Should you visit Kuala Lumpur or Washington?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Kuala Lumpur and Washington. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur, often referred to as KL, is the cosmopolitan capital of Malaysia. It is also the largest city in the country, having grown out of a small Chinese mining village. Today Kuala Lumpur is a microcosm of the country of Malaysia. The population is split between the Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures which you can see reflected in the city's neighborhoods, cuisine, and entertainment. It's also an incredibly affordable city, even if you're looking for the comforts of a five star hotel or a luxury restaurant. Prices are almost always a fraction of what you would pay in Europe or the United States.
Washington
Washington, DC is the capital city of the United States of America. It is also a city rich in history and culture. The city dates back to 1791 when the states of Maryland and Virginia donated the land to create the capital. In 1846, Congress returned the land that was ceded by Virginia and in 1871 it created a single municipal government with the remaining area. Today, Washington, DC has a population of over 600,000 people. The metropolitan area includes suburbs in Maryland and Virginia and has a population of about 5.8 million.
Which city is cheaper, Washington or Kuala Lumpur?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Kuala Lumpur is $53, while the average daily cost in Washington is $155. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Kuala Lumpur and Washington in more detail.
Accommodation
For a normal double-occupancy room in Kuala Lumpur, $64 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Kuala Lumpur, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is $32, such as in a hostel.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $182 in Washington For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
The average traveler spends about $11 per day in Kuala Lumpur for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
The average traveler spends about $30 per day in Washington for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
Kuala Lumpur $11
Washington $30
Typical Food prices in Kuala Lumpur
For Kuala Lumpur, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kuala Lumpur
For Kuala Lumpur, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Bachelor's Pizza Co. at EPiC Food Hall:
$1.75
-
US PIZZA in Malaysia:
$3.70
-
US PIZZA in Malaysia:
$3.70
-
US PIZZA in Malaysia:
$3.70
-
Pizza Mansion in Klang Valley:
$19
-
Amazing Local Food Tour in Kuala Lumpur:
$29
-
Cooking Class With Garden Tours in Penang:
$38
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Discover the Best Local Food Tour by Night in Kuala Lumpur:
$39
-
Local Evening Food Tour in Kuala Lumpur:
$40
-
Malaysian Ramadhan Buffet Dinner Cultural Show - nearby KLCC:
$40
-
Bayu Balau Beach Resort 2D1N Stay at Standard Room with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner:
$41
-
Kota Kinabalu City Night Tour with Seafood Dinner:
$43
Typical Food prices in Washington
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Washington:
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Water
$2.00
-
Snacks on Monuments Tour
$6.15
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Washington
For Washington, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Washington D.C.: 3.5-Hour Georgetown Food Tour:
$65
-
Washington DC: 3-Hour Italian Food Tour:
$65
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Washington DC Food Tour: Italian Cuisine in Dupont Circle:
$65
-
Adams Morgan Food Tour:
$76
-
Lonely Planet Experiences: DC Morning Food Tour on H Street:
$79
-
Washington DC: Private Food Tour Experience:
$79
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Capitol Hill Walking Food Tour:
$79
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Washington, DC: The Original Brew Tour with Tasting & Dinner:
$81
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U Street Neighborhood Food Tour:
$89
-
Washington DC Odyssey Dinner Cruise:
$100
-
Private French Cooking Class with an Expert in the Heart of Washington DC:
$108
-
Washington, DC 3-Hour Dinner Buffet Cruise:
$122
Local Transportation
To get around in Kuala Lumpur, the average visitor spends $5.50 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
To get around in Washington, the average visitor spends $37 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Kuala Lumpur
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Kuala Lumpur are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kuala Lumpur
Also for Kuala Lumpur, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Snorkeling Tour with Transfers to Pulau Payar in Langkawi:
$743
-
Hired And Drive - Transfer:
$730
-
KLIA Group Perway Private Transfer with VIP Meet and Greet:
$375
-
Private Land Transfer from KL Hotels and KLIA to Taman Negara:
$361
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Private Transfer to Singapore with sightseeing in Putra Mosque and Malacca:
$353
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Land Transfer from Kuala Lumpur to Redang Island (Merang Jetty):
$348
-
Chauffeur: Kuala Lumpur to Singapore Transfer [Car]:
$335
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Kuala Lumpur To Singapore Transfer:
$309
-
Kuala Lumpur City Hotel to Penang Island (One Way Private Transfer):
$290
-
Chauffeur: Kuala Lumpur to Kuantan Transfer [Car]:
$289
-
KUL Hotel to Singapore(One Way Transfer):
$270
-
Cameron Highlands One Way Transfer:
$259
Typical Local Transportation prices in Washington
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Washington are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Washington
Also for Washington, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Washington, DC: Private Airport Transfer(SUV): To or From: (DCA) Reagan National:
$180
-
Washington, DC: Potomac Mills Outlet Private Transfer:
$357
-
Washington to Washington R. Reagan Airport (DCA) - Departure Private Transfer:
$61
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Washington to Washington Dulles Airport (IAD) - Departure Private Transfer:
$97
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Washington to Newark International Airport (EWR) - Departure Private Transfer:
$491
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Washington to New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) - Departure Private Transfer:
$535
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Washington to New York J.F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) - Departure Private Transfer:
$535
-
Washington to Baltimore Washington Airport (BWI) - Departure Private Transfer:
$109
-
Washington Reagan Airport Transfer to Baltimore & D. C.:
$15
-
Washington DC: Private Transfer to Airports or Baltimore:
$130
-
Washington City to Philadelphia City - Private Car Transfer:
$392
-
Washington City to New York City - Private Car Transfer:
$516
Is it cheaper to fly into Kuala Lumpur or Washington?
