Is Kuala Lumpur Worth it for Digital Nomads?

1. Getting to Know Kuala Lumpur

It's time for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the Asian digital nomad scene! Kuala Lumpur is located in Malaysia, the 6th country I have traveled and spent time in as a digital nomad. And it is also the capital of Malaysia.

So let's get to the main part, how suitable is Kuala Lumpur for digital nomads? Is it necessary to go to Kuala Lumpur as a digital nomad? Would something change in our lives if we go to Kuala Lumpur as a digital nomad or not? I spent time in Kuala Lumpur to find answers to these questions and now I am sharing my experiences with you.

   - General Opinion: 

This is my second visit to Kuala Lumpur this year. The first time I was in Bali for only 3-4 days and the main purpose was to run for a visa. And at first sight, especially after the horizontal life I spent in Bali (I say this because there are no shopping malls, high-rise buildings, luxury apartments :) it was impressive. And as someone who was born and raised in Istanbul, of course the city life attracts me, I like it.

And shopping! This city is perfect for shopping. Prices are quite affordable in Kuala Lumpur. I don't know if it's because of taxes or something else, but many things like technology products and clothes of famous brands are really cheap here. I went on a shopping spree on my first visit!

Let's talk about the visa run. You can stay in Bali for a maximum of 2 months without leaving the country, but you can go to the immigration office once and extend it. If you want to stay longer, you have to do what is called a “visa run” which means you have to leave the country and re-enter. My first purpose of arrival was to extend my visa in Bali. Kuala Lumpur is a paradise for digital nomads in this sense. It is a very attractive spot for visa runners with its location and the opportunities it offers. Also, the affordability of accommodation here is a big advantage.

The climate is tropical, humid and wet as I am used to from Bali and Singapore. Sometimes it rains very hard, there is a lot of lightning, thunder and darkness. But usually it's warm, shorts and a t-shirt are enough.

Malaysia is a great country, especially for short visits, visa running and shopping. But as a digital nomad, would I consider staying for a long time? The answer is no.

   - Language and Communication: 

The official language of Malaysia is Malay, just like Singapore. But this is not a problem because almost everyone can speak English. I never had a problem with communication.

Nevertheless, as a regular part of the blogs I write, I write down 5 simple words in the local language that will be useful for you. This can be a first contact effect that people like :)

• Hello: Hello

• Terima kasih: Thank you

• Ya: Yes 

• Tidak: No

• Tolonglah: Please

• Selamat tinggal: Goodbye 

2. Digital Nomadism in Kuala Lumpur

Being a digital nomad in Kuala Lumpur is very attractive given the city's modern structures, diverse culture and affordable cost of living. Many digital nomads prefer this city for short-term stays. Especially the accommodation prices stand out for the luxurious and modern amenities it offers.

Of course, having a beautiful and modern airport is a factor, but the main factor is that accommodation is really affordable. You can stay in such beautiful houses with such nice facilities that if you are willing to live here, you will be very satisfied with the accommodation. This is the place to experience luxury at an affordable price.

And it has a good population of digital nomads. Many people prefer this place because of the affordable accommodation and visa requirements.

3. Working in Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is a really good place to work. There is nothing to distract you, nothing to take your mind away from work :D This was a very good experience for me. For example, if I have a project that needs a lot of focus and intensive work, I would definitely come to Kuala Lumpur, complete my work and leave the country.

Also the co-working spaces and cafes are very nice and adequate for working.

   - Co-working Spaces: 

• Colony

• Common Ground

• WORQ

• Co-labs

• WeWork

   - Wi-Fi and Cafes: 

I think wi-fi is something that doesn't need to be talked about anymore. Everywhere I went, the wi-fi availability and speed was adequate. Before I start listing the nice cafes here, I would like to add that I also went to Starbucks and worked there every day in Kuala Lumpur. They have very nice Starbucks branches to work in, I highly recommend them.

• VCR Cafe

• ‍Feeka

• LOKL Coffee Co

• Vintage 1988 Cafe

• The Hub Coffee Roasters

4. Living in Kuala Lumpur

   - Accommodation: I think the highlight of Kuala Lumpur is that it offers great luxury accommodation at an affordable price. For example, for the first time in my life, I went into the infinity pool on the 52nd floor of a skyscraper, right under the airplanes :D Having this experience was perfect considering the price I paid. I think you can stay in a house like the one I mentioned for 700-800 dollars a month. I liked this aspect of Kuala Lumpur very much.

