cost
Cost of Living Index
Shah Alam87.9 / 0
Johor Bahru70.7 / 100
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: Johor Bahru leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Shah Alam leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Johor Bahru leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Shah Alam leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Shah Alam | 87.9 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | Johor Bahru | 70.7 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Shah Alam | 77.7 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Johor Bahru | 50.2 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Shah Alam | $2,413 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Johor Bahru | $2,267 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Shah Alam | 8.0x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Johor Bahru | 11.6x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Shah Alam | $4,495/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Johor Bahru | $3,050/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Shah Alam | 5.9% | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Johor Bahru | 10.9% | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Shah Alam | 75.6 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Johor Bahru | 73.4 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Shah Alam | 79.6 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Johor Bahru | 72.1 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Shah Alam wins on 12 of 22 metrics compared to Johor Bahru.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Shah Alam leads safety, housing, and salary; Johor Bahru leads cost, rent, and demographics.
cost
Shah Alam
87.9
Johor Bahru
70.7
safety
Shah Alam
77.7
Johor Bahru
50.2
housing
Shah Alam
$2,413
Johor Bahru
$2,267
housing
Shah Alam
8.0x
Johor Bahru
11.6x
jobs
Shah Alam
$4,495/mo
Johor Bahru
$3,050/mo
jobs
Shah Alam
5.9%
Johor Bahru
10.9%
health
Shah Alam
75.6
Johor Bahru
73.4
health
Shah Alam
79.6 years
Johor Bahru
72.1 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Shah Alam
0.3%
Johor Bahru
2.5%
education
Shah Alam
84.2
Johor Bahru
65.2
transport
Shah Alam
65.6
Johor Bahru
66
safety
Shah Alam
23.3 per 100k
Johor Bahru
30.2 per 100k
safety
Shah Alam
59.7 per 100k
Johor Bahru
41.5 per 100k
health
Shah Alam
11.2%
Johor Bahru
9.4%
quality
Shah Alam
4.2
Johor Bahru
6.1
housing
Shah Alam
$12,835/sqm
Johor Bahru
$12,806/sqm
religion
Shah Alam
71.4%
Johor Bahru
66.9%
religion
Shah Alam
7.0%
Johor Bahru
39.4%
religion
Shah Alam
53.4%
Johor Bahru
70.8%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.