Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calamba and Ampang Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Calamba: $518 a month against $1,009 in Ampang Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Calamba
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Calamba Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Ampang Jaya
Learn more

Ampang Jaya Living Index

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Calamba

🇵🇭 Philippines

$518

/mo nomad

Ampang Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calamba and in Ampang Jaya

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Calamba and in Ampang Jaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $518 per month in Calamba vs $1,009 in Ampang Jaya, rent included.

Calamba $518
Ampang Jaya $1,009

A couple spends around $764 per month in Calamba vs $1,506 in Ampang Jaya, rent included.

Calamba $764
Ampang Jaya $1,506

A family of three spends $1,010 per month in Calamba vs $2,003 in Ampang Jaya, rent included.

Calamba $1,010
Ampang Jaya $2,003

Calamba is about 49% cheaper than Ampang Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Calamba and Ampang Jaya are more affordable than the global median – Calamba 62% lower, Ampang Jaya 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱247

$3.69 MYR 15.07

6.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.02 ₱757

$24.43 MYR 99.6

-50.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 ₱178

$4.95 MYR 20.19

-43.03%

Cappuccino

$1.79 ₱113

$3.06 MYR 12.48

-41.50%

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

$0.56 ₱35.44

$0.93 MYR 3.79

-39.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.06

$0.55 MYR 2.26

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ₱59.5

$4.37 MYR 17.82

-78.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₱97.7

$6.42 MYR 26.19

-75.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₱101

$1.74 MYR 7.10

-8.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱70.1

$1.08 MYR 4.41

2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.0

$1.50 MYR 6.10

-35.33%

Eggs

$2.00 ₱126

$1.76 MYR 7.18

13.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.20 ₱327

$9.99 MYR 40.76

-47.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ₱214

$3.47 MYR 14.16

-2.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.80 ₱491

$9.91 MYR 40.42

-21.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱145

$3.37 MYR 13.73

-31.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.9

$1.69 MYR 6.91

-8.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 ₱151

$3.21 MYR 13.09

-25.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 ₱66.9

$1.62 MYR 6.62

-34.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.43 MYR 5.83

20.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.72 MYR 7.02

3.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱38.68

$1.38 MYR 5.61

-55.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.10

$0.52 MYR 2.13

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₱184

$4.54 MYR 18.51

-35.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.87 ₱558

$19.73 MYR 80.5

-55.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱60.3

$2.85 MYR 11.61

-66.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₱132

$4.58 MYR 18.70

-54.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 MYR 4.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.59 MYR 79.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.9

$1.25 MYR 5.08

-34.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.75

$0.35 MYR 1.44

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱119

$6.21 MYR 25.33

-69.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 ₱58.7

$0.87 MYR 3.55

6.90%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$42.5K MYR 173.4K

-50.27%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$34.6K MYR 141.0K

-44.98%

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

$139 ₱8,759

$48.90 MYR 199

184.50%

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

$17.36 ₱1,093

$11.23 MYR 45.79

54.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 ₱1,502

$28.37 MYR 116

-15.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.16 MYR 148

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.54 MYR 30.76

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 ₱317

$5.04 MYR 20.54

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

$130 ₱8,193

$193 MYR 786

-32.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱668.9K

$4,453 MYR 18.2K

138.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.54 ₱1,797

$53.2 MYR 217

-46.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.73 ₱1,242

$30.19 MYR 123

-34.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 ₱4,468

$81.6 MYR 333

-12.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 ₱3,482

$86.6 MYR 353

-36.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 MYR 1,780

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 MYR 1,484

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 MYR 6,083

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$590 MYR 2,407

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$260 ₱16.4K

$836 MYR 3,412

-68.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

4.51

49.67%

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

Last update for Calamba: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ampang Jaya: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calamba

$180 34.8%

Ampang Jaya

$88 8.8% 50.9% $92

Groceries & Markets

Calamba

$175 33.7%

Ampang Jaya

$249 24.7% 42.4% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Calamba

$79 15.2%

Ampang Jaya

$113 11.2% 44.1% $35

Eating Out

Calamba

$73 14%

Ampang Jaya

$122 12.1% 67.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Calamba

$10 * 1.9%

Ampang Jaya

$46 4.6% 359% $36

Getting Around

Calamba

$2.1 * 0.4%

Ampang Jaya

$27 2.6% 1180% $25

Accommodation & Living

Calamba

- * 0%

Ampang Jaya

$364 36.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 222% higher in Ampang 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 $12.00 in Calamba versus $24.00 in Ampang Jaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $175 vs $249 – making Calamba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Calamba

🇲🇾 Ampang Jaya

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

Same time as Calamba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

539,671

531,904

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calamba Ampang Jaya 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Calamba
Ampang 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

Calamba vs Ampang Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $518 in Calamba, $1,009 in Ampang Jaya – roughly 95% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $777 per month in Calamba and $1,513 in Ampang Jaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Calamba and $24.00 in Ampang Jaya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Ampang Jaya, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Calamba, where all-in costs run around $518, than in Ampang Jaya at $1,009. In Calamba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ampang Jaya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Calamba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ampang Jaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.