Sometimes with planning and research, travel can be affordable. In this post, I will show you how to travel cheap in Kuala Lumpur and find the cheapest:
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- Hotel
- Food
- Transportation
- Attraction
- Shopping
Food
You don’t have to spend much money in Kuala Lumpur on food except if you go to a 5-star restaurant to get your dinner which I do not suggest if you are traveling cheaply.
You don’t have to visit a 5-star restaurant to get a taste of good food in Kuala Lumpur. Much good food is secretly hidden in the corner of the humble shop.
Most of the time, food in café and shopping malls can be expensive. I hate the food in the café. It is overpriced and doesn’t taste good (and the portion is so small). On the other hand, you can get cheap food in a shopping mall. You need to ask the information counter to guide you. I once work in the Pavilion shopping mall, and the food there is expensive.
How will I save money with the food that costs a quarter of my daily pay? Luckily, my colleague found a nearby office tower food court that is much cheaper than in a shopping mall. That saves me a lot of money. The most affordable food in Kuala Lumpur can be as low as 2.50 USD per meal.
Petaling Street and Jalan Alor have some cheap and tasty food.
Accommodation
You should do a little bit of research online for this one. There is a lot of price comparison website that can help you out.
One of the websites I always use whenever I need to book a hotel is Agoda.com. Sometimes you will get a 5-star hotel for the price of a 3-star hotel. So how do they slash the price and still maintain profitability?
Agoda will reserve a few rooms in a certain hotel to give it a cheap price for us that book through Agoda. The only downside with Agoda is the room is limited. So you must act fast to book the hotel whenever you find a great deal before somebody grabs it.
Transportation
Public transport is the cheapest way to travel around Kuala Lumpur. The cheapest and fastest transport would be by train. The cheapest train ticket can cost you 0.40 USD.
You can try to take the bus to KL, but traffic in KL is a bit hectic. That’s why the KL bus is not always on time. However, you can still manage to get to your destination take a longer time.
Cab
Be careful when you are taking a cab. Some taxi driver doesn’t even switch on their meter and charge you a fixed price.
I suggest you download this app, My Teksi/Grab Taxi. It is like the Uber app, where you can call a taxi. However, the blue taxi driver can be expensive, and hotels often tie a deal with them.
You don’t need much transport if you stay in the Bukit Bintang area. Most shopping malls and tourist attractions are just within walking distance.
Shopping
You can find a pretty souvenir in Central market. There is a lot of quirky, artistic, and vintage stuff in there that can be a perfect souvenir. Try to negotiate the price before you buy.
Attraction Tickets
Check out Groupon for a cheaper ticket if you want to visit any tourist attraction, such as the sky bridge in Petronas Twin Tower, Kuala Lumpur Tower, or the Aquaria in KLCC. KL Tower and Twin Tower often participate in Groupon.
Nightlife
I love to hang out with friends in a 24-hour mamak restaurant for supper or watch football at night. Because it is cheap and the food is excellent. These are the three famous mamak restaurants in Kuala Lumpur:
- Steven Corner in Genting Klang
- BRJ in Wangsa Maju
- Restaurant Pelita around KLCC
Instead of going to the pub and club, why not make friends with the locals?
Destinations
Batu Caves
Price: Free
An extraordinary geographical feature located north of Kuala Lumpur. There are many Hindu shrines and temples around the caves, so they are free to enter. Visiting the caves is a highlight of our travel through Malaysia. It is a very touristic but also very spiritual place to be. Watch out for the monkeys!
How to get to the caves
From Chinatown and the backpacker area, the cheapest and most efficient way of travel is to take the Kommuter train from Pudu Seni station. Trains are every 30 minutes, and the price there and back is 3 ringgit.
Petaling street
A bustling Chinese market sells many bags, clothes, shoes, and other items. Good bargains can be haggled for here.
Heli Lounge bar
Price: free entry during happy hours 6-9 pm
The helipad comes rooftop bar and provides a breathtaking view of the Kuala Lumpur cityscape. It’s 360 degrees panoramic with the TV and Petronas towers within good viewing range. There are no barriers to restricting your view whatsoever.
Buy your drink downstairs in the bar before heading onto the roof. Remember to stay within the yellow lines of the helipad!
Merkada square
Price: Free
Walk around and enjoy the architecture and colonial influence. Then, visit the free city art museum, which houses a 40 x 50ft model of Kuala Lumpur.
Petronas towers
Price: Free
The Petronas are free to enter at the bottom, an upmarket shopping mall. The natural beauty is admiring the building from the outside. The price of walking along the 42nd-floor bridge is extortionate 50+ ringgit.
