Gold rate today in Kuala Lumpur (MYR)

Today's gold price in Kuala Lumpur

Converted at today's rates, pure 24k gold costs about 526.34 MYR per gram in Kuala Lumpur, and 22k about 482.50 MYR. Per 10 grams, a common size for small bars and rate boards, that is about 5,263.40 MYR for 24k. These are spot-based figures, before any tax, premium or making charge. Kuala Lumpur shops quote 916 and 999 gold per gram with daily buy and sell prices, which makes comparing shops straightforward.

What moves the gold price in Kuala Lumpur

The Malaysian ringgit gold price is simply the dollar price of gold multiplied by the exchange rate. Today that means about $4,007.9 per ounce times 4.0847 MYR per dollar. The ringgit floats, and it tends to soften when the US dollar is strong or oil prices fall, which can lift the local gold rate even when the international price is flat. Watching both numbers on this page tells you which of the two did the moving.

The dollar price itself responds to US interest-rate expectations, the strength of the dollar, inflation data, central-bank buying and geopolitical risk. Our guide to what moves gold prices covers each in turn.

Premiums, making charges and tax in Kuala Lumpur

The shelf price in Kuala Lumpur is higher than the converted figure above. A shop adds workmanship (upah) charges, the shop's margin and any applicable tax. On jewellery, making charges are quoted as 'upah' per gram or per piece and often discounted during festive promotions, so two pieces of the same weight and purity can carry very different prices. Malaysian jewellery is mostly 916 (22k) and 999 (24k), with 750 (18k) for lighter and gem-set designs.

Where gold is bought in Kuala Lumpur

Jalan Masjid India, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Petaling Street in Chinatown have rows of goldsmiths, and the big malls host jewellery chains. When comparing shops, ask for the gold rate per gram, the purity, the making charge and the buy-back price separately; that is the only way to see which offer is really cheaper.

Buying seasons in Kuala Lumpur

Hari Raya, Chinese New Year and Deepavali bring promotions on workmanship charges, and weddings are a steady source of demand. Across Malaysia, demand is strongest around Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year, Deepavali and the wedding season. Seasonal demand tends to show up in shop premiums, promotions and queues rather than in the international price, which is set by global flows. Knowing the calendar helps explain why a local quote can look expensive or cheap against this page in a given week.

Gold market hours in Kuala Lumpur

The international gold market trades almost around the clock on weekdays. In Kuala Lumpur the London–New York overlap, usually the busiest and most volatile part of the day, runs today from about 20:00–00:00 local time. The two LBMA Gold Price auctions in London, at 10:30 and 15:00 London time, fall at 17:30 and 22:00 in Kuala Lumpur, and major US data released at 08:30 New York time, such as payrolls and inflation, lands at 20:30 local time. The week's trading closes at 05:00 on Saturday and reopens at 07:00 on Monday, Kuala Lumpur time; over the weekend the price on this page is the last close. Banks and the national gold-savings schemes quote buy and sell prices per gram that follow the international price through the day. Our gold market hours tool shows the sessions in any time zone.

Kuala Lumpur compared with Singapore

Shoppers often ask how Singapore stacks up. On the converted spot price neither city is cheaper: Singapore quotes about 164.70 SGD per gram of 24k, which is the same $128.86 per gram as Kuala Lumpur's 526.34 MYR. What differs is what each market adds. In Kuala Lumpur that is workmanship (upah) charges, the shop's margin and any applicable tax; in Singapore it is GST on jewellery (investment-grade bars and coins have been exempt from GST since 2012), workmanship charges and the dealer's margin. Buying abroad also means paying an exchange margin and checking the customs allowance at home.

How this MYR gold price is calculated

Three numbers decide everything on this page. First, the international gold price in US dollars per troy ounce: $4,007.9 at the last update. Second, the exchange rate: 1 USD = 4.0847 MYR. Third, the weight: one troy ounce is 31.1035 grams, and one tola is 11.6638 grams.

1. Price per gram in USD = $4,007.9 ÷ 31.1035 = $128.86.
2. Price per gram in MYR = $128.86 × 4.0847 = 526.34 MYR (24k, pure gold).
3. Price per 10 grams = 526.34 × 10 = 5,263.40 MYR.
4. For a lower purity, multiply by the fineness: 22k = 0.9167, 21k = 0.875, 18k = 0.750.

The gold price comes from COMEX gold futures, which track spot XAUUSD closely but are not identical to it. The exchange rate is a mid-market rate; the rate your bank or money changer gives you will be slightly different. If you want to do the maths yourself, our guide to converting the gold price per gram, tola and kilo walks through every step with worked examples.

What this price does not include

The figures above are the international spot price converted into local currency. They are the starting point for every retail price in Kuala Lumpur, but they are not the price you will pay or receive at a shop. The retail or "jeweller" price adds some or all of these on top:

• Import duty or customs charges, where the country imports most of its gold.
• Sales tax, GST or VAT, which may apply to jewellery, to bars and coins, or to both, depending on local law.
• Dealer premium: the margin a bullion dealer or bank adds to the spot price for bars and coins, usually larger on small pieces.
• Making charges (labour) on jewellery, often a percentage of the gold value or a fixed amount per gram.
• Local supply and demand, which can push the physical price to a premium or a discount against the international price for weeks at a time.

When you sell, the buyer usually quotes below the spot-based number and deducts for purity testing, wear and sometimes stones. The gap between the buying and the selling price is the real cost of owning physical gold, and it varies a lot between shops, so it is worth asking several.

Frequently asked questions