Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Butterworth and Petaling Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Butterworth: $913 a month against $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Butterworth
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Butterworth Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index

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Butterworth

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $913 per month in Butterworth vs $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Butterworth $913
Petaling Jaya $1,056

A couple spends around $1,408 per month in Butterworth vs $1,569 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Butterworth $1,408
Petaling Jaya $1,569

A family of three spends $1,902 per month in Butterworth vs $2,082 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Butterworth $1,902
Petaling Jaya $2,082

Butterworth is about 13% cheaper than Petaling Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Butterworth and Petaling Jaya are more affordable than the global median – Butterworth 33% lower, Petaling Jaya 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MYR 15.10

$3.57 MYR 14.47

4.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.36 MYR 78.5

$24.39 MYR 98.9

-20.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.77 MYR 19.36

$4.85 MYR 19.66

-1.65%

Cappuccino

$2.89 MYR 11.71

$3.08 MYR 12.47

-6.17%

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

$0.73 MYR 2.95

$0.85 MYR 3.44

-14.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.48

$0.41 MYR 1.66

-12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.12 MYR 16.71

$3.28 MYR 13.31

25.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 MYR 17.75

$5.69 MYR 23.07

-23.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 MYR 8.58

$1.93 MYR 7.83

9.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 MYR 4.47

$1.03 MYR 4.19

6.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.85

$1.44 MYR 5.84

17.36%

Eggs

$2.24 MYR 9.09

$1.77 MYR 7.17

26.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 MYR 55.5

$9.71 MYR 39.36

40.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 MYR 18.19

$3.28 MYR 13.30

36.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 MYR 35.03

$9.73 MYR 39.45

-11.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 MYR 12.42

$3.51 MYR 14.22

-12.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.92

$1.86 MYR 7.53

-8.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 MYR 9.04

$2.73 MYR 11.08

-18.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 5.96

$1.83 MYR 7.40

-19.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 MYR 4.31

$2.15 MYR 8.70

-50.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.40

$2.02 MYR 8.19

-46.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 MYR 4.41

$1.45 MYR 5.87

-24.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MYR 2.37

$0.52 MYR 2.13

11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MYR 17.69

$4.56 MYR 18.50

-4.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.00 MYR 77.0

$19.38 MYR 78.6

-1.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 MYR 11.86

$2.64 MYR 10.69

10.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 MYR 20.18

$4.48 MYR 18.14

11.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.83

$1.25 MYR 5.07

-44.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.85 MYR 44.00

$12.45 MYR 50.5

-12.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.81

$1.19 MYR 4.82

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.52

$0.35 MYR 1.44

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 MYR 19.64

$8.75 MYR 35.47

-44.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 MYR 3.59

$0.87 MYR 3.53

2.30%

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

$43.5K MYR 176.3K

$45.9K MYR 186.0K

-5.22%

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

$35.5K MYR 143.8K

$35.3K MYR 143.2K

0.41%

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

$36.81 MYR 149

$49.61 MYR 201

-25.80%

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

$8.61 MYR 34.89

$8.18 MYR 33.16

5.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.45 MYR 107

$27.36 MYR 111

-3.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.93 MYR 133

$40.42 MYR 164

-18.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 MYR 23.90

$3.03 MYR 12.28

94.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.79 MYR 19.44

$5.00 MYR 20.28

-4.20%

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

$240 MYR 973

$273 MYR 1,106

-12.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K MYR 44.1K

$10.5K MYR 42.6K

3.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 MYR 242

$51.6 MYR 209

15.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.01 MYR 142

$29.45 MYR 119

18.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 MYR 334

$78.0 MYR 316

5.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.5 MYR 282

$87.2 MYR 353

-20.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$412 MYR 1,671

$511 MYR 2,073

-19.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 MYR 1,218

$426 MYR 1,729

-29.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$813 MYR 3,296

$961 MYR 3,894

-15.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 MYR 2,283

$699 MYR 2,835

-19.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,966 MYR 7,969

$3,144 MYR 12.7K

-37.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,205 MYR 4,886

$976 MYR 3,958

23.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 MYR 7,079

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 Butterworth: October 24, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Butterworth

$300 32.9%

Petaling Jaya

$426 40.4% 42% $126

Groceries & Markets

Butterworth

$258 28.3%

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.6% 3.5% $9

Eating Out

Butterworth

$113 12.3%

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.7% 0.3% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Butterworth

$111 12.2%

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.5% 0.2% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Butterworth

$72 7.9%

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1% 18.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Butterworth

$43 4.7%

Petaling Jaya

$50 4.8% 18.6% $7.9

Getting Around

Butterworth

$17 1.8%

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9% 22.3% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $412 in Butterworth 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Butterworth versus $24 in Petaling Jaya. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Butterworth vs $249 in Petaling Jaya – so Petaling Jaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Butterworth

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🕒 Local time

15:42 3:42 PM

Same time as Butterworth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

339,132

771,687

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Butterworth Petaling Jaya 290 km

From you

Butterworth
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

Butterworth vs Petaling Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $913 in Butterworth, $1,056 in Petaling Jaya – Butterworth comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,370 per month in Butterworth 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 Butterworth, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $412 there versus $511 in Petaling Jaya.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $913 in Butterworth and $1,056 in Petaling Jaya. That makes Butterworth about 13% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Butterworth. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $913 in Butterworth and $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Butterworth – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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