A Budget Travelers Dream

Written By: Erika Larsen

Major: Biomedical Sciences

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I have been in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for a little over a month now and so far, I have fallen in love with the people, the culture, and the cost of living! In all seriousness, Southeast Asia is one of the cheapest places on the planet to live. If you do you research on accommodations, places to eat, and potential scams, Southeast Asia is a budget travelers dream.

Southeast Asia is known for its spicy and cheap food and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is no exception. On average I spend between 8-10 Ringgit (2.50 USD) on a single meal. This meal includes TWO HUGE SCOOPS of rice, chicken, vegetables, and sometimes you get lucky and get a free ice cream too. If you aren’t a huge fan of Asian spice, no worries because the Asian population loves western food. However, western food can be a bit more expensive. An average meal costs between 15-20 Ringgit (4.5 USD). It is still cheap, but if you spend that every single day it does add up quickly.

Entertainment is on average cheaper in Asia than it is in the United States. A movie ticket with popcorn costs around 40 Ringgit (10 USD). Concerts and festivals charge around 10 Ringgit (2.5 USD) per person.Most attractions around the city, such as Batu Caves, Eco Park, hiking trails, mosques, temples, ect., will charge 5 Ringgit (1.2 USD) for entry. Additionally, transportation is nearly half the price that it is in the United States. Most people prefer to take public transportation, which costs no more than 15 Ringgit (3.6 USD). However, a lot of students use GRAB (similar to Uber) to shuttle back and forth to the city. A forty-minute drive to downtown at peak time would cost around 50 Ringgit (12 USD).

Lastly, I have found that shopping in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is not much different than in the United States. Malls are still expensive and the street vendors are overpriced. However, the only difference in Asia is sometimes items are negotiable. You can haggle with the seller to get the best price. I have talked seller down to half the price. You just have to be educated on how much things actually cost and be wary not to offend the seller.

Of course, if you want a fancy dinner or name brand clothing, you are going to be paying approximately the same amount that you would in the United States. Overall though, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the rest of Southeast Asia is very cheap.

Categories: Eating out, Field Trips, Malaysia, Advice