Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheras and Penang

For one person, living is cheaper in Penang: $913 a month against $1,139 in Cheras, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Cheras
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Cheras Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

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Cheras

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,139

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cheras and in Penang

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

A single person spends $1,139 per month in Cheras vs $913 in Penang, rent included.

Cheras $1,139
Penang $913

A couple spends around $1,560 per month in Cheras vs $1,403 in Penang, rent included.

Cheras $1,560
Penang $1,403

A family of three spends $1,982 per month in Cheras vs $1,894 in Penang, rent included.

Cheras $1,982
Penang $1,894

Cheras costs about 25% more than Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Cheras and Penang are more affordable than the global median – Cheras 16% lower, Penang 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.61 MYR 14.72

$3.73 MYR 15.18

-3.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.03 MYR 97.9

$19.91 MYR 81.1

20.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 MYR 20.44

$4.78 MYR 19.47

5.02%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.17

$2.98 MYR 12.15

0.34%

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

$0.91 MYR 3.71

$0.75 MYR 3.07

21.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.32

$0.37 MYR 1.50

54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.33 MYR 17.63

$4.06 MYR 16.55

6.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.32 MYR 25.74

$4.38 MYR 17.83

44.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.69

$1.86 MYR 7.60

1.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.36

$1.08 MYR 4.41

-0.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.07

$1.76 MYR 7.19

-15.34%

Eggs

$1.78 MYR 7.26

$2.22 MYR 9.04

-19.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.03 MYR 73.5

$13.46 MYR 54.9

33.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MYR 18.59

$4.45 MYR 18.13

2.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 MYR 44.39

$8.70 MYR 35.45

25.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 MYR 14.59

$2.92 MYR 11.89

22.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 MYR 7.58

$1.65 MYR 6.72

12.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 MYR 10.73

$2.61 MYR 10.63

0.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.80

$1.40 MYR 5.70

19.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MYR 8.48

$1.05 MYR 4.28

98.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.73

$1.12 MYR 4.55

47.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MYR 5.43

$1.10 MYR 4.47

20.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$0.59 MYR 2.39

-15.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MYR 17.53

$4.69 MYR 19.09

-8.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 MYR 57.7

$19.31 MYR 78.7

-26.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MYR 10.82

$3.00 MYR 12.24

-11.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MYR 12.83

$5.41 MYR 22.04

-41.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.11

$0.50 MYR 2.04

52.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 MYR 50.7

$12.03 MYR 49.00

3.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 MYR 3.84

$1.66 MYR 6.78

-43.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$0.38 MYR 1.54

-5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.17 MYR 37.38

$7.47 MYR 30.44

22.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 MYR 3.52

$0.95 MYR 3.85

-9.47%

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

$45.0K MYR 183.5K

$44.2K MYR 180.1K

1.93%

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

$35.8K MYR 146.0K

$35.8K MYR 145.7K

0.17%

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

$49.55 MYR 202

$36.68 MYR 149

35.09%

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

$10.91 MYR 44.46

$9.56 MYR 38.94

14.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.88 MYR 114

$29.49 MYR 120

-5.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 MYR 212

$39.20 MYR 160

32.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.66 MYR 27.12

$4.85 MYR 19.78

37.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.99 MYR 20.35

$4.78 MYR 19.47

4.39%

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

$164 MYR 667

$398 MYR 1,620

-58.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,411 MYR 18.0K

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

-58.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 MYR 218

$60.9 MYR 248

-12.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.08 MYR 123

$35.45 MYR 144

-15.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 MYR 334

$83.6 MYR 340

-2.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 MYR 396

$70.2 MYR 286

38.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 MYR 1,574

$408 MYR 1,662

-5.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 MYR 1,886

$287 MYR 1,170

61.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 MYR 2,713

$698 MYR 2,842

-4.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 MYR 1,995

$534 MYR 2,176

-8.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,001 MYR 8,155

$2,117 MYR 8,624

-5.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,081 MYR 4,402

$1,261 MYR 5,137

-14.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,161 MYR 4,730

$931 MYR 3,795

24.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

4.04

0.50%

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

Last update for Cheras: October 24, 2026

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cheras

$463 40.6%

Penang

$287 31.5% 38% $176

Groceries & Markets

Cheras

$269 23.6%

Penang

$257 28.2% 4.3% $12

Eating Out

Cheras

$120 10.5%

Penang

$113 12.4% 5.4% $6.5

Clothing & Footwear

Cheras

$118 10.4%

Penang

$113 12.3% 4.8% $5.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cheras

$88 7.8%

Penang

$76 8.3% 14.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Cheras

$62 5.5%

Penang

$49 5.3% 21.4% $13

Getting Around

Cheras

$18 1.6%

Penang

$18 1.9% 3.5% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $386 in Cheras versus $408 in Penang. 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 25% higher in Cheras, 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 $24 in Cheras versus $20 in Penang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $257 – making Penang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Cheras

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

23:44 11:44 PM

Same time as Cheras

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

440,000

158,336

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cheras Penang 300 km

From you

Cheras
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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

Cheras vs Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cheras is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,708 per month in Cheras and $1,369 in Penang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $386 in Cheras and $408 in Penang. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Cheras, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Cheras and $20 in Penang. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Penang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $913 in Penang to $1,139 in Cheras. 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 Penang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cheras makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.