining in a hotel’s restaurant always costs more but there’s no need to do so, since street food is of excellent quality.
MARKETS
Groceries are best bought at any big supermarket like Tesco, Giant, Aeon or Mydin. If you want some more luxury items you can find them at Cold Storage and Jaya supermarket. And if you’re into cooking, you can find fresh produce at the many fresh markets dotted around the city, that pop up from time to time and a few times a week, for sure.
TRANSPORTATION
Traffic can be pretty busy during rush hour in Selangor and public transport requires a bit of brain power to grasp – it’s rather complicated. A general rule of thumb for Malaysia is that unless you plan to take the taxi or an Uber and send your money down the drain, then having your own car might be your best option price-wise.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Monthly utilities in Selangor are very cheap. Depending on the size of the apartment you want to rent and the place you’ll be located, utilities can move anywhere from 20$ to 50$. For an apartment that has 85m2, all basic utilities will cost less than 40$. Internet, however, is pretty pricey compared to this – a month of high quality internet is more expensive than all these utilities together!
SPORTS & LEISURE
Like everything else, prices in Kuching of sports and pastime activities are low too, and in Selangor they are actually cheaper than in most places! If you want a gym or a fitness club membership, the price you’ll pay is only about 26$. The prices of cinema tickets are very low, too – they only cost about 3.50$.
CLOTHING & SHOES
Compared to other prices in Malaysia, shopping isn’t really cheap in Selangor, so if you get enticed by any of its great malls, think twice because the same clothes can be cheaper in your home town. For example, quality jeans will cost you around 60$, while a pair of Nike running shoes can cost as much as 70$.
RENT PER MONTH
It only makes sense that the price of rent depends on what you want from a home: a room, an apartment, a house, furnished, un-furnished, the number of rooms… It also highly depends on your location. If you want a one-bedroom apartment in the center of one of the major cities, that will cost you around 250$.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Selangor
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $2.44 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $3.66 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $0.30 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.68 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $0.78 |
| Eggs (12) | $1.35 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $1.04 |
| Monthly Pass | $36.61 |
| Gasoline | $0.55 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $38.88 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.06 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $40.02 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $26.85 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $4.47 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $3.78 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $ |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $ |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $ | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $256.25 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $158.63 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $579.62 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Selangor?
Food is the primary expense in the city of Selangor (as in most other cities of Malaysia).
Rent is another pretty big expense for the people of Selangor, but in Selangor – it’s far behind the expense of transportation which, apart from being pretty expensive, is something that has to be paid everyday.
Restaurants are behind rent and transportation.
Sports and leisure along with clothing draw the least money from one’s salary in Selangor.
Average Costs Breakdown
Selangor: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
People of Selangor might find it hard to make ends meet, though the situation isn’t serious.
Their minimum monthly wage is only about 250$, while the average monthly salary is higher but still – it’s questionable if it’s enough.
With their average monthly net salaries that are around 1000$ people can cover most of their expenses, since their prices are low too, but there are many aspects of life here that are huge financial burdens.
If you want to travel to Selangor, the optimal amount of money for you is around 1500$ – and with this you can splurge away.
Cost of Living by City in Selangor
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
| Johor Bahru | 42.59 |
| Kota Kinabalu | 42.15 |
| Kuala Lumpur | 35.0 |
| Kuching | 42.15 |
| Penang | 43.98 |
| Petaling Jaya | 44.31 |
