I plan to pursue a PhD degree in University of Malaya. After researching, I have found that living costs varies a lot, but I have a guess is that 700 USD is adequate for my lifestyle and the expenses can be broken down into:
- Shared and furnished student accommodation in a condo including electricity and gas bills: 200-250 USD
- Food (with once a day meal in an inexpensive restaurant): 200-250 USD
- Personal care and some traditional medication: 50-100 USD
- Books and printing (books would not be bought every month): 50 USD
- Miscellaneous (Internet, phone charge, laundry, ironing, etc): 60-80 USD
- Gym: 50 USD
The budget does not include leisure or clothing. I appreciate it if someone in Malaysia (or have been to Malaysia) would help me decide whether this budget and its distribution make sense.
What is the typical cost of living for a student in KL?
For a household which earn MYR3k per month.
They would fall into the category of "Poor".
That should give you an idea for the cost of living.
Greenback fare well now (USD1 = +/- MYR3.75).
So if you budget USD700 per month for yourself (01 person).
Which suffice for a "poor" family then you should be OK.
@ al-motasem - hi there, sorry I have no answers for you but I do have a question, what program are you studying and what made you choose UM? Good luck with your studies. 
musafir1975 wrote:@ al-motasem - hi there, sorry I have no answers for you but I do have a question, what program are you studying and what made you choose UM? Good luck with your studies.
UM is one of two universities in Malaysia that has academics involved in the area that I intend to work on (the other one is Putra). Also, many people who graduate from there either get a postdoctoral position or even become lecturers in the university itself. 
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