Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Penang

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $839 in Penang, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $520 per month in Delhi vs $839 in Penang, rent included.

Delhi $520
Penang $839

A couple spends around $858 per month in Delhi vs $1,314 in Penang, rent included.

Delhi $858
Penang $1,314

A family of three spends $1,195 per month in Delhi vs $1,790 in Penang, rent included.

Delhi $1,195
Penang $1,790

Delhi is about 38% cheaper than Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Delhi and Penang are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Penang 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ₹355

$3.58 MYR 14.63

2.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.95 ₹2,027

$19.84 MYR 81.0

5.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹362

$4.58 MYR 18.69

-18.34%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹226

$3.04 MYR 12.40

-23.36%

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

$0.37 ₹35.82

$0.73 MYR 2.98

-49.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₹18.91

$0.39 MYR 1.59

-48.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₹195

$4.18 MYR 17.05

-51.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₹308

$4.32 MYR 17.63

-26.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 ₹65.9

$1.89 MYR 7.71

-64.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.2

$1.08 MYR 4.42

-51.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ₹80.0

$1.77 MYR 7.23

-53.11%

Eggs

$1.07 ₹104

$2.23 MYR 9.10

-52.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.43 ₹428

$13.69 MYR 55.9

-67.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ₹326

$4.29 MYR 17.51

-21.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 MYR 35.12

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ₹192

$3.04 MYR 12.42

-34.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹70.1

$1.71 MYR 6.96

-57.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₹98.4

$2.67 MYR 10.90

-61.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹50.1

$1.47 MYR 6.00

-64.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 ₹25.96

$1.09 MYR 4.47

-75.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.42

$1.07 MYR 4.39

-65.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.64

$1.14 MYR 4.67

-62.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹30.39

$0.57 MYR 2.31

-45.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 ₹476

$4.62 MYR 18.87

6.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹808

$19.29 MYR 78.8

-56.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₹159

$2.93 MYR 11.95

-44.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₹261

$5.37 MYR 21.92

-49.72%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹44.04

$0.51 MYR 2.08

-9.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₹1,480

$12.30 MYR 50.2

24.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹99.8

$1.75 MYR 7.17

-41.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹26.38

$0.37 MYR 1.51

-27.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ₹148

$7.27 MYR 29.68

-78.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₹102

$0.94 MYR 3.85

11.70%

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

$10.5K ₹1.0M

$41.0K MYR 167.2K

-74.45%

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

$18.4K ₹1.8M

$34.9K MYR 142.4K

-47.33%

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

$42.67 ₹4,129

$36.55 MYR 149

16.74%

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

$4.04 ₹391

$9.97 MYR 40.70

-59.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.75 ₹653

$29.32 MYR 120

-76.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.40 ₹1,878

$38.81 MYR 158

-50.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.06 ₹780

$4.98 MYR 20.33

61.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 ₹492

$4.87 MYR 19.89

4.31%

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

$100 ₹9,696

$430 MYR 1,755

-76.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 ₹219.5K

$10.8K MYR 44.1K

-79.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.14 ₹2,336

$60.3 MYR 246

-59.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.38 ₹2,747

$35.26 MYR 144

-19.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.3 ₹5,160

$83.5 MYR 341

-36.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.13 ₹4,271

$69.8 MYR 285

-36.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₹25.5K

$402 MYR 1,641

-34.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 ₹14.9K

$232 MYR 949

-33.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 ₹71.2K

$621 MYR 2,534

18.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₹38.5K

$410 MYR 1,676

-3.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,494 ₹241.4K

$2,212 MYR 9,034

12.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,017 ₹98.4K

$1,057 MYR 4,317

-3.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 ₹56.7K

$943 MYR 3,851

-37.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

4.04

106.19%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Last update for Penang: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$154 29.7%

Penang

$232 27.1% 50.8% $78

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.8%

Penang

$258 30.1% 139% $150

Eating Out

Delhi

$87 16.8%

Penang

$113 13.2% 29.3% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$67 13%

Penang

$112 13.1% 65.9% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.3%

Penang

$76 8.8% 41.9% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Penang

$49 5.7% 64.2% $19

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Penang

$18 2.1% 8% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $264 in Delhi versus $402 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 61% higher in Penang, 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 $21.00 in Delhi versus $20.00 in Penang. Groceries tell a different story – $108 in Delhi vs $258 in Penang – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

14:21 2:21 PM

16:51 4:51 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

158,336

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Delhi Penang 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
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

Delhi vs Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $520 in Delhi, $839 in Penang – roughly 61% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $780 per month in Delhi and $1,259 in Penang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Delhi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Delhi and $20.00 in Penang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $520 in Delhi and $839 in Penang. That's a gap of about 61%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $520 in Delhi and $839 in Penang, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Penang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $520 in Delhi to $839 in Penang. 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 Delhi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Penang makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.