Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Kuala Lumpur 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Kuala Lumpur are 10.1% higher than in Penang (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Kuala Lumpur are 16.0% higher than in Penang | |
| Rent Prices in Kuala Lumpur are 40.1% higher than in Penang | |
| Restaurant Prices in Kuala Lumpur are 27.4% higher than in Penang | |
| Groceries Prices in Kuala Lumpur are 6.0% higher than in Penang | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Kuala Lumpur is 18.3% higher than in Penang | |
Restaurants | Penang Edit |
Kuala Lumpur Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 10.00 RM | 15.00 RM | +50.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 60.00 RM | 100.00 RM | +66.7 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 18.00 RM | 18.00 RM | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 16.50 RM | 17.00 RM | +3.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 18.00 RM | 20.00 RM | +11.1 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 13.43 RM | 12.58 RM | -6.3 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.56 RM | 2.86 RM | +11.5 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.10 RM | 1.80 RM | -14.3 % |
Markets | Penang Edit |
Kuala Lumpur Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 27.80 RM | 28.63 RM | +3.0 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.85 RM | 3.25 RM | -15.7 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.46 RM | 2.84 RM | +15.5 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 7.73 RM | 7.92 RM | +2.4 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 23.70 RM | 20.33 RM | -14.2 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 10.65 RM | 8.05 RM | -24.5 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 16.90 RM | 20.44 RM | +20.9 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 4.55 RM | 5.42 RM | +19.0 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 2.77 RM | 2.90 RM | +4.5 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 4.88 RM | 5.53 RM | +13.4 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.19 RM | 2.83 RM | +29.2 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.36 RM | 1.99 RM | +46.8 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.74 RM | 1.83 RM | +5.4 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 4.60 RM | 4.03 RM | -12.4 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 1.65 RM | 2.81 RM | +70.2 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 70.00 RM | 70.00 RM | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 10.40 RM | 11.29 RM | +8.6 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 13.94 RM | 16.34 RM | +17.2 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 18.50 RM | 18.00 RM | -2.7 % |
Transportation | Penang Edit |
Kuala Lumpur Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.00 RM | 3.00 RM | +50.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 80.00 RM | 50.00 RM | -37.5 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 5.50 RM | 5.00 RM | -9.1 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 2.90 RM | 8.05 RM | +177.8 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 30.00 RM | 15.00 RM | -50.0 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 7.84 RM | 7.93 RM | +1.1 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 170,000.00 RM | 160,000.00 RM | -5.9 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 128,981.33 RM | 130,055.89 RM | +0.8 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Penang Edit |
Kuala Lumpur Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 219.90 RM | 233.93 RM | +6.4 % |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) | 0.25 RM | 0.44 RM | +77.0 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 123.58 RM | 116.48 RM | -5.7 % |
Sports And Leisure | Penang Edit |
Kuala Lumpur Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 123.75 RM | 191.10 RM | +54.4 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 16.67 RM | 36.15 RM | +116.9 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 15.50 RM | 20.00 RM | +29.0 % |
Childcare | Penang Edit |
Kuala Lumpur Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 762.50 RM | 1,100.00 RM | +44.3 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 27,800.00 RM | 36,899.05 RM | +32.7 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Penang Edit |
Kuala Lumpur Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 300.00 RM | 208.52 RM | -30.5 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 135.00 RM | 126.58 RM | -6.2 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 316.67 RM | 302.44 RM | -4.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 325.00 RM | 311.20 RM | -4.2 % |
Rent Per Month | Penang Edit |
Kuala Lumpur Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 1,510.74 RM | 2,093.75 RM | +38.6 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,227.78 RM | 1,265.00 RM | +3.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 2,554.55 RM | 4,412.50 RM | +72.7 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,100.00 RM | 2,385.29 RM | +13.6 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Penang Edit |
Kuala Lumpur Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 787.57 RM | 941.00 RM | +19.5 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 553.75 RM | 497.94 RM | -10.1 % |
Salaries And Financing | Penang Edit |
Kuala Lumpur Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 4,077.78 RM | 5,597.70 RM | +37.3 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 3.51 | 3.64 | +3.6 % |
| Last update: | March 2023 | March 2023 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 43 | 337 |
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 |