Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alor Setar and Cagayan de Oro City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cagayan de Oro City: $801 a month against $868 in Alor Setar, rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. The total is higher in Alor Setar despite lower rent and utilities.

42

Cost of Living Index in Alor Setar
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Alor Setar Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Cagayan de Oro City
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Cagayan de Oro City Living Index

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Alor Setar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$868

/mo nomad

Cagayan de Oro City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$801

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alor Setar and in Cagayan de Oro City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Alor Setar and in Cagayan de Oro City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $868 per month in Alor Setar vs $801 in Cagayan de Oro City, rent included.

Alor Setar $868
Cagayan de Oro City $801

A couple spends around $1,310 per month in Alor Setar vs $1,142 in Cagayan de Oro City, rent included.

Alor Setar $1,310
Cagayan de Oro City $1,142

A family of three spends $1,752 per month in Alor Setar vs $1,484 in Cagayan de Oro City, rent included.

Alor Setar $1,752
Cagayan de Oro City $1,484

Alor Setar costs about 8% more than Cagayan de Oro City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Alor Setar and Cagayan de Oro City are more affordable than the global median – Alor Setar 36% lower, Cagayan de Oro City 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 MYR 8.40

$3.52 ₱225

-41.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.28 MYR 50.2

$12.33 ₱789

-0.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 MYR 16.70

$2.89 ₱185

41.52%

Cappuccino

$1.92 MYR 7.86

$2.26 ₱145

-15.04%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$0.69 ₱44.14

-21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.24

$0.66 ₱42.51

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 MYR 16.76

$1.33 ₱85.1

208.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 MYR 18.48

$2.00 ₱128

126.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MYR 6.58

$1.44 ₱92.2

11.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 MYR 3.49

$0.89 ₱56.7

-4.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MYR 7.13

$0.91 ₱58.0

92.31%

Eggs

$1.53 MYR 6.24

$2.06 ₱132

-25.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.63 MYR 55.7

$8.08 ₱517

68.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 MYR 17.67

$3.25 ₱208

32.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.47 MYR 34.62

$5.77 ₱369

46.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 MYR 12.53

$2.13 ₱136

44.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$1.05 ₱67.4

13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 MYR 10.65

$2.30 ₱147

13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.00

$1.12 ₱71.7

31.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 MYR 4.34

$1.97 ₱126

-46.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 MYR 4.39

$2.57 ₱164

-57.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 MYR 4.47

$0.76 ₱48.60

43.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.34

$0.47 ₱30.38

21.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 MYR 18.18

$2.92 ₱187

52.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.90 MYR 77.3

$3.93 ₱252

380.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 MYR 12.19

$1.26 ₱80.8

136.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 MYR 21.18

$1.92 ₱123

169.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.85

$0.29 ₱18.35

141.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.69 MYR 51.9

$11.49 ₱735

10.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$0.62 ₱39.47

179.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 MYR 1.67

$0.22 ₱14.11

86.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.38 MYR 30.18

$1.90 ₱122

288.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 2.00

$1.01 ₱64.9

-51.49%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$45.3K MYR 185.1K

$20.9K ₱1.3M

117.12%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.8K MYR 146.5K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

87.33%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$37.81 MYR 155

$131 ₱8,407

-71.22%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$7.47 MYR 30.53

$22.03 ₱1,410

-66.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.90 MYR 89.5

$30.16 ₱1,930

-27.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.64 MYR 154

$24.12 ₱1,543

56.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.37 MYR 26.03

$2.80 ₱179

127.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.83 MYR 19.74

$4.35 ₱278

11.03%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$396 MYR 1,620

$64.3 ₱4,117

515.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MYR 43.7K

$2,231 ₱142.8K

379.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 MYR 244

$31.70 ₱2,029

88.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.76 MYR 146

$13.22 ₱846

170.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 MYR 334

$50.4 ₱3,226

62.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.9 MYR 282

$39.53 ₱2,530

74.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 MYR 1,719

$424 ₱27.2K

-0.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 MYR 1,201

$267 ₱17.1K

10.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 MYR 2,668

$667 ₱42.7K

-2.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 MYR 2,173

$441 ₱28.2K

20.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,256 MYR 9,221

$1,562 ₱99.9K

44.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,157 MYR 4,727

$955 ₱61.1K

21.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 MYR 6,539

$307 ₱19.6K

421.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

6.75

-40.15%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Alor Setar: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cagayan de Oro City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Alor Setar

$294 33.8%

Cagayan de Oro City

$267 33.3% 9.1% $27

Groceries & Markets

Alor Setar

$245 28.3%

Cagayan de Oro City

$162 20.3% 33.8% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Alor Setar

$111 12.8%

Cagayan de Oro City

$61 7.6% 45.2% $50

Eating Out

Alor Setar

$85 9.8%

Cagayan de Oro City

$80 10% 5.5% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alor Setar

$67 7.7%

Cagayan de Oro City

$184 22.9% 173% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Alor Setar

$47 5.5%

Cagayan de Oro City

$33 4.1% 30.6% $14

Getting Around

Alor Setar

$19 2.2%

Cagayan de Oro City

$14 1.8% 25.4% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $421 in Alor Setar versus $424 in Cagayan de Oro City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Alor Setar are about 5.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Alor Setar versus $12 in Cagayan de Oro City. Groceries tell a different story – $245 in Alor Setar vs $162 in Cagayan de Oro City – so Cagayan de Oro City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Alor Setar

🇵🇭 Cagayan de Oro City

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

Same time as Alor Setar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

423,868

728,402

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.55 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.22 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alor Setar Cagayan de Oro City 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Alor Setar
Cagayan de Oro City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Alor Setar vs Cagayan de Oro City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alor Setar costs about 8% more than Cagayan de Oro City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,303 per month in Alor Setar and $1,201 in Cagayan de Oro City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $421 in Alor Setar and $424 in Cagayan de Oro City. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $868 in Alor Setar and $801 in Cagayan de Oro City. That’s a gap of about 8%.

Kindergarten costs $396 per month in Alor Setar and $64 in Cagayan de Oro City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $868 in Alor Setar and $801 in Cagayan de Oro City, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Cagayan de Oro City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $801 in Cagayan de Oro City to $868 in Alor Setar. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cagayan de Oro City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alor Setar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.