Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bukit Mertajam and Petaling Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Bukit Mertajam: $621 a month against $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Bukit Mertajam
Learn more

Bukit Mertajam Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
Learn more

Petaling Jaya Living Index

Jump to prices

Bukit Mertajam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$621

/mo nomad

Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bukit Mertajam 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 Bukit Mertajam and in Petaling Jaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $621 in Bukit Mertajam versus $1,056 in Petaling Jaya.

Bukit Mertajam $621
Petaling Jaya $1,056

Estimated couple costs with rent: $976 in Bukit Mertajam versus $1,569 in Petaling Jaya.

Bukit Mertajam $976
Petaling Jaya $1,569

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,331 in Bukit Mertajam versus $2,082 in Petaling Jaya.

Bukit Mertajam $1,331
Petaling Jaya $2,082

Living in Bukit Mertajam costs roughly 41% less than in Petaling Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bukit Mertajam 54% lower, Petaling Jaya 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 MYR 7.79

$3.57 MYR 14.53

-46.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.97 MYR 85.4

$24.39 MYR 99.3

-14.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.98 MYR 16.21

$4.85 MYR 19.74

-17.94%

Cappuccino

$3.14 MYR 12.77

$3.08 MYR 12.52

1.95%

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

$0.69 MYR 2.82

$0.85 MYR 3.46

-18.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.85

$0.41 MYR 1.66

9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 MYR 18.35

$3.28 MYR 13.37

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 MYR 25.48

$5.69 MYR 23.17

10.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MYR 6.76

$1.93 MYR 7.86

-13.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 MYR 4.56

$1.03 MYR 4.21

8.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MYR 7.94

$1.44 MYR 5.86

35.42%

Eggs

$2.55 MYR 10.37

$1.77 MYR 7.20

44.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.83 MYR 56.3

$9.71 MYR 39.52

42.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 MYR 17.96

$3.28 MYR 13.35

34.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.98 MYR 40.64

$9.73 MYR 39.62

2.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MYR 13.79

$3.51 MYR 14.28

-3.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.16

$1.86 MYR 7.56

-5.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 MYR 9.21

$2.73 MYR 11.12

-17.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 MYR 6.31

$1.83 MYR 7.43

-15.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 MYR 5.15

$2.15 MYR 8.74

-40.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.60

$2.02 MYR 8.22

-31.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 MYR 4.55

$1.45 MYR 5.90

-22.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 MYR 2.72

$0.52 MYR 2.13

28.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 MYR 18.11

$4.56 MYR 18.58

-2.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.54 MYR 79.5

$19.38 MYR 78.9

0.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 MYR 13.91

$2.64 MYR 10.74

29.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 MYR 20.70

$4.48 MYR 18.22

13.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 MYR 5.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 MYR 50.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.03

$1.19 MYR 4.84

4.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$0.35 MYR 1.44

240.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 MYR 20.16

$8.75 MYR 35.62

-43.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 MYR 3.31

$0.87 MYR 3.54

-6.90%

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

$43.9K MYR 178.5K

$45.9K MYR 186.7K

-4.39%

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

$35.5K MYR 144.5K

$35.3K MYR 143.8K

0.53%

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

$63.1 MYR 257

$49.61 MYR 202

27.15%

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

$8.54 MYR 34.76

$8.18 MYR 33.30

4.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.67 MYR 109

$27.36 MYR 111

-2.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 MYR 165

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.03 MYR 12.33

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MYR 20.36

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

$249 MYR 1,013

$273 MYR 1,110

-8.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K MYR 53.5K

$10.5K MYR 42.8K

24.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 MYR 287

$51.6 MYR 210

36.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MYR 168

$29.45 MYR 120

40.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 MYR 353

$78.0 MYR 318

11.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 MYR 387

$87.2 MYR 355

8.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MYR 2,082

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 MYR 1,736

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 MYR 3,910

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 MYR 2,846

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,144 MYR 12.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$976 MYR 3,974

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$572 MYR 2,330

$1,746 MYR 7,108

-67.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

4.51

-7.54%

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

Last update for Bukit Mertajam: October 27, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bukit Mertajam

$269 43.3%

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.6% 7.3% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Bukit Mertajam

$132 21.3%

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.5% 16.1% $21

Eating Out

Bukit Mertajam

$105 16.8%

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.7% 7.9% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bukit Mertajam

$98 15.8%

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1% 13.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Bukit Mertajam

$10 * 1.6%

Petaling Jaya

$50 4.8% 404% $40

Getting Around

Bukit Mertajam

$7.2 * 1.2%

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9% 183% $13

Accommodation & Living

Bukit Mertajam

- * 0%

Petaling Jaya

$426 40.4%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Petaling Jaya pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $21 in Bukit Mertajam vs $24 in Petaling Jaya. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $249, with Petaling Jaya cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Bukit Mertajam

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🕒 Local time

02:26 2:26 AM

Same time as Bukit Mertajam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

212,329

771,687

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bukit Mertajam Petaling Jaya 280 km

From you

Bukit Mertajam
Petaling Jaya

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

Bukit Mertajam vs Petaling Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $621 in Bukit Mertajam and $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, so Bukit Mertajam is about 41% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Bukit Mertajam. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Shoppers in Petaling Jaya pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $621 per month in Bukit Mertajam versus $1,056 in Petaling Jaya – Bukit Mertajam is about 41% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Bukit Mertajam gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bukit Mertajam and Petaling Jaya are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Bukit Mertajam wins on affordability, Petaling Jaya on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.