Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between George Town, Malaysia and Penang

For one person, living is cheaper in Penang: $913 a month against $952 in George Town, rent and utilities included – about $470 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in George Town outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

46

Cost of Living Index in George Town
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George Town Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

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George Town

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$952

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $952 in George Town versus $913 in Penang.

George Town $952
Penang $913

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,558 in George Town versus $1,403 in Penang.

George Town $1,558
Penang $1,403

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,164 in George Town versus $1,894 in Penang.

George Town $2,164
Penang $1,894

Living in George Town is roughly 4% more expensive than in Penang.

Both cities sit below the global median: George Town 30% lower, Penang 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 MYR 14.01

$3.73 MYR 15.11

-7.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.45 MYR 62.6

$19.91 MYR 80.7

-22.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 MYR 18.97

$4.78 MYR 19.38

-2.09%

Cappuccino

$2.75 MYR 11.15

$2.98 MYR 12.08

-7.72%

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

$0.70 MYR 2.85

$0.75 MYR 3.05

-6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 MYR 1.42

$0.37 MYR 1.49

-5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 MYR 10.03

$4.06 MYR 16.46

-39.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 MYR 17.93

$4.38 MYR 17.74

0.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 MYR 7.58

$1.86 MYR 7.56

0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.25

$1.08 MYR 4.39

-2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MYR 7.01

$1.76 MYR 7.16

-1.70%

Eggs

$2.22 MYR 8.99

$2.22 MYR 9.00

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 MYR 55.4

$13.46 MYR 54.6

1.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.48 MYR 18.14

$4.45 MYR 18.04

0.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 MYR 35.26

$8.70 MYR 35.27

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 MYR 9.48

$2.92 MYR 11.83

-19.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.91

$1.65 MYR 6.68

-11.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MYR 9.00

$2.61 MYR 10.58

-14.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.87

$1.40 MYR 5.67

-14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 MYR 3.71

$1.05 MYR 4.26

-12.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 MYR 3.45

$1.12 MYR 4.53

-24.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 MYR 3.02

$1.10 MYR 4.45

-32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 MYR 18.55

$4.69 MYR 18.99

-2.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.84 MYR 76.4

$19.31 MYR 78.3

-2.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 MYR 9.77

$3.00 MYR 12.18

-19.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 MYR 14.45

$5.41 MYR 21.92

-34.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MYR 1.92

$0.50 MYR 2.03

-6.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.01 MYR 48.70

$12.03 MYR 48.76

-0.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 MYR 4.99

$1.66 MYR 6.74

-25.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.05

$0.38 MYR 1.53

34.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.53 MYR 26.49

$7.47 MYR 30.28

-12.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.34

$0.95 MYR 3.83

-13.68%

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

$45.5K MYR 184.6K

$44.2K MYR 179.2K

3.06%

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

$34.6K MYR 140.4K

$35.8K MYR 145.0K

-3.16%

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

$36.85 MYR 149

$36.68 MYR 149

0.46%

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

$8.05 MYR 32.62

$9.56 MYR 38.74

-15.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.38 MYR 115

$29.49 MYR 120

-3.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.35 MYR 164

$39.20 MYR 159

2.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.03 MYR 20.38

$4.85 MYR 19.68

3.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.52 MYR 18.31

$4.78 MYR 19.37

-5.44%

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

$168 MYR 683

$398 MYR 1,612

-57.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,958 MYR 20.1K

$10.6K MYR 43.0K

-53.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 MYR 216

$60.9 MYR 247

-12.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 MYR 141

$35.45 MYR 144

-1.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 MYR 298

$83.6 MYR 339

-12.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.8 MYR 287

$70.2 MYR 284

0.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 MYR 2,874

$408 MYR 1,654

73.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 MYR 1,485

$287 MYR 1,164

27.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 MYR 4,475

$698 MYR 2,828

58.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 MYR 3,666

$534 MYR 2,165

69.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,117 MYR 8,580

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 MYR 5,111

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,057 MYR 4,285

$931 MYR 3,776

13.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

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

Last update for George Town: October 26, 2026

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

George Town

$366 38.5%

Penang

$287 31.5% 21.6% $79

Groceries & Markets

George Town

$241 25.3%

Penang

$257 28.2% 6.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

George Town

$105 11%

Penang

$113 12.3% 7.6% $8

Eating Out

George Town

$100 10.5%

Penang

$113 12.4% 13.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

George Town

$73 7.7%

Penang

$76 8.3% 3.3% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

George Town

$49 5.2%

Penang

$49 5.3% 1.3% $0.6

Getting Around

George Town

$18 1.9%

Penang

$18 1.9% 0.5% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $709 in George Town and $408 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 13% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $15 in George Town vs $20 in Penang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $257 per month, with George Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 George Town

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

19:54 7:54 PM

Same time as George Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

794,313

158,336

💱 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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Between locations

George Town Penang 10 km

From you

George Town
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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

George Town vs Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $952 in George Town and $913 in Penang, so Penang is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% higher in George Town, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $709 in George Town versus $408 in Penang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in George Town pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $952 per month in George Town versus $913 in Penang – Penang is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both work as nomad bases, but Penang delivers better value at $913 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Penang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, George Town and Penang are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Penang wins on affordability, George Town on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.