Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gombak and Penang

For one person, living costs are similar in Gombak and in Penang: $904 and $913 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Gombak
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Gombak Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

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Gombak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$904

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $904 in Gombak versus $913 in Penang.

Gombak $904
Penang $913

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,437 in Gombak versus $1,403 in Penang.

Gombak $1,437
Penang $1,403

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,970 in Gombak versus $1,894 in Penang.

Gombak $1,970
Penang $1,894

Living in Gombak costs roughly 1% less than in Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gombak 34% lower, Penang 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.60 MYR 14.67

$3.73 MYR 15.18

-3.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.44 MYR 99.6

$19.91 MYR 81.1

22.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 MYR 20.47

$4.78 MYR 19.47

5.02%

Cappuccino

$2.96 MYR 12.07

$2.98 MYR 12.15

-0.67%

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

$0.91 MYR 3.73

$0.75 MYR 3.07

21.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.82

$0.37 MYR 1.50

21.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.35

$4.06 MYR 16.55

-19.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 MYR 23.47

$4.38 MYR 17.83

31.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MYR 7.84

$1.86 MYR 7.60

3.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.36

$1.08 MYR 4.41

-0.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.00

$1.76 MYR 7.19

-16.48%

Eggs

$1.76 MYR 7.19

$2.22 MYR 9.04

-20.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 MYR 40.23

$13.46 MYR 54.9

-26.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 MYR 13.67

$4.45 MYR 18.13

-24.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.68 MYR 39.46

$8.70 MYR 35.45

11.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 MYR 13.84

$2.92 MYR 11.89

16.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 MYR 7.66

$1.65 MYR 6.72

13.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 MYR 10.73

$2.61 MYR 10.63

0.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 MYR 7.36

$1.40 MYR 5.70

29.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MYR 8.49

$1.05 MYR 4.28

98.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 MYR 7.99

$1.12 MYR 4.55

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MYR 5.85

$1.10 MYR 4.47

30.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.11

$0.59 MYR 2.39

-11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 MYR 18.26

$4.69 MYR 19.09

-4.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 MYR 81.2

$19.31 MYR 78.7

3.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 MYR 10.91

$3.00 MYR 12.24

-10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 MYR 18.09

$5.41 MYR 22.04

-17.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MYR 3.35

$0.50 MYR 2.04

64.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.38 MYR 50.4

$12.03 MYR 49.00

2.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.88

$1.66 MYR 6.78

-27.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.45

$0.38 MYR 1.54

-5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.10 MYR 37.06

$7.47 MYR 30.44

21.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.55

$0.95 MYR 3.85

-8.42%

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

$46.0K MYR 187.5K

$44.2K MYR 180.1K

4.12%

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

$35.1K MYR 143.1K

$35.8K MYR 145.7K

-1.81%

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

$50.0 MYR 204

$36.68 MYR 149

36.31%

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

$8.39 MYR 34.20

$9.56 MYR 38.94

-12.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.39 MYR 108

$29.49 MYR 120

-10.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.05 MYR 151

$39.20 MYR 160

-5.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.93 MYR 24.17

$4.85 MYR 19.78

22.27%

Cinema Ticket

$3.11 MYR 12.69

$4.78 MYR 19.47

-34.94%

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

$282 MYR 1,150

$398 MYR 1,620

-29.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.0K

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

-0.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 MYR 211

$60.9 MYR 248

-15.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.84 MYR 122

$35.45 MYR 144

-15.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 MYR 310

$83.6 MYR 340

-8.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.2 MYR 343

$70.2 MYR 286

20.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 MYR 1,673

$408 MYR 1,662

0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 MYR 1,163

$287 MYR 1,170

-0.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 MYR 2,984

$698 MYR 2,842

4.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 MYR 2,475

$534 MYR 2,176

13.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,943 MYR 7,917

$2,117 MYR 8,624

-8.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,168 MYR 4,760

$1,261 MYR 5,137

-7.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 MYR 2,209

$931 MYR 3,795

-41.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.04

11.63%

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

Last update for Gombak: 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

Gombak

$285 31.6%

Penang

$287 31.5% 0.6% $1.8

Groceries & Markets

Gombak

$250 27.7%

Penang

$257 28.2% 2.8% $6.9

Eating Out

Gombak

$113 12.5%

Penang

$113 12.4% 0.6% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Gombak

$109 12%

Penang

$113 12.3% 3.4% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gombak

$85 9.4%

Penang

$76 8.3% 10.7% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Gombak

$43 4.8%

Penang

$49 5.3% 12.7% $5.5

Getting Around

Gombak

$19 2.1%

Penang

$18 1.9% 5.7% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $411 in Gombak and $408 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays 72% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $24 in Gombak vs $20 in Penang. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $257, with Gombak cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Gombak

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

03:01 3:01 AM

Same time as Gombak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,699

158,336

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gombak Penang 290 km

From you

Gombak
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

Gombak vs Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gombak wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Penang. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Gombak the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Gombak. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $411 in Gombak versus $408 in Penang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Penang. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Penang – a meal for two runs $20 versus $24 in Gombak. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Gombak is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Gombak and Penang are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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