Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kajang, Selangor and Penang

For one person, living is cheaper in Penang: $852 a month against $988 in Kajang, Selangor, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Kajang, Selangor
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Kajang, Selangor Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

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Kajang, Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$988

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $988 per month in Kajang, Selangor vs $852 in Penang, rent included.

Kajang, Selangor $988
Penang $852

A couple spends around $1,448 per month in Kajang, Selangor vs $1,307 in Penang, rent included.

Kajang, Selangor $1,448
Penang $1,307

A family of three spends $1,909 per month in Kajang, Selangor vs $1,763 in Penang, rent included.

Kajang, Selangor $1,909
Penang $1,763

Kajang, Selangor costs about 16% more than Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Kajang, Selangor and Penang are more affordable than the global median – Kajang, Selangor 27% lower, Penang 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.76 MYR 15.34

$3.72 MYR 15.18

1.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.63 MYR 76.0

$19.53 MYR 79.7

-4.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 MYR 19.62

$4.53 MYR 18.47

6.18%

Cappuccino

$2.96 MYR 12.09

$2.92 MYR 11.89

1.37%

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

$0.80 MYR 3.26

$0.78 MYR 3.17

2.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.92

$0.40 MYR 1.63

17.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.35 MYR 17.76

$4.12 MYR 16.81

5.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 MYR 24.81

$4.54 MYR 18.51

33.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 MYR 6.88

$1.88 MYR 7.65

-10.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$1.08 MYR 4.41

-2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.84

$1.77 MYR 7.21

-19.21%

Eggs

$1.66 MYR 6.78

$2.17 MYR 8.85

-23.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.84 MYR 72.8

$13.69 MYR 55.9

30.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MYR 18.62

$4.30 MYR 17.56

6.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.80 MYR 39.98

$8.79 MYR 35.86

11.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 MYR 13.91

$2.95 MYR 12.05

15.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.88

$1.71 MYR 6.96

-1.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 MYR 9.48

$2.75 MYR 11.21

-15.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.23

$1.41 MYR 5.76

8.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.46

$1.07 MYR 4.36

25.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.73

$1.07 MYR 4.37

54.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.60

$1.09 MYR 4.43

3.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$0.57 MYR 2.33

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MYR 17.79

$4.61 MYR 18.80

-5.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 MYR 56.8

$19.15 MYR 78.1

-27.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 MYR 11.65

$2.91 MYR 11.88

-1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MYR 12.68

$5.19 MYR 21.18

-40.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.08

$0.47 MYR 1.92

61.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.29 MYR 50.1

$12.23 MYR 49.87

0.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.92

$1.68 MYR 6.86

-27.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 MYR 2.91

$0.41 MYR 1.66

73.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 MYR 20.16

$7.14 MYR 29.12

-30.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.35

$0.93 MYR 3.80

-11.83%

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

$42.3K MYR 172.7K

$42.3K MYR 172.6K

0.05%

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

$35.3K MYR 143.9K

$35.8K MYR 146.1K

-1.52%

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

$52.5 MYR 214

$37.07 MYR 151

41.54%

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

$9.92 MYR 40.45

$9.84 MYR 40.13

0.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.35 MYR 107

$28.79 MYR 117

-8.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.80 MYR 183

$38.22 MYR 156

17.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.53 MYR 30.73

$4.97 MYR 20.28

51.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 MYR 20.05

$4.82 MYR 19.67

1.87%

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

$166 MYR 677

$423 MYR 1,726

-60.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,418 MYR 18.0K

$10.8K MYR 44.1K

-59.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 MYR 223

$58.9 MYR 240

-7.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.33 MYR 66.6

$35.27 MYR 144

-53.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.6 MYR 333

$83.9 MYR 342

-2.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.2 MYR 396

$71.0 MYR 290

36.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 MYR 1,615

$406 MYR 1,658

-2.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 MYR 1,375

$229 MYR 934

47.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 MYR 3,035

$612 MYR 2,496

21.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 MYR 2,047

$408 MYR 1,663

23.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,919 MYR 7,828

$2,223 MYR 9,070

-13.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,012 MYR 4,129

$1,070 MYR 4,365

-5.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$907 MYR 3,702

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

4.04

0.50%

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

Last update for Kajang, Selangor: October 12, 2026

Last update for Penang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kajang, Selangor

$337 34.1%

Penang

$229 26.9% 32.1% $108

Groceries & Markets

Kajang, Selangor

$256 25.9%

Penang

$257 30.2% 0.5% $1.3

Eating Out

Kajang, Selangor

$119 12.1%

Penang

$113 13.2% 5.3% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Kajang, Selangor

$112 11.4%

Penang

$112 13.2% 0.3% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kajang, Selangor

$89 9%

Penang

$76 8.9% 14.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Kajang, Selangor

$55 5.5%

Penang

$48 5.6% 12.4% $6.8

Getting Around

Kajang, Selangor

$20 2%

Penang

$18 2.1% 11.2% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $396 in Kajang, Selangor versus $406 in Penang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Kajang, Selangor versus $20.00 in Penang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $256 vs $257 – making Kajang, Selangor the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kajang, Selangor

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

16:09 4:09 PM

Same time as Kajang, Selangor

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,047,356

158,336

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Kajang, Selangor Penang 310 km

From you

Kajang, Selangor
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

Kajang, Selangor vs Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $988 in Kajang, Selangor, $852 in Penang – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,482 per month in Kajang, Selangor and $1,278 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Kajang, Selangor 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 $988 in Kajang, Selangor and $852 in Penang. That's a gap of about 16%.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $988 in Kajang, Selangor and $852 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 $852 in Penang to $988 in Kajang, Selangor. 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 Penang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kajang, Selangor makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.