Hints on Accommodation and Cost of Living in Kuala Lumpur

By Rachael Hopkins, Intern 2006-07

Accommodation

• IWRAW-AP is situated in the suburb of Bangsar. This suburb is highly populated with ex-patriots therefore the price of living can be slightly more expensive than other areas of Kuala Lumpur; however it is very convenient and safe.
• I choose to stay in one bedroom apartment across the road from a shopping complex. This cost me RM2,200 per month. At the time this was around 735AU per month. This was expensive because of the area plus I had a maid who cleaned my room and washed my sheets once a week, I had air conditioning, I was opposite the shopping complex and was within walking distance to the main street which has several great bars and restaurants.
• I also choose to stay in Bangsar as public transport in Malaysia is neither easily accessible nor convenient! To catch a taxi to the office cost me RM3 which is about 1AU!
• If you are concerned, there are cheaper alternatives, and cheaper apartments in Bangsar. The administrative staff are wonderful and I'm sure will help you find a suitable cheaper option! 

Cost of Living

• Eating in Malaysia is generous, cheap, diverse and delicious! Restaurants and open air 'cafés' are everywhere and often open to the wee hours of the morning! You can get an extremely tasty and plentiful filing meal for around RM2 (less than 1AU) at some places. Also, various markets have cheap food, and fruit and vegetable stalls.
• If you choose to eat Western food, these restaurants are more expensive and are only slightly cheaper than Australia.
• As I lived in Bangsar, the supermarket was more expensive than other areas of Malaysia however it was still inexpensive to buy basic things such as bread, fruit, toilettes etc.

Other interesting stuff!

• Catching a bus in Malaysia to places such as Singapore and Melaka is the most inexpensive option. For example, to travel to Melaka one way cost RM9.40 or around 4AU. The bus station is very central and cheap to get to via taxi.
• The company Air Malaysia is similar to JetStar and Virgin in Australia. Hence, if you check regularly you are able to get cheap flights around Malaysia. For example to go to Penang cost around 60AU return.
• Further, to fly Air Malaysia to Bangkok return including taxes cost RM424 which is around 150AU.
  " Due to the weather and inconvenience of public transport, I found catching taxis around Malaysia was the best option. Taxis are also extremely inexpensive. A 30 minutes trip may cost you around 10AU.
• Shopping in Malaysia is very enjoyable and cheap if you go to night markets and markets within the city. There are whole streets dedicated to market shopping, with many stalls, restaurants and bars. The shopping malls prices however are similar to Australia however there is much more variety.
  " There are several fantastic bars, pubs and clubs in Malaysia! There are great bars in Bangsar, and many clubs in KL. I had an incredible time going by myself and meeting people from all around the globe at amazing bars and nightclubs! The price of beer is around the same price as Australia. However, when it comes to spirits you buy the whole bottle and they supply you with mixes all night!
• Calling home is quite inexpensive if you have a land line. If you have a land line you can use you can call using iTalk cards. These are the best as you call the operator and they call you back hence you do not have to pay for connection charges. The cards are available in RM10, RM30, RM50 or RM100. Also, you can use them to call from your mobile. I also suggest you buy a Malaysian SIM card as this will be a great deal cheaper! A HotLink SIM card cost RM8.80.
• There are no such things as Laundromats in Malaysia. You can pay to have your clothes washed however this is expensive. Hence, I suggest if possible you borrow the washing machine of a fellow colleague and buy a clothes horse. In Malaysian weather, your clothes will dry in a day!
• Mosquito's are everywhere…take repellant!!!!
• MacDonald's delivers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!