Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Kuala Lumpur 

Indices DifferenceInfo
Consumer Prices in Kuala Lumpur are 8.3% higher than in Penang (without rent)
Consumer Prices Including Rent in Kuala Lumpur are 13.4% higher than in Penang
Rent Prices in Kuala Lumpur are 32.9% higher than in Penang
Restaurant Prices in Kuala Lumpur are 31.4% higher than in Penang
Groceries Prices in Kuala Lumpur are 1.3% lower than in Penang
Local Purchasing Power in Kuala Lumpur is 12.4% higher than in Penang
Currency: Sticky Currency      Switch to metric measurement units
Restaurants
Penang Edit Kuala Lumpur Edit Difference
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant 12.00 RM 19.89 RM      +65.8 %
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course 90.00 RM 143.28 RM      +59.2 %
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) 18.00 RM 20.00 RM      +11.1 %
Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) 20.00 RM 15.50 RM      -22.5 %
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) 18.75 RM 25.00 RM      +33.3 %
Cappuccino (regular) 13.40 RM 12.80 RM      -4.5 %
Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) 3.27 RM 3.53 RM      +7.9 %
Water (12 oz small bottle) 1.95 RM 2.17 RM      +11.0 %
Markets
Penang Edit Kuala Lumpur Edit
Milk (regular), (1 gallon) 27.91 RM 30.19 RM      +8.2 %
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) 3.86 RM 3.78 RM      -2.2 %
Rice (white), (1 lb) 3.17 RM 2.92 RM      -7.9 %
Eggs (regular) (12) 8.40 RM 9.30 RM      +10.8 %
Local Cheese (1 lb) 30.39 RM 27.42 RM      -9.8 %
Chicken Fillets (1 lb) 9.83 RM 9.05 RM      -7.9 %
Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) 25.06 RM 20.82 RM      -16.9 %
Apples (1 lb) 5.26 RM 5.30 RM      +0.7 %
Banana (1 lb) 2.83 RM 2.89 RM      +1.8 %
Oranges (1 lb) 5.67 RM 5.33 RM      -6.0 %
Tomato (1 lb) 2.25 RM 3.02 RM      +34.1 %
Potato (1 lb) 1.35 RM 2.01 RM      +49.7 %
Onion (1 lb) 3.36 RM 1.95 RM      -41.8 %
Lettuce (1 head) 4.79 RM 4.55 RM      -4.8 %
Water (1.5 liter bottle) 2.13 RM 3.00 RM      +40.6 %
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) 50.00 RM 70.00 RM      +40.0 %
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) 11.32 RM 13.84 RM      +22.3 %
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) 13.83 RM 18.92 RM      +36.7 %
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) 18.50 RM 18.00 RM      -2.7 %
Transportation
Penang Edit Kuala Lumpur Edit
One-way Ticket (Local Transport) 2.15 RM 3.00 RM      +39.5 %
Monthly Pass (Regular Price) 100.00 RM 50.00 RM      -50.0 %
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) 5.00 RM 5.00 RM      0.0 %
Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) 1.61 RM 8.05 RM      +400.0 %
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) 30.00 RM 15.00 RM      -50.0 %
Gasoline (1 gallon) 7.76 RM 7.77 RM      +0.2 %
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) 167,112.73 RM 160,000.00 RM      -4.3 %
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) 127,222.00 RM 135,022.10 RM      +6.1 %
Utilities (Monthly)
Penang Edit Kuala Lumpur Edit
Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment 181.02 RM 272.91 RM      +50.8 %
Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data 41.67 RM 50.02 RM      +20.0 %
Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) 116.78 RM 118.73 RM      +1.7 %
Sports And Leisure
Penang Edit Kuala Lumpur Edit
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult 127.14 RM 207.80 RM      +63.4 %
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) 16.67 RM 35.42 RM      +112.5 %
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat 18.00 RM 20.00 RM      +11.1 %
Childcare
Penang Edit Kuala Lumpur Edit
Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child 887.50 RM 1,045.83 RM      +17.8 %
International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child 19,750.00 RM 32,333.33 RM      +63.7 %
Clothing And Shoes
Penang Edit Kuala Lumpur Edit
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) 286.67 RM 228.38 RM      -20.3 %
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) 131.67 RM 148.22 RM      +12.6 %
1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) 321.43 RM 328.36 RM      +2.2 %
1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes 236.25 RM 302.80 RM      +28.2 %
Rent Per Month
Penang Edit Kuala Lumpur Edit
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre 1,675.00 RM 2,435.86 RM      +45.4 %
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre 1,357.14 RM 1,669.57 RM      +23.0 %
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre 3,225.00 RM 4,717.86 RM      +46.3 %
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre 2,387.50 RM 2,666.00 RM      +11.7 %
Buy Apartment Price
Penang Edit Kuala Lumpur Edit
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre 912.40 RM 1,091.62 RM      +19.6 %
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre 671.50 RM 531.38 RM      -20.9 %
Salaries And Financing
Penang Edit Kuala Lumpur Edit
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) 4,675.00 RM 5,960.00 RM      +27.5 %
Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate 3.96 4.21      +6.1 %
Last update: April 2024April 2024
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