Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kemaman and Petaling Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Kemaman: $897 a month against $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Kemaman
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Kemaman Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index

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Kemaman

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$897

/mo nomad

Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $897 per month in Kemaman vs $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Kemaman $897
Petaling Jaya $1,056

A couple spends around $1,369 per month in Kemaman vs $1,569 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Kemaman $1,369
Petaling Jaya $1,569

A family of three spends $1,841 per month in Kemaman vs $2,082 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Kemaman $1,841
Petaling Jaya $2,082

Kemaman is about 15% cheaper than Petaling Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kemaman and Petaling Jaya are more affordable than the global median – Kemaman 34% lower, Petaling Jaya 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.62 MYR 10.60

$3.57 MYR 14.47

-26.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.92 MYR 60.5

$24.39 MYR 98.9

-38.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 MYR 17.83

$4.85 MYR 19.66

-9.28%

Cappuccino

$3.09 MYR 12.51

$3.08 MYR 12.47

0.32%

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

$0.48 MYR 1.93

$0.85 MYR 3.44

-43.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.45

$0.41 MYR 1.66

-12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.29

$3.28 MYR 13.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 MYR 23.36

$5.69 MYR 23.07

1.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MYR 7.63

$1.93 MYR 7.83

-2.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.23

$1.03 MYR 4.19

0.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 MYR 4.11

$1.44 MYR 5.84

-29.86%

Eggs

$1.15 MYR 4.68

$1.77 MYR 7.17

-35.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 MYR 38.95

$9.71 MYR 39.36

-1.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 MYR 12.95

$3.28 MYR 13.30

-2.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 MYR 37.69

$9.73 MYR 39.45

-4.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 MYR 14.57

$3.51 MYR 14.22

2.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 MYR 7.59

$1.86 MYR 7.53

0.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MYR 10.62

$2.73 MYR 11.08

-4.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.37

$1.83 MYR 7.40

-0.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 MYR 8.80

$2.15 MYR 8.70

0.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 MYR 8.26

$2.02 MYR 8.19

0.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 MYR 5.96

$1.45 MYR 5.87

1.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$0.52 MYR 2.13

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 MYR 18.52

$4.56 MYR 18.50

0.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.42 MYR 78.7

$19.38 MYR 78.6

0.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 MYR 11.04

$2.64 MYR 10.69

3.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 MYR 18.00

$4.48 MYR 18.14

-0.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.10

$1.25 MYR 5.07

-39.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.79 MYR 43.76

$12.45 MYR 50.5

-13.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.86

$1.19 MYR 4.82

0.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.45

$0.35 MYR 1.44

2.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.90 MYR 36.09

$8.75 MYR 35.47

1.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 MYR 1.93

$0.87 MYR 3.53

-44.83%

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

$46.4K MYR 188.0K

$45.9K MYR 186.0K

1.06%

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

$36.1K MYR 146.2K

$35.3K MYR 143.2K

2.13%

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

$49.04 MYR 199

$49.61 MYR 201

-1.15%

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

$8.25 MYR 33.44

$8.18 MYR 33.16

0.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.11 MYR 110

$27.36 MYR 111

-0.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 MYR 169

$40.42 MYR 164

3.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.29 MYR 25.51

$3.03 MYR 12.28

107.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.79 MYR 19.42

$5.00 MYR 20.28

-4.20%

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

$123 MYR 498

$273 MYR 1,106

-54.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K MYR 41.9K

$10.5K MYR 42.6K

-1.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 MYR 211

$51.6 MYR 209

0.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.15 MYR 122

$29.45 MYR 119

2.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MYR 319

$78.0 MYR 316

0.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.0 MYR 349

$87.2 MYR 353

-1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 MYR 1,760

$511 MYR 2,073

-15.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 MYR 1,167

$426 MYR 1,729

-32.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$636 MYR 2,579

$961 MYR 3,894

-33.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 MYR 2,214

$699 MYR 2,835

-21.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,062 MYR 8,361

$3,144 MYR 12.7K

-34.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,069 MYR 4,333

$976 MYR 3,958

9.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 MYR 7,079

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 Kemaman: 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

Kemaman

$288 32.1%

Petaling Jaya

$426 40.4% 48.2% $139

Groceries & Markets

Kemaman

$243 27.1%

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.6% 2.5% $6.1

Clothing & Footwear

Kemaman

$111 12.4%

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.5% 0.2% $0.2

Eating Out

Kemaman

$102 11.4%

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.7% 10.2% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kemaman

$84 9.4%

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1% 0.9% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Kemaman

$51 5.7%

Petaling Jaya

$50 4.8% 1.8% $0.9

Getting Around

Kemaman

$17 1.9%

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9% 21.3% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $434 in Kemaman versus $511 in Petaling Jaya. 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 $24 in Petaling Jaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $249 – making Kemaman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kemaman

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🕒 Local time

01:35 1:35 AM

Same time as Kemaman

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,582

771,687

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kemaman Petaling Jaya 230 km

From you

Kemaman
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

Kemaman vs Petaling Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Petaling Jaya is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,346 per month in Kemaman and $1,583 in Petaling Jaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kemaman, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $434 there versus $511 in Petaling Jaya.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $897 in Kemaman and $1,056 in Petaling Jaya. That makes Kemaman about 15% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $123 per month in Kemaman and $273 in Petaling Jaya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kemaman, where all-in costs run around $897, than in Petaling Jaya at $1,056. In Kemaman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Petaling Jaya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kemaman – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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