Prices for flights to both Washington and Kuala Lumpur change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
In Kuala Lumpur, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $12 per person, per day.
In Washington, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $19 per person, per day.
Typical Entertainment prices in Kuala Lumpur
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Kuala Lumpur's activities, tours, and tickets:
Tours and Activities in Kuala Lumpur
For Kuala Lumpur, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast Ticket in Johor:
$12
-
Binsuluk River Cruise Tour:
$40
-
Dinawan Island Experience from Kota Kinabalu:
$46
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Heritage Staycation at Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion with Breakfast & Guided House Tour:
$100
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Historical Klang & Orchard City of Selangor Walking Tour:
$64
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Ice Skating Experience with Blue Ice Skating Rink in Johor:
$4.85
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Langkawi Private Guided Mangrove River Cruise Tour:
$116
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Little India & Mah Meri Cultural Village Tour:
$126
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Private Island Adventure at Paradise 101 in Langkawi:
$49
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Putrajaya Islamic Walking Tour from Kuala Lumpur:
$64
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Sepanggar Island Diving Experience:
$67
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The Sheep Sanctuary Admission Ticket at Cameron Highland:
$1.95
Tours and Activities in Washington
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Washington.
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"HEROES OF FREEDOM" PRIVATE TOUR (4 Hour Military Tribute):
$658
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"SHINING CITY" PRIVATE TOUR (3 Hour Evening Tour):
$658
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2 Day Grand Tour with George Washington's Mount Vernon:
$95
-
2-Day Colonial Williamsburg Guided Tour from Washington DC:
$330
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24/48-Hour Washington, D.C. Hop-on Hop-off Tour:
$49
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3-Hour "DC After Dark" Night-Time Guided Bus Tour with Stops at Top Attractions:
$35
-
3-Hour Private Jeep Tour of Washington D.C.:
$495
-
3-Hour Washington DC "Monuments By Night" Guided Night-Time Sightseeing Bus Tour:
$49
-
3-Hour Washington DC "Morning Monuments" Guided Sightseeing Walking & Bus Tour:
$64
-
3-Hour Washington, D.C Urban Adventure Scavenger Hunt:
$44
-
30-Minutes Supercar Driving Pilot Experience in Washington DC:
$275
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Advance Tickets to Washington, D.C.'s Newseum:
$24
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Kuala Lumpur spend on average $5.73 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Washington, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $15.
Typical Alcohol prices in Kuala Lumpur
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Kuala Lumpur are as follows:
Sample the Local Flavors in Washington
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Washington:
-
Epic Washington DC Bar Crawl: By Let’s Roam:
$12
-
Haunted Washington D.C. Ghost and Pub Walking Tour:
$27
-
DC: 'New York Times Journeys' Walking Tour with Beer, Cheese and Wine Tasting:
$120
-
NOVA Private Custom Wine Tours & Tasting from DMV:
$645
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6 Hours Northern VA Wine Tour:
$920
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kuala Lumpur and Washington, we can see that Washington is more expensive. And not only is Kuala Lumpur much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Kuala Lumpur is in Asia and Washington is in North America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Kuala Lumpur would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kuala Lumpur and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Washington would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Washington than you might in Kuala Lumpur.
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