   - Cost of Living: Kuala Lumpur is not an expensive city. If I include everything from accommodation, shopping, transportation, eating, drinking, traveling and exploring, I think you can live a super life for 1,750-2,000 dollars per person per month. And I never live economically, I do or buy everything I want, so I can say that a really good life is waiting for you in this price range. And I have to say once again that this is my favorite country for shopping :D Everything is really, really good quality and cheap.

5. Exploring the City

   - Transportation: Everything is fine except for the taxi driver who ripped me off in transportation. We normally use Grab and never have any problems. There are also air trains here, I was intrigued, so of course I jumped on and either walked or used them when I was on my own. It is both affordable and has a route that covers very central points. And notice I said “walking”, the one activity I never do/can't do in Bali. Normally I like walking, I walked a lot here because I missed it.

People are generally respectful and friendly. However, the situation of “high prices for tourists”, which has not happened to me for a long time, happened to me for the first time in my 6 months of active travel. The taxi driver charged me 3-4 times the amount he should normally charge, it was a small amount but it broke my trust. But other than that they are generally very helpful, I don't want to underestimate them.

   - Safety Tips: I didn't have any problems with security; I didn't feel anything bad. Kuala Lumpur is of course very centralized and very multicultural, I would be surprised if I had any problems. But within a month I was in Kuala Lumpur, something very unfortunate happened to a Turkish YouTuber, but it was outside Kuala Lumpur. He was robbed, kidnapped and threatened with death. This is of course very unpleasant news that makes me shudder. I hope nobody will experience something like this in any country.

6. Free Time and Exploration 

   - Tourist Attractions: I can't say that there is an incredible amount of activities and things to see and do. But I still enjoyed my time here. First of course I would like to talk about the Petronas buildings. It is the symbol of the city, almost the country, consisting of 2 shiny and tall towers connected to each other. It looks very beautiful with the lighting.

After the tallest building in the world in Dubai, Kuala Lumpur made an attack and built the 2nd tallest building in the world :) I didn't go near it because the construction is not completed yet, but it is a modern building that can be seen from many parts of the city.

And finally Batu Caves. This place was really amazing and impressive. A huge golden sculpture built on the slope of a mountain, and a structure where you reach the temple inside the cave by climbing colorful stairs. There are monkeys around, it was a good experience to go there.

Lastly, I went to the night market. The street food sold there didn't appeal to me much. But it was still good to experience it.

   - Food and Cuisine: There is something for everyone in the food and drink section. It sounds like it doesn't have its own kitchen but there are so many mixed cuisines that you can easily find your own. Mostly what I see and feel is Chinese, Japanese and Indian food. I discovered a Lebanese restaurant here that I haven't seen in a long time, it was incredibly delicious and original recipes. I can say that I got the same taste I got in Lebanon :)

   - Entertainment: When it comes to nightlife and entertainment, I can say that there is a colorful life in Kuala Lumpur. But of course, I can only say that if I position myself as a short-term tourist. Otherwise it is not enough for me :D

7. Challenges in Kuala Lumpur

I think there are no challenges in Kuala Lumpur. The city is orderly, people are not overbearing, access and transportation to everything you want is easy. In these aspects, it positions itself as a very nice city for short-term visits.

Just one last thing, which I noticed by chance, there are no cats or dogs on the streets. I saw rats in many places at night, not at the level of infestation, but I think they are everywhere. But not the cats and dogs we are used to. This is not an island, this is a country that borders different countries. Logically these animals should be in this country. I don't know if they have a special fight against stray animals or something else.

8. Final Thoughts

To summarize, Kuala Lumpur is a very convenient place to get away from the noise and work intensively and at the same time for affordable luxury accommodation. Especially as a digital nomad, if you are looking for a place to run for a visa, I suggest you give this city a chance and use it as an excuse.

My next stop will be Sri Lanka, where I spent a full and very enjoyable month :) I am really excited to write the Sri Lanka blog, I had an incredibly enjoyable and productive time there. See you in the next post, don't forget to send me your ideas and feedback on this blog content :)

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And as I always say, until the next post arrivederci folks :)