Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Kuala Lumpur 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Kuala Lumpur is 8.3% higher than in Penang (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Kuala Lumpur is 14.0% higher than in Penang | |
| Rent Prices in Kuala Lumpur are 35.5% higher than in Penang | |
| Restaurant Prices in Kuala Lumpur are 29.2% higher than in Penang | |
| Groceries Prices in Kuala Lumpur are 1.9% lower than in Penang | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Kuala Lumpur is 13.5% higher than in Penang | |
Restaurants | Penang Edit |
Kuala Lumpur Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 12.00 RM | 19.77 RM | +64.7 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 90.00 RM | 130.00 RM | +44.4 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 18.00 RM | 20.00 RM | +11.1 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 18.00 RM | 16.50 RM | -8.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 18.75 RM | 25.00 RM | +33.3 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 13.27 RM | 13.09 RM | -1.4 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.17 RM | 3.52 RM | +11.1 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 1.92 RM | 2.14 RM | +11.5 % |
Markets | Penang Edit |
Kuala Lumpur Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 27.91 RM | 31.13 RM | +11.5 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.86 RM | 3.77 RM | -2.3 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.44 RM | 2.94 RM | -14.4 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 8.40 RM | 9.19 RM | +9.5 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 30.39 RM | 27.42 RM | -9.8 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 10.70 RM | 9.26 RM | -13.5 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 25.06 RM | 20.18 RM | -19.5 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 5.26 RM | 5.38 RM | +2.3 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 2.83 RM | 2.92 RM | +3.0 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 5.67 RM | 5.32 RM | -6.1 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.25 RM | 3.03 RM | +34.2 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.35 RM | 2.01 RM | +49.7 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 3.36 RM | 1.94 RM | -42.1 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 4.79 RM | 4.55 RM | -4.8 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 1.80 RM | 3.02 RM | +67.8 % |
| 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 | 18.81 RM | +36.0 % |
| 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 | 7.78 RM | +0.3 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 167,112.73 RM | 167,500.00 RM | +0.2 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 127,222.00 RM | 137,609.26 RM | +8.2 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Penang Edit |
Kuala Lumpur Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 181.02 RM | 278.24 RM | +53.7 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 41.67 RM | 50.61 RM | +21.5 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 116.67 RM | 119.52 RM | +2.4 % |
Sports And Leisure | Penang Edit |
Kuala Lumpur Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 127.14 RM | 206.63 RM | +62.5 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 16.67 RM | 35.00 RM | +110.0 % |
| 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 | 970.00 RM | 1,054.55 RM | +8.7 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 19,750.00 RM | 36,047.62 RM | +82.5 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Penang Edit |
Kuala Lumpur Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 261.67 RM | 235.50 RM | -10.0 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 118.00 RM | 152.86 RM | +29.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 321.43 RM | 324.41 RM | +0.9 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 236.25 RM | 311.74 RM | +32.0 % |
Rent Per Month | Penang Edit |
Kuala Lumpur Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 1,816.67 RM | 2,374.00 RM | +30.7 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,250.00 RM | 1,607.69 RM | +28.6 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 3,185.71 RM | 4,964.00 RM | +55.8 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,328.57 RM | 2,678.85 RM | +15.0 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Penang Edit |
Kuala Lumpur Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 912.40 RM | 1,193.25 RM | +30.8 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 671.50 RM | 538.04 RM | -19.9 % |
Salaries And Financing | Penang Edit |
Kuala Lumpur Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 4,855.56 RM | 6,279.29 RM | +29.3 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 3.96 | 4.30 | +8.3 % |
| Last update: | May 2024 | May 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 53 | 275 |
Moving to Penang? Explore:
Cities near Penang: | Cost of Living in George Town | 0.28 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bayan Lepas | 10.19 miles |
| 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 Serdang | 43.43 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 |
Cities near Kuala Lumpur: | Cost of Living in Petaling Jaya | 10.15 miles |
| Cost of Living in Subang Jaya | 14.23 miles |
| Cost of Living in Gombak | 17.86 miles |
| Cost of Living in Seremban | 42.58 miles |
| Cost of Living in Malacca | 88.62 miles |
| Cost of Living in Muar | 113.16 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bandar Penggaram | 148.06 miles |
| Cost of Living in Kuantan | 155.63 miles |
| Cost of Living in Ipoh | 158.61 miles |
| Cost of Living in Selangor | 178.55 miles |