Go with a plan.
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Kuala Lumpur at 41/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than Malaysia's national picture overall (67/100 vs 71/100).
City page · part of Malaysia
The one number a country page can't give you
What people who actually live in Kuala Lumpur report
Numbeo aggregates thousands of resident-submitted perception surveys into a per-city Crime Index (higher = worse) and its inverse, a Safety Index — the only real city-granularity crime signal feeding this page, alongside Malaysia's national advisory, political, health, and police-trust data.
Crime Index
59.1
Safety Index
40.9
Sub-scores
Same real inputs as Malaysia's national page, with crime swapped for Kuala Lumpur's own Numbeo number above.
Local know-how
Staying safe in Kuala Lumpur, specifically
- • Crime is not rampant in Kuala Lumpur.
- • Kuala Lumpur is generally very safe for travellers (it is locals who are often the targets of crime), but be wary of over-friendly locals trying to con you.
- • Walking in the city is usually fine but, as anywhere, caution must be exercised, especially if alone.
- • During the rains, pavements and streets become small rivers and crossing a street can be an adventure. Pavements become as slippery as ice so wear proper footwear.
- • Be careful of a poker scam that involves friendly locals.
- • The bogus cop scam is usually run by Middle-Easterners.
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
C / G / M · 230V
Driving side
left
Emergency
police: 999 / ambulance: 999 / fire: 999
Tipping
Tipping is not customary in Malaysia. A service charge of 10% is included in total bill in most air conditioned restaurants, but otherwise, you are not expected to pay anything more than what is stated in the bill. Most expensive restaurants, bars and hotels may indicate prices in the form of RM19++ ("plus plus"), meaning that sales tax (6%) and service charge (10%) will be added to the bill. Hote
Cash vs. Card
They can be used in most shops, restaurants and hotels, although skimming can be a problem in dodgier outlets. For credit card usage, make sure your credit/debit card is chip based as most merchants no longer accept magnetic strips based cards.
How this compares to Malaysia
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Kuala Lumpur at 41/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than Malaysia's national picture overall (67/100 vs 71/100).
See the full Malaysia page and all receipts →