Cost of Living in Penang
Summary of cost of living in Penang, Malaysia:
- The estimated monthly costs for a family of four are 1,936.0$ (8,179.4RM), excluding rent (using our estimator).
- The estimated monthly costs for a single person are 541.0$ (2,285.6RM), excluding rent.
- Penang is 68.0% less expensive than New York (excluding rent, see our cost of living index).
- Rent in Penang is, on average, 91.5% lower than in New York.
Restaurants |  Edit |
Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 3.31 $ | |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 18.93 $ | |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 4.26 $ | |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 4.26 $ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 4.62 $ | |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 2.96 $ | |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 0.76 $ | |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 0.36 $ | |
Markets | Edit |
|
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 6.99 $ | |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 0.96 $ | |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 0.86 $ | |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 2.08 $ | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 7.15 $ | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 2.20 $ | |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 4.86 $ | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 1.06 $ | |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.70 $ | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.13 $ | |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 0.65 $ | |
| Potato (1 lb) | 0.37 $ | |
| Onion (1 lb) | 0.50 $ | |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 0.98 $ | |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 0.51 $ | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 14.20 $ | |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.68 $ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.69 $ | |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 4.38 $ | |
Transportation | Edit |
|
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 0.47 $ | |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 17.75 $ | |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 0.71 $ | |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 0.88 $ | |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 7.10 $ | |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 1.84 $ | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 33,727.81 $ | |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 31,936.88 $ | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit |
|
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 32.86 $ | |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 9.89 $ | |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 31.39 $ | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit |
|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 32.90 $ | |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 5.52 $ | |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 4.97 $ | |
Childcare | Edit |
|
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 239.05 $ | |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 6,242.60 $ | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit |
|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 55.03 $ | |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 28.99 $ | |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 71.01 $ | |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 52.96 $ | |
Rent Per Month | Edit |
|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 325.44 $ | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 272.19 $ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 603.55 $ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 482.25 $ | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 221.73 $ | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 148.25 $ | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 1,053.55 $ | |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 4.59 |
Prices in Penang
This city had 269 entries in the past 12 months by 42 different contributors.
Last update: 28 August 2025
Last update: 28 August 2025
Sources and References
Moving to Penang? Explore:
Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
Nearby Cities:| Cost of Living in Butterworth | 15.17 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bukit Mertajam | 17.71 miles |
| Cost of Living in Kulim | 25.74 miles |
| Cost of Living in Baling | 54.12 miles |
| Cost of Living in Jeniang | 58.42 miles |
| Cost of Living in Taiping | 62.60 miles |
| Cost of Living in Kedah | 70.34 miles |
| Cost of Living in Alor Setar | 70.78 miles |
| Cost of Living in Gerik | 85.30 miles |
| Cost of Living in Ipoh | 97.51 miles |
This Page in Other Languages:
 DeutschLebenshaltungskosten in Penang
|
 PortuguêsCusto de Vida em Penang
|
 ItalianoCosto della Vita a Penang
|
 FrançaisCoût de la Vie à Penang
|
 EspañolCosto de Vida en Penang
|
Leave a comment:4 Comments so far
Paul
on Feb 14, 2025:
Thomas M. I think your acquaintance is taking you for a ride. Four years after your message, a lunch with two plates of noodles, prawns/mussels/chicken and 2 lime juice came to RM 25 (just over five dollars). 15 eggs (average size) came to RM 11.35 (less than $0.20 each!). A loaf of Western type bread is variable between a dollar or so and $6 for artisanal quality where you get soft jazz piped in while you shop...
CP
on Sep 01, 2024:
Why doesn't this budget take into account health expenses?
Thomas Maresco
on Oct 17, 2020:
I am asking for help ....I have someone in penang Malaysia , who insists they need 300 USD a week for food and even then they tell me they eat very modestly such as nasi gorang and maybe egg and spaghetti , was also told 12 eggs cost 18 USD and a loaf of bread is 6 USD ... I think I am being taken advantage of . could someone please email me cheftom12@gmail.com and let me know ...thank you very much
jeffrey william emack
on Sep 03, 2020:
is there a list i can see that shows number 1 ranked to last placed