Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gombak and Petaling Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Gombak: $904 a month against $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Gombak
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Gombak Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index

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Gombak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$904

/mo nomad

Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gombak and in Petaling Jaya

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 Petaling Jaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $904 in Gombak versus $1,056 in Petaling Jaya.

Gombak $904
Petaling Jaya $1,056

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,437 in Gombak versus $1,569 in Petaling Jaya.

Gombak $1,437
Petaling Jaya $1,569

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,970 in Gombak versus $2,082 in Petaling Jaya.

Gombak $1,970
Petaling Jaya $2,082

Living in Gombak costs roughly 14% less than in Petaling Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gombak 34% lower, Petaling Jaya 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.60 MYR 14.65

$3.57 MYR 14.53

0.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.44 MYR 99.5

$24.39 MYR 99.3

0.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 MYR 20.45

$4.85 MYR 19.74

3.51%

Cappuccino

$2.96 MYR 12.06

$3.08 MYR 12.52

-3.90%

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

$0.91 MYR 3.72

$0.85 MYR 3.46

7.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.82

$0.41 MYR 1.66

9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.34

$3.28 MYR 13.37

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 MYR 23.45

$5.69 MYR 23.17

1.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MYR 7.83

$1.93 MYR 7.86

-0.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.36

$1.03 MYR 4.21

3.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.00

$1.44 MYR 5.86

2.08%

Eggs

$1.76 MYR 7.18

$1.77 MYR 7.20

-0.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 MYR 40.19

$9.71 MYR 39.52

1.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 MYR 13.65

$3.28 MYR 13.35

2.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.68 MYR 39.42

$9.73 MYR 39.62

-0.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 MYR 13.82

$3.51 MYR 14.28

-3.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 MYR 7.65

$1.86 MYR 7.56

1.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 MYR 10.72

$2.73 MYR 11.12

-3.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 MYR 7.35

$1.83 MYR 7.43

-1.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MYR 8.48

$2.15 MYR 8.74

-3.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 MYR 7.98

$2.02 MYR 8.22

-2.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MYR 5.84

$1.45 MYR 5.90

-0.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.11

$0.52 MYR 2.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 MYR 18.24

$4.56 MYR 18.58

-1.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 MYR 81.1

$19.38 MYR 78.9

2.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 MYR 10.90

$2.64 MYR 10.74

1.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 MYR 18.07

$4.48 MYR 18.22

-0.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MYR 3.35

$1.25 MYR 5.10

-34.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.38 MYR 50.4

$12.45 MYR 50.7

-0.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.88

$1.19 MYR 4.84

0.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.45

$0.35 MYR 1.44

2.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.10 MYR 37.02

$8.75 MYR 35.62

4.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.55

$0.87 MYR 3.54

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

$46.0K MYR 187.3K

$45.9K MYR 186.7K

0.30%

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

$35.1K MYR 142.9K

$35.3K MYR 143.8K

-0.59%

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

$50.0 MYR 204

$49.61 MYR 202

0.79%

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

$8.39 MYR 34.17

$8.18 MYR 33.30

2.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.39 MYR 107

$27.36 MYR 111

-3.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.05 MYR 151

$40.42 MYR 165

-8.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.93 MYR 24.15

$3.03 MYR 12.33

95.71%

Cinema Ticket

$3.11 MYR 12.68

$5.00 MYR 20.36

-37.80%

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

$282 MYR 1,149

$273 MYR 1,110

3.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.0K

$10.5K MYR 42.8K

0.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 MYR 211

$51.6 MYR 210

0.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.84 MYR 121

$29.45 MYR 120

1.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 MYR 310

$78.0 MYR 318

-2.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.2 MYR 343

$87.2 MYR 355

-3.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 MYR 1,671

$511 MYR 2,082

-19.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 MYR 1,162

$426 MYR 1,736

-33.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 MYR 2,981

$961 MYR 3,910

-23.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 MYR 2,473

$699 MYR 2,846

-13.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,943 MYR 7,910

$3,144 MYR 12.8K

-38.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,168 MYR 4,755

$976 MYR 3,974

19.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 MYR 2,206

$1,746 MYR 7,108

-68.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

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

Last update for Gombak: October 26, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gombak

$285 31.6%

Petaling Jaya

$426 40.4% 49.4% $141

Groceries & Markets

Gombak

$250 27.7%

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.6% 0.4% $1

Eating Out

Gombak

$113 12.5%

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.7% 0.1% $0.1

Clothing & Footwear

Gombak

$109 12%

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.5% 1.8% $2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gombak

$85 9.4%

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1% 0.4% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Gombak

$43 4.8%

Petaling Jaya

$50 4.8% 16.5% $7.1

Getting Around

Gombak

$19 2.1%

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9% 9.5% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $411 in Gombak and $511 in Petaling Jaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Petaling Jaya pays about 3.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $24 in Gombak vs $24 in Petaling Jaya. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $249, with Petaling Jaya cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Gombak

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🕒 Local time

07:38 7:38 AM

Same time as Gombak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,699

771,687

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Gombak Petaling Jaya 17 km

From you

Gombak
Petaling Jaya

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 Petaling Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gombak wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Petaling Jaya. 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 69% 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 $511 in Petaling Jaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Gombak versus $273 in Petaling Jaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $904 per month in Gombak versus $1,056 in Petaling Jaya – Gombak is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 Petaling Jaya are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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