Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Nang and Penang

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $889 a month against $913 in Penang, rent and utilities included – about $290 less a year. The total is higher in Penang despite lower rent and utilities.

42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
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Da Nang Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

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Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$889

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Da Nang 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 Da Nang and in Penang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $889 per month in Da Nang vs $913 in Penang, rent included.

Da Nang $889
Penang $913

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Da Nang vs $1,403 in Penang, rent included.

Da Nang $1,426
Penang $1,403

A family of three spends $1,963 per month in Da Nang vs $1,894 in Penang, rent included.

Da Nang $1,963
Penang $1,894

Da Nang is about 3% cheaper than Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Da Nang and Penang are more affordable than the global median – Da Nang 35% lower, Penang 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.17 ₫56.1K

$3.73 MYR 15.18

-41.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.53 ₫504.6K

$19.91 MYR 81.1

-1.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 ₫117.1K

$4.78 MYR 19.47

-5.23%

Cappuccino

$1.64 ₫42.4K

$2.98 MYR 12.15

-44.97%

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

$0.60 ₫15.6K

$0.75 MYR 3.07

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,912

$0.37 MYR 1.50

-8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 ₫34.4K

$4.06 MYR 16.55

-67.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₫61.0K

$4.38 MYR 17.83

-46.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₫41.2K

$1.86 MYR 7.60

-13.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 ₫31.1K

$1.08 MYR 4.41

11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$1.76 MYR 7.19

-40.34%

Eggs

$1.52 ₫39.4K

$2.22 MYR 9.04

-31.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 ₫331.1K

$13.46 MYR 54.9

-4.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 ₫107.6K

$4.45 MYR 18.13

-6.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.33 ₫240.9K

$8.70 MYR 35.45

7.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 ₫67.3K

$2.92 MYR 11.89

-10.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ₫31.4K

$1.65 MYR 6.72

-26.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₫33.1K

$2.61 MYR 10.63

-50.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$1.40 MYR 5.70

12.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.0K

$1.05 MYR 4.28

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.9K

$1.12 MYR 4.55

16.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$1.10 MYR 4.47

-5.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₫12.7K

$0.59 MYR 2.39

-16.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.51 ₫39.0K

$4.69 MYR 19.09

-67.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 ₫205.9K

$19.31 MYR 78.7

-58.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.0K

$3.00 MYR 12.24

-69.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₫56.4K

$5.41 MYR 22.04

-59.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₫7,702

$0.50 MYR 2.04

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.31 ₫162.9K

$12.03 MYR 49.00

-47.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₫26.8K

$1.66 MYR 6.78

-37.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₫14.6K

$0.38 MYR 1.54

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.27 ₫497.7K

$7.47 MYR 30.44

157.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$0.95 MYR 3.85

-4.21%

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

$30.8K ₫796.3M

$44.2K MYR 180.1K

-30.24%

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

$28.4K ₫733.1M

$35.8K MYR 145.7K

-20.64%

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

$78.5 ₫2.0M

$36.68 MYR 149

114.12%

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

$6.35 ₫164.1K

$9.56 MYR 38.94

-33.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.33 ₫215.2K

$29.49 MYR 120

-71.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.08 ₫699.4K

$39.20 MYR 160

-30.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.32 ₫137.4K

$4.85 MYR 19.78

9.69%

Cinema Ticket

$3.37 ₫87.0K

$4.78 MYR 19.47

-29.50%

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

$423 ₫10.9M

$398 MYR 1,620

6.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ₫390.0M

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

42.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.19 ₫1.2M

$60.9 MYR 248

-25.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.75 ₫717.0K

$35.45 MYR 144

-21.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₫2.6M

$83.6 MYR 340

20.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.8 ₫2.1M

$70.2 MYR 286

17.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 ₫14.3M

$408 MYR 1,662

35.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₫9.5M

$287 MYR 1,170

28.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 ₫31.7M

$698 MYR 2,842

76.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 ₫21.2M

$534 MYR 2,176

53.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,858 ₫99.6M

$2,117 MYR 8,624

82.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₫48.5M

$1,261 MYR 5,137

48.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$362 ₫9.4M

$931 MYR 3,795

-61.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.72

4.04

165.35%

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

Last update for Da Nang: October 25, 2026

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Da Nang

$369 41.5%

Penang

$287 31.5% 22.2% $82

Groceries & Markets

Da Nang

$200 22.5%

Penang

$257 28.2% 28.6% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Da Nang

$115 13%

Penang

$113 12.3% 2.5% $2.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Da Nang

$93 10.5%

Penang

$76 8.3% 18.8% $18

Eating Out

Da Nang

$66 7.4%

Penang

$113 12.4% 72.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Da Nang

$34 3.8%

Penang

$49 5.3% 44.2% $15

Getting Around

Da Nang

$11 1.3%

Penang

$18 1.9% 54.7% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $553 in Da Nang 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 in Penang are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Da Nang versus $20 in Penang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $257 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

03:35 3:35 AM

04:35 4:35 AM

1 h ahead of Da Nang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,245,200

158,336

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,757 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Da Nang Penang 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Da Nang
Penang

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

Da Nang vs Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $889 in Da Nang, $913 in Penang – Da Nang comes out roughly 3% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,333 per month in Da Nang and $1,369 in Penang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Penang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $408 there versus $553 in Da Nang.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $889 in Da Nang and $913 in Penang. That makes Da Nang about 3% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $423 per month in Da Nang and $398 in Penang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $889 in Da Nang and $913 in Penang, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Da Nang costs $889 versus $913 in Penang. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Da Nang. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Penang makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.