PETALING JAYA: Shah Alam recorded the highest cost of living among Malaysian state capitals in 2024, surpassing Kuala Lumpur, while Kangar consistently remained the most affordable, according to the Statistics Department (DOSM).
Its Cost of Living Indicators Report 2024, released on Wednesday (Dec 24), for single-person households stated that Shah Alam had a Basic Expenditure of Decent Living (PAKW) Index of 99.8, followed by Johor Baru (92.9) and George Town (90.7).
“Kangar recorded the lowest indices at 59.0, with Kota Baru (61.5) and Kuala Terengganu (68.2) also at the lower end,” it said.
Similar trends were observed for two-, three-, and four-person households, with Shah Alam consistently exceeding Kuala Lumpur’s reference value of 100 and Kangar remaining just over half of Shah Alam’s cost.
“The report introduces the Basic Expenditure of Decent Living Index, which measures the expenditure households need to maintain a decent standard of living.
“Kuala Lumpur is set as the reference point at 100, with other locations measured relative to this benchmark.
“A higher index reflects higher expenditure requirements, while a lower index indicates more affordable living,” it said.
The department added that at the state level, Selangor continues to record the highest PAKW indices across household sizes, followed by Penang and Putrajaya.
The lowest indices were seen in Kelantan, Kedah and Perlis.
“Based on the index, a one-person household in Kelantan requires 46.3% less spending than in Kuala Lumpur - RM537 for every RM1,000 spent in the capital.
“A four-person household in Perlis spends 39.1% less, or RM609 per RM1,000 in Kuala Lumpur,” it said.
At the district level, Petaling in Selangor was the only district surpassing Kuala Lumpur across all household sizes.
Single-person households in Petaling recorded 103.3, followed by Gombak (94.9) and Johor Baru (94.7).
In contrast, districts such as Pantu, Lingga, and Sebuyau recorded the lowest indices.
Pantu’s index is less than a third of Petaling’s, meaning a one-person household there spends 72.2% less than in Kuala Lumpur.
The department has also updated the MyPAKW Calculator for 2024, enabling households to estimate the expenditure required for a decent standard of living based on location and household demographics.
The calculator is available at mypakw.dosm.gov.my, with a mobile application launching in February 2026.
