Cost of living for International Students at Kuala Lampur

Hi and welcome to the forum Sufyan!

I hope other members will give you some good advices soon

Regards
Armand

The extent of expenses here in KL depends on an individual. Generally, things are cheap and affordable here

I don't agree with Okwudili , although expenses depends on an individual ,cost of living is not cheap here anymore. i got my master degree here, i came to Malaysia 3 years ago that time 1$ was 3.7 ringgit but today is 2.9 ! see, if you are not self sponsored you are in a big trouble.. in addition Malaysia’s inflation rate has been forecast to climb to 3.2 percent this year BUT salaries remain unchanged for example you earned 3000rm couple years ago and paid 1.70(per liter) for petrol now you pay 1.90 with same salary !
anyway I've no idea about job ,but about your student life i can say 600-800$ per month is enough for living in kl !

Hi well 8 year ago 2000 rm a month was just enough but bread line living - assuming three sharing a 1,000 rm flat. Based that on my ex a student. Now with inflation I would say 3,000 rm a month in KL. Average salaries in KL are 7,000 rm and often two wage earners live together.  I'm assuming some local travel and fun while studying. Any less may be possible but best to budget a sensible amount! That's a 1,000 USD a month at current rate

@Amii, I love your statistics. But I still maintain that, relatively, cost of goods and services in Malaysia can't be said to be exorbitant. However, one may not fully understand this if one is prodigal and has liking for every good thing that catches one's attention.

Amii,

you cant using the fact of inflation in currency rate to do a comparison.  If you compare to Thailand, Bangkok, it is definately is higher. But if you compare with Singapore, for sure it is lower. for student life, local without any entertainment like hang out in cinema and pub all the time.MYR 500-MYR 800 is more than enough. me as a local, was only spent 300MYR a month. of course it is excluded accomodation. The condo around in uni will definately charge higher. the famous condo near to MU is prima condo, rental could be 2.2k and above, but as student life, you can share it with others coursemate.

hope all the pieces of info given here are enough to guide you in your expectation of life in Malaysia. wishing you a safe trip.

I have been admitted to the University Of Malaya Faculty of Medicine and I a have a 500 dollar monthly budget. I have another friend and we want to rent a place? Will this money be enough for food, rent, and to save up for things like exercise equipment, concert tickets and gas for a car I will be getting etc.
Regards,
Ammas

No way.

Ex TEN years ago (an Asian) got 1,500 RM per month (500 USD) PLUS rent paid for by father and shared a flat with 3 and only survived by scrounging off men! Now food etc is a lot higher.

Well u can live up with 500 dollar per month but u have to get a shared house with some one else. if you and your friend alone want to rent a house then its not possible for you to budget it within 500.
it would be enough for petrol in the car other than depends on your running of the car, but if you want to have party every weekend and enjoy out then its not possible.
In short 500 dollar is enough here for average student.

Dear sufyan911,

Considering you mentioned University of Malaya, expenses some ten years back, when I was a student myself was:

a) Food:
- Morning breakfast - One glass of Coffee or Tea or Milo or Horlicks or Milk + 1 thosai or 2 idli or 1 roti canai or currypuff and that sort will cost me around RM 2 - 3

- Lunch - Rice + Vege + Fish/ Chicken around RM 4 - 5

- Tea break - Very light meal like breakfast around RM 2 - 3

- Dinner - Similar to breakfast also around RM 2 - 3

I tried not to eat more than RM 10 a day (budget & diet).

b) I did my own laundry, hand-washed & the detergent cost me around RM 10 a month

c) Study material & stationery - RM 30 a month

d) Clothes - RM 50 a month (I mostly wore jeans & T-shirt)

e) Accommodation + utilities was super low - don't know if I should mention how much here! (besides no hand-phone or internet and no time for TV)

d) Rode motorcycle - from Campus to home, from home to Campus - Fuel + maintenance about RM 40 a month

e) I would follow friends for movies/ shopping & all - hanging out would have costed me about RM 50 a month.

So, that is like RM 500 a month on a student budget I had some 10 years back (excluding accommodation & water & electricity).

well I am in University of Malaya and I am living a good life here with my monthly expenses about RM 1000 max. Having shared room in a flat which is costing around 425 rm with utility bills and cooking myself normally.
So I guess 1500 is not bad amount for a month unless you are not a party person else to live in KL, 2000 RM is also less amount

Wow sufyan911, after deducting your accommodation & utility of RM 425 a month, your current expenses is so close to mine, ten years back!

Thank You
and I m not alone, there are plenty of others too who use to be have the same expenses in University of Malaya.

Hi my experience tells me people 1. Have myopia expenses wise 2. Unless they reconcile their budgets they are make believe and usually way less than spent

My ex sister in law was at UM. She needed more than 1,500 and staff I have have quit earning more than 3k saying best to be unemployed at home (not in kl) than on breadline in kl (often again bf subsidy needed)

These were a Malay and a Malaysian Chinese. Hardly extravagent types either.

Even in rural outback Thailand you need 15000 baht to live and that is s 1500 rm. To run a car takes a lot as well. I would say even excluding the car 800 usd min and that ain't luxery.