✦ Compare
Chicago vs
Kuala Lumpur
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
To keep the same standard of living in Kuala Lumpur, MY, you'd need
$37,453 / year
Kuala Lumpur, MY is 50% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Kuala Lumpur, MY vs Chicago, IL)
- Housing-61%
- Food & groceries-47%
- Transport-60%
- Utilities-39%
- Healthcare-49%
- Goods & services-37%
Median 1-bed rent
$1,900 /mo
Chicago, IL overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$600 /mo
Kuala Lumpur, MY overview →
▤ Full comparison
| Chicago, IL | Kuala Lumpur, MY | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 103 | 51 |
| Housing | 116 | 45 |
| Food | 95 | 50 |
| Transport | 101 | 40 |
| Utilities | 90 | 55 |
| Healthcare | 98 | 50 |
| Goods & services | 98 | 62 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,900/mo | $600/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,450/mo | $380/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $3,600/mo | $1,200/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $5,500 | $2,400 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $973 | $1,949 |
| Inexpensive meal | $18 | $3 |
| Monthly transit pass | $105 | $22 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 37% | 30% |
| VAT / sales tax | 0% | 8% |
| Social security (employee) | 7.7% | — |
| Corporate tax | 21% | 24% |
| Capital gains | 20% | — |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $4,300/mo | $900/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,257/mo | $350/mo |
| GDP per capita | $90,027 | $12,000 |
| Inflation (annual) | — | 2% |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | Yes |
| English proficiency | Native | High |
| Coworking spaces | 90 | 40 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 | UTC+8 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 48 | 62 |
| Healthcare index | 80 | 72 |
| Pollution index | 45 | 55 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 100 Mbps |
| Walkability | 78 | 45 |
| Public transport | 78 | 65 |
| Family-friendly | 60 | 62 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Use caution |
| Health insurance | $450/mo | — |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr | 76 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | Low |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | -4 °C | +27 °C |
| July avg | +24 °C | +27 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 189 | 200 |
| Rainfall / year | 950 mm | 2,400 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs Malaysia. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Chicago to Kuala Lumpur: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Chicago to Kuala Lumpur, your cost of living will be roughly 50% cheaper. Kuala Lumpur’s cost-of-living index is 51 versus 103 for Chicago (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Chicago cheaper than Kuala Lumpur?
Kuala Lumpur is about 50% cheaper than Chicago overall — its cost-of-living index is 51 versus 103 for Chicago.
How much do you need to earn in Kuala Lumpur to live like in Chicago?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Chicago is worth about $37,453 in Kuala Lumpur. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Chicago or Kuala Lumpur?
Malaysia has the lower top income-tax rate — 30% versus 37% in United States.
◷ More comparisons from Chicago
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.