Every figure on this page comes off my own bills, my own receipts, or something I have personally stood in front of and paid for. Where I am not certain, it says so. Nothing here is copied off another blog, because most of those numbers are years old and wrong.
This page grows every week. If something is missing, it is because I have not bought it yet.
| What | Kuala Lumpur | Roughly, in Britain | How I know |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-bed condo, 34th floor, pool and gymWhat I actually pay. Further out you can halve it. What moves the price: how far out from the centre you are, how many bedrooms, whether there is a bath or only a shower, whether there is an oven, and whether you want a spare room. | RM3,500 / month | £1,400+ for far less | My own bill |
| ElectricityCeiling fans running constantly, aircon about ten minutes a day. That method is the whole trick. | About RM400 for FOUR months | £400+ over four months | My own bill |
| Home internetFibre. Faster than what I had in Britain. | RM150 / month | £30 / month | My own bill |
| Mobile, prepaidPlenty of data. No contract, no credit check. | RM30-50 / month | £10-20 / month | My own bill |
| Nasi lemakA proper plate of it. This is the number that changes how you think about eating out. | RM5 | About £1 | Seen it myself |
| Weekly supermarket shop, two peopleOurs, most weeks. Local ingredients. Imported anything sends it up fast. | RM300-400 | £90-120 | My own bill |
| Chicken chop with chipsBetter than it sounds. I have also had it on spaghetti and it was lovely. | A fraction of home | £14-18 for the equivalent | Seen it myself |
| A pint of beerThe one that catches Brits out. Alcohol is the exception to everything cheap here. | About RM35 | £5-6 | Seen it myself |
| Bottle of ginFive times the price. If you drink like a British person, budget for it or stop. | About £25 equivalent | £5 on offer | Seen it myself |
| Decent cheese, proper breadThe two things I genuinely miss. You can get them. You will pay for them. | British prices or worse | – | Seen it myself |
| LRT and MRT, monthlyClean, cold, on time. Each of us. | About RM150 | £150+ for a city travelcard | My own bill |
| Walking anywhereNot the same activity here. Often no pavement, monsoon drains, and a footbridge four hundred metres the wrong way. | Free, but read this | Free | My own bill |
| MDAC arrival cardIt is free. It has always been free. I paid £70 to two fake sites because I Googled it instead of scanning the QR code. Do not be me. | FREE | – | My own bill |
| Tourist entry, British passportNinety days visa-free. You still need the free MDAC. | No visa needed | – | My own bill |
Nothing matches that. Try a shorter word.
Something missing? Tell me what you want the price of and I will go and find out, then it goes on here. That is genuinely how this page grows.
Correct at the time of writing. This is Kuala Lumpur – assume the shop on the corner has already become something else.