Kuala Lumpur - Post Report Question and Answers
What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Housing is 98% apartments. Most are pretty nice and spacious. Commute time to school and work is amazing/doesn't get much better. Five min drive or less depending on which apt you live in. Most apartments are three beds w/ maid quarters. Bigger families get four beds. Embassy also owns four townhomes and two older single family houses. Those usually go to higher-ups but I've heard always have maintenance issues. Most apartments are located close to shopping and have a good community feel. - May 2022
Embassy housing is all really nice. Everyone lives in apartments. I live in a very heavily American area and it's a bit much as you are constantly seeing colleagues, but great for kids as they always have friends. Commute time is about 11 minutes door to door! - Aug 2018
The housing in KL is VERY nice. They are roomy apartments in modern high rises very close to the Embassy. Singles and childless couples are typically housed closer to the Embassy (an 8-15 minute walk depending on the building), families stay a bit farther away in apartments closer to the school (a 10-15 minute drive from the Embassy). There are some maintenance issues, but GSO is very responsive. Typical issues would be repairs needed on wall mounted AC units and leaky pipes under sinks. All buildings have on-site security provided by the building management, and they coordinate very well with the embassy. Apartments typically have pools, gyms, and common areas for BBQs. Many also have small playground areas for the children. - May 2018
Nearly all of the US embassy employees live in apartments throughout the Ampang and downtown area. Commutes are easy, nothing is far. You do get stuck in traffic depending on the time of day. My commute to work is just five minutes. - Apr 2017
We are in a 3000 sq ft, 3-bedroom, 5-bathroom apartment in a high-rise building. We can walk to KLCC Park/Mall or Pavilion. Pretty much all apartment buildings that we've visited seem to have pools and gyms. They usually have two kitchens. We have a teeny "maid's quarters" (small closet) where we keep a second refrigerator and some storage containers. Traffic can be horrendous at times, Friday afternoon rush hour seems to gridlock the city, but most people we know have a 15-minute or less commute to work for their 1-2 mile drive. - Apr 2017
In the KL city center area, housing is almost exclusively high-rise apartments. Single family and row houses are more common west of city center, in Mont Kiara and Damansara, and many private-sector employees choose to live in those areas. For those living and working in KLCC, commutes are generally over short distances (less than 5 miles) but traffic is nearly always an issue on major thoroughfares. - May 2016
Some good Embassy housing pool options near the U.S. Embassy. However most necessitate a car. - Feb 2015
Lots of choices, log onto iproperty to get the best options, that's what I did. - Aug 2013
Condominium construction is flourishing in KL. The average cost of a condo within walking distance of the petronas towers is over 1.2 million MYR. Depending on where you wish to live, condos can range in price from US$2500-10,000. Commute is via private auto, bus, cab or motorcycles. During rush hours, you must allow 15 min to 1 1/2 hour travel from 5-20 miles. - Aug 2011
Most people (at least the ones without children) seem to be getting assigned to apartments within a 1-2 mile radius of the Embassy. The apartments vary in size and quality, as to be expected, but are acceptable. - Mar 2011
Modern apartments very near or somewhat near the Embassy. Most are new. All very nice. Houses are further out and most have not been updated in a very long time. Apartments all have pools and security as well. - May 2009
Embassy housing is varied but usually quite nice. Mine has a pool but no gym. Some apartments have great views and some have a lot of character. There are a few places that are a bit soulless though. - Mar 2009
Housing ranges from homes to condos. All decent with nice bedrooms, and within easing reach of the Embassy, depending on traffic. - Jul 2008
Varies. Seems that the Embassy is moving towards putting people in luxury apartments for security reasons. The houses are nice and big but the Embassy does not allow pools so the houses they can choose from are limited. - May 2008
