Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampar and Penang

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampar: $878 a month against $913 in Penang, rent and utilities included – about $420 less a year. The total is higher in Penang despite lower rent and utilities.

42

Cost of Living Index in Kampar
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Kampar Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

Jump to prices

Kampar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$878

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $878 per month in Kampar vs $913 in Penang, rent included.

Kampar $878
Penang $913

A couple spends around $1,349 per month in Kampar vs $1,403 in Penang, rent included.

Kampar $1,349
Penang $1,403

A family of three spends $1,820 per month in Kampar vs $1,894 in Penang, rent included.

Kampar $1,820
Penang $1,894

Kampar is about 4% cheaper than Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kampar and Penang are more affordable than the global median – Kampar 36% lower, Penang 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.15 MYR 8.75

$3.73 MYR 15.17

-42.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.27 MYR 78.4

$19.91 MYR 81.1

-3.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 MYR 19.35

$4.78 MYR 19.45

-0.63%

Cappuccino

$2.39 MYR 9.73

$2.98 MYR 12.13

-19.80%

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

$0.51 MYR 2.06

$0.75 MYR 3.06

-32.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 MYR 1.88

$0.37 MYR 1.50

24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 MYR 8.89

$4.06 MYR 16.53

-46.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 MYR 25.23

$4.38 MYR 17.81

41.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 MYR 7.89

$1.86 MYR 7.59

4.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 MYR 2.83

$1.08 MYR 4.40

-36.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MYR 7.51

$1.76 MYR 7.18

5.11%

Eggs

$1.81 MYR 7.37

$2.22 MYR 9.03

-18.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 MYR 56.8

$13.46 MYR 54.8

3.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.60 MYR 18.74

$4.45 MYR 18.12

3.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 MYR 29.34

$8.70 MYR 35.42

-17.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 MYR 13.62

$2.92 MYR 11.88

14.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 MYR 7.59

$1.65 MYR 6.71

12.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 MYR 9.23

$2.61 MYR 10.62

-13.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 MYR 6.42

$1.40 MYR 5.69

12.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 4.96

$1.05 MYR 4.28

16.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.53

$1.12 MYR 4.55

21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.61

$1.10 MYR 4.47

2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$0.59 MYR 2.39

20.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MYR 17.73

$4.69 MYR 19.07

-7.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 MYR 79.9

$19.31 MYR 78.6

1.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.43 MYR 13.94

$3.00 MYR 12.23

14.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MYR 20.38

$5.41 MYR 22.01

-7.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$0.50 MYR 2.04

42.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.15 MYR 49.48

$12.03 MYR 48.96

1.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.89

$1.66 MYR 6.77

-27.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 MYR 5.01

$0.38 MYR 1.54

223.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 MYR 19.72

$7.47 MYR 30.41

-35.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 MYR 2.59

$0.95 MYR 3.85

-32.63%

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

$43.7K MYR 177.9K

$44.2K MYR 179.9K

-1.09%

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

$34.3K MYR 139.7K

$35.8K MYR 145.6K

-4.02%

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

$49.92 MYR 203

$36.68 MYR 149

36.10%

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

$4.84 MYR 19.71

$9.56 MYR 38.90

-49.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.50 MYR 87.5

$29.49 MYR 120

-27.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.90 MYR 150

$39.20 MYR 160

-5.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 MYR 26.86

$4.85 MYR 19.76

36.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MYR 20.01

$4.78 MYR 19.45

2.93%

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

$235 MYR 956

$398 MYR 1,619

-40.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K MYR 52.8K

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

22.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 MYR 245

$60.9 MYR 248

-1.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.03 MYR 48.96

$35.45 MYR 144

-66.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 MYR 295

$83.6 MYR 340

-13.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 MYR 294

$70.2 MYR 286

2.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 MYR 1,656

$408 MYR 1,661

-0.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 MYR 1,178

$287 MYR 1,169

0.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 MYR 2,877

$698 MYR 2,839

1.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$547 MYR 2,226

$534 MYR 2,174

2.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,867 MYR 7,599

$2,117 MYR 8,615

-11.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,348 MYR 5,486

$1,261 MYR 5,132

6.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$371 MYR 1,511

$931 MYR 3,791

-60.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

4.04

3.22%

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

Last update for Kampar: October 24, 2026

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kampar

$289 33%

Penang

$287 31.5% 0.8% $2.2

Groceries & Markets

Kampar

$258 29.4%

Penang

$257 28.2% 0.3% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Kampar

$98 11.1%

Penang

$113 12.3% 15.3% $15

Eating Out

Kampar

$87 10%

Penang

$113 12.4% 29.9% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kampar

$76 8.7%

Penang

$76 8.3% 0.7% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Kampar

$47 5.3%

Penang

$49 5.3% 4.3% $2

Getting Around

Kampar

$22 2.6%

Penang

$18 1.9% 21.3% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $407 in Kampar versus $408 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 in Penang are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Kampar versus $20 in Penang. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Kampar vs $257 in Penang – so Penang wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kampar

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

22:32 10:32 PM

Same time as Kampar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

98,878

158,336

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kampar Penang 160 km

From you

Kampar
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

Kampar vs Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Penang is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,317 per month in Kampar and $1,369 in Penang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $407 in Kampar and $408 in Penang. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Kampar and $20 in Penang. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $235 per month in Kampar and $398 in Penang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Penang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $878 in Kampar to $913 in Penang. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Kampar. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Penang makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.