Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kemaman and Penang

For one person, living costs are similar in Kemaman and in Penang: $897 and $913 a month, rent and utilities included.

43

Cost of Living Index in Kemaman
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Kemaman Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

Jump to prices

Kemaman

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$897

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $897 per month in Kemaman vs $913 in Penang, rent included.

Kemaman $897
Penang $913

A couple spends around $1,369 per month in Kemaman vs $1,403 in Penang, rent included.

Kemaman $1,369
Penang $1,403

A family of three spends $1,841 per month in Kemaman vs $1,894 in Penang, rent included.

Kemaman $1,841
Penang $1,894

Kemaman and Penang have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Kemaman and Penang are more affordable than the global median – Kemaman 34% lower, Penang 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.62 MYR 10.65

$3.73 MYR 15.17

-29.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.92 MYR 60.7

$19.91 MYR 81.1

-25.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 MYR 17.90

$4.78 MYR 19.45

-7.95%

Cappuccino

$3.09 MYR 12.57

$2.98 MYR 12.13

3.69%

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

$0.48 MYR 1.93

$0.75 MYR 3.06

-36.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$0.37 MYR 1.50

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.34

$4.06 MYR 16.53

-19.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 MYR 23.45

$4.38 MYR 17.81

31.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MYR 7.66

$1.86 MYR 7.59

1.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.24

$1.08 MYR 4.40

-3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 MYR 4.13

$1.76 MYR 7.18

-42.61%

Eggs

$1.15 MYR 4.70

$2.22 MYR 9.03

-48.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 MYR 39.11

$13.46 MYR 54.8

-28.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 MYR 13.00

$4.45 MYR 18.12

-28.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 MYR 37.84

$8.70 MYR 35.42

6.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 MYR 14.63

$2.92 MYR 11.88

22.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 MYR 7.62

$1.65 MYR 6.71

13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MYR 10.66

$2.61 MYR 10.62

0.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.40

$1.40 MYR 5.69

30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 MYR 8.83

$1.05 MYR 4.28

106.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 MYR 8.30

$1.12 MYR 4.55

82.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 MYR 5.98

$1.10 MYR 4.47

33.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.08

$0.59 MYR 2.39

-13.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 MYR 18.60

$4.69 MYR 19.07

-2.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.42 MYR 79.1

$19.31 MYR 78.6

0.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 MYR 11.09

$3.00 MYR 12.23

-9.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 MYR 18.07

$5.41 MYR 22.01

-17.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.11

$0.50 MYR 2.04

52.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.79 MYR 43.94

$12.03 MYR 48.96

-10.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.88

$1.66 MYR 6.77

-27.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$0.38 MYR 1.54

-5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.90 MYR 36.24

$7.47 MYR 30.41

19.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 MYR 1.94

$0.95 MYR 3.85

-49.47%

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

$46.4K MYR 188.7K

$44.2K MYR 179.9K

4.91%

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

$36.1K MYR 146.8K

$35.8K MYR 145.6K

0.88%

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

$49.04 MYR 200

$36.68 MYR 149

33.70%

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

$8.25 MYR 33.58

$9.56 MYR 38.90

-13.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.11 MYR 110

$29.49 MYR 120

-8.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 MYR 170

$39.20 MYR 160

6.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.29 MYR 25.62

$4.85 MYR 19.76

29.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.79 MYR 19.49

$4.78 MYR 19.45

0.21%

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

$123 MYR 500

$398 MYR 1,619

-69.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K MYR 42.1K

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

-2.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 MYR 211

$60.9 MYR 248

-14.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.15 MYR 123

$35.45 MYR 144

-14.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MYR 320

$83.6 MYR 340

-5.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.0 MYR 350

$70.2 MYR 286

22.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 MYR 1,767

$408 MYR 1,661

6.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 MYR 1,171

$287 MYR 1,169

0.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$636 MYR 2,589

$698 MYR 2,839

-8.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 MYR 2,223

$534 MYR 2,174

2.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,062 MYR 8,395

$2,117 MYR 8,615

-2.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,069 MYR 4,351

$1,261 MYR 5,132

-15.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 MYR 3,791

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 Kemaman: 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

Kemaman

$288 32.1%

Penang

$287 31.5% 0.2% $0.6

Groceries & Markets

Kemaman

$243 27.1%

Penang

$257 28.2% 5.8% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Kemaman

$111 12.4%

Penang

$113 12.3% 1.4% $1.5

Eating Out

Kemaman

$102 11.4%

Penang

$113 12.4% 10.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kemaman

$84 9.4%

Penang

$76 8.3% 10.3% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Kemaman

$51 5.7%

Penang

$49 5.3% 5.1% $2.6

Getting Around

Kemaman

$17 1.9%

Penang

$18 1.9% 4.5% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $434 in Kemaman 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Kemaman versus $20 in Penang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $257 – making Kemaman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kemaman

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

00:49 12:49 AM

Same time as Kemaman

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,582

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

Kemaman Penang 370 km

From you

Kemaman
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

Kemaman vs Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,346 per month in Kemaman 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 $434 in Kemaman and $408 in Penang. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Penang, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $123 per month in Kemaman 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 $897 in Kemaman 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.