Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Penang 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Penang are 7.6% lower than in Kuala Lumpur (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Penang are 12.2% lower than in Kuala Lumpur | |
| Rent Prices in Penang are 26.4% lower than in Kuala Lumpur | |
| Restaurant Prices in Penang are 23.8% lower than in Kuala Lumpur | |
| Groceries Prices in Penang are 1.3% higher than in Kuala Lumpur | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Penang is 13.2% lower than in Kuala Lumpur | |
Restaurants | Kuala Lumpur Edit |
Penang Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 19.79 RM | 12.00 RM | -39.4 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 142.28 RM | 90.00 RM | -36.7 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 20.00 RM | 18.00 RM | -10.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 15.50 RM | 20.00 RM | +29.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 25.00 RM | 18.75 RM | -25.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 13.05 RM | 13.40 RM | +2.7 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.45 RM | 3.27 RM | -5.1 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.12 RM | 1.95 RM | -7.8 % |
Markets | Kuala Lumpur Edit |
Penang Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 29.84 RM | 27.91 RM | -6.5 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.78 RM | 3.86 RM | +2.3 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.99 RM | 3.17 RM | +6.2 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 9.27 RM | 8.40 RM | -9.4 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 27.42 RM | 30.39 RM | +10.8 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 9.26 RM | 9.83 RM | +6.1 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 20.43 RM | 25.06 RM | +22.7 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 5.38 RM | 5.26 RM | -2.2 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 2.91 RM | 2.83 RM | -2.4 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 5.33 RM | 5.67 RM | +6.4 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 3.03 RM | 2.25 RM | -25.5 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 2.01 RM | 1.35 RM | -33.2 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.94 RM | 3.36 RM | +72.6 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 4.55 RM | 4.79 RM | +5.1 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 3.02 RM | 2.13 RM | -29.4 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 70.00 RM | 50.00 RM | -28.6 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 13.84 RM | 11.32 RM | -18.2 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 18.92 RM | 13.83 RM | -26.9 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 18.00 RM | 18.50 RM | +2.8 % |
Transportation | Kuala Lumpur Edit |
Penang Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 3.00 RM | 2.15 RM | -28.3 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 50.00 RM | 100.00 RM | +100.0 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 5.00 RM | 5.00 RM | 0.0 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 8.05 RM | 1.61 RM | -80.0 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 15.00 RM | 30.00 RM | +100.0 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 7.77 RM | 7.76 RM | -0.1 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 160,000.00 RM | 167,112.73 RM | +4.4 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 135,022.10 RM | 127,222.00 RM | -5.8 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Kuala Lumpur Edit |
Penang Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 268.95 RM | 181.02 RM | -32.7 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 50.02 RM | 41.67 RM | -16.7 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 118.07 RM | 116.78 RM | -1.1 % |
Sports And Leisure | Kuala Lumpur Edit |
Penang Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 206.21 RM | 127.14 RM | -38.3 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 35.42 RM | 16.67 RM | -52.9 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 20.00 RM | 18.00 RM | -10.0 % |
Childcare | Kuala Lumpur Edit |
Penang Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 1,063.04 RM | 970.00 RM | -8.8 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 32,333.33 RM | 19,750.00 RM | -38.9 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Kuala Lumpur Edit |
Penang Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 231.65 RM | 286.67 RM | +23.7 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 152.86 RM | 131.67 RM | -13.9 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 327.27 RM | 321.43 RM | -1.8 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 307.08 RM | 236.25 RM | -23.1 % |
Rent Per Month | Kuala Lumpur Edit |
Penang Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,414.00 RM | 1,675.00 RM | -30.6 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,650.00 RM | 1,283.33 RM | -22.2 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,725.93 RM | 3,185.71 RM | -32.6 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,717.31 RM | 2,328.57 RM | -14.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Kuala Lumpur Edit |
Penang Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,097.00 RM | 912.40 RM | -16.8 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 535.66 RM | 671.50 RM | +25.4 % |
Salaries And Financing | Kuala Lumpur Edit |
Penang Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,133.26 RM | 4,675.00 RM | -23.8 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 4.24 | 3.96 | -6.5 % |
| Last update: | May 2024 | April 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 278 | 50 |
Moving to Penang? Explore:
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 |
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 |