Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alor Setar and Petaling Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Alor Setar: $868 a month against $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Alor Setar
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Alor Setar Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index

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Alor Setar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$868

/mo nomad

Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alor Setar and in Petaling Jaya

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 Petaling Jaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $868 per month in Alor Setar vs $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Alor Setar $868
Petaling Jaya $1,056

A couple spends around $1,310 per month in Alor Setar vs $1,569 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Alor Setar $1,310
Petaling Jaya $1,569

A family of three spends $1,752 per month in Alor Setar vs $2,082 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Alor Setar $1,752
Petaling Jaya $2,082

Alor Setar is about 18% cheaper than Petaling Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Alor Setar and Petaling Jaya are more affordable than the global median – Alor Setar 36% lower, Petaling Jaya 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 MYR 8.38

$3.57 MYR 14.54

-42.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.28 MYR 50.0

$24.39 MYR 99.4

-49.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 MYR 16.65

$4.85 MYR 19.75

-15.67%

Cappuccino

$1.92 MYR 7.84

$3.08 MYR 12.53

-37.66%

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

$0.54 MYR 2.18

$0.85 MYR 3.46

-36.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.23

$0.41 MYR 1.67

-26.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 MYR 16.71

$3.28 MYR 13.38

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 MYR 18.42

$5.69 MYR 23.19

-20.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MYR 6.56

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-16.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 MYR 3.47

$1.03 MYR 4.21

-17.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MYR 7.11

$1.44 MYR 5.87

21.53%

Eggs

$1.53 MYR 6.22

$1.77 MYR 7.21

-13.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.63 MYR 55.5

$9.71 MYR 39.56

40.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 MYR 17.62

$3.28 MYR 13.36

31.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.47 MYR 34.51

$9.73 MYR 39.65

-12.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 MYR 12.50

$3.51 MYR 14.29

-12.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.84

$1.86 MYR 7.57

-36.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 MYR 10.61

$2.73 MYR 11.13

-4.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 5.98

$1.83 MYR 7.44

-19.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 MYR 4.32

$2.15 MYR 8.75

-50.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 MYR 4.38

$2.02 MYR 8.23

-46.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 MYR 4.45

$1.45 MYR 5.90

-24.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.33

$0.52 MYR 2.14

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 MYR 18.13

$4.56 MYR 18.59

-2.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.90 MYR 77.0

$19.38 MYR 79.0

-2.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 MYR 12.15

$2.64 MYR 10.75

12.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 MYR 21.11

$4.48 MYR 18.24

15.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.84

$1.25 MYR 5.10

-44.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.69 MYR 51.7

$12.45 MYR 50.7

1.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MYR 7.03

$1.19 MYR 4.85

45.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 MYR 1.66

$0.35 MYR 1.44

17.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.38 MYR 30.09

$8.75 MYR 35.65

-15.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 1.99

$0.87 MYR 3.55

-43.68%

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

$45.3K MYR 184.5K

$45.9K MYR 186.9K

-1.29%

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

$35.8K MYR 146.1K

$35.3K MYR 143.9K

1.49%

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

$37.81 MYR 154

$49.61 MYR 202

-23.79%

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

$7.47 MYR 30.44

$8.18 MYR 33.33

-8.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.90 MYR 89.3

$27.36 MYR 111

-19.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.64 MYR 153

$40.42 MYR 165

-6.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.37 MYR 25.95

$3.03 MYR 12.34

110.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.83 MYR 19.68

$5.00 MYR 20.38

-3.40%

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

$396 MYR 1,615

$273 MYR 1,112

45.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MYR 43.6K

$10.5K MYR 42.9K

1.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 MYR 243

$51.6 MYR 210

15.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.76 MYR 146

$29.45 MYR 120

21.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 MYR 333

$78.0 MYR 318

4.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.9 MYR 281

$87.2 MYR 355

-20.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 MYR 1,713

$511 MYR 2,084

-17.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 MYR 1,197

$426 MYR 1,738

-31.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 MYR 2,660

$961 MYR 3,914

-32.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 MYR 2,167

$699 MYR 2,849

-23.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,256 MYR 9,193

$3,144 MYR 12.8K

-28.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,157 MYR 4,712

$976 MYR 3,978

18.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 MYR 6,519

$1,746 MYR 7,115

-8.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

4.51

-10.42%

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

Last update for Alor Setar: October 25, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alor Setar

$294 33.8%

Petaling Jaya

$426 40.4% 45.2% $133

Groceries & Markets

Alor Setar

$245 28.3%

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.6% 1.6% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Alor Setar

$111 12.8%

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.5% 0.1% $0.1

Eating Out

Alor Setar

$85 9.8%

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.7% 33.2% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alor Setar

$67 7.7%

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1% 26.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Alor Setar

$47 5.5%

Petaling Jaya

$50 4.8% 6.6% $3.1

Getting Around

Alor Setar

$19 2.2%

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9% 6.1% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $421 in Alor Setar versus $511 in Petaling Jaya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Petaling Jaya, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Alor Setar versus $24 in Petaling Jaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $249 – making Alor Setar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Alor Setar

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🕒 Local time

05:21 5:21 AM

Same time as Alor Setar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

423,868

771,687

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Alor Setar Petaling Jaya 360 km

From you

Alor Setar
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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 Petaling Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Petaling Jaya costs about 22% more than Alor Setar, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,583 in Petaling Jaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alor Setar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $421 there versus $511 in Petaling Jaya.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $868 in Alor Setar and $1,056 in Petaling Jaya. That makes Alor Setar about 18% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Alor Setar and $24 in Petaling Jaya. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $868 in Alor Setar and $1,056 in Petaling Jaya. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Petaling Jaya has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $868 in Alor Setar to $1,056 in Petaling Jaya. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Alor Setar. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Petaling Jaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.