Cost of Living Comparison Between Kemaman and Petaling Jaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Kemaman and Petaling Jaya

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $957 per month in Kemaman vs $909 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,416 per month in Kemaman vs $1,337 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,876 per month in Kemaman vs $1,765 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Kemaman costs about 5% more than Petaling Jaya, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Kemaman and Petaling Jaya are more affordable than the global median – Kemaman 29% lower, Petaling Jaya 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.52 MYR 10.20

$3.63 MYR 14.70

-30.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.10 MYR 57.2

$18.88 MYR 76.6

-25.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.70 MYR 14.99

$4.69 MYR 19.02

-21.11%

Cappuccino

$2.29 MYR 9.30

$2.71 MYR 10.99

-15.50%

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

$0.49 MYR 1.99

$0.68 MYR 2.74

-27.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 MYR 1.38

$0.37 MYR 1.49

-8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.29 MYR 17.40

$3.51 MYR 14.24

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 MYR 22.16

$4.96 MYR 20.10

10.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 MYR 7.59

$1.92 MYR 7.78

-2.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MYR 4.06

$0.95 MYR 3.85

5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 MYR 3.97

$1.74 MYR 7.07

-43.68%

Eggs

$1.16 MYR 4.72

$2.16 MYR 8.75

-46.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 MYR 57.4

$10.81 MYR 43.82

31.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 MYR 15.07

$3.56 MYR 14.45

4.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.71 MYR 39.36

$7.94 MYR 32.21

22.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 MYR 16.11

$2.76 MYR 11.18

43.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MYR 7.10

$1.73 MYR 7.02

1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 MYR 13.36

$2.47 MYR 10.04

33.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 MYR 10.23

$1.21 MYR 4.89

108.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.90

$1.15 MYR 4.65

47.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 MYR 4.07

$1.38 MYR 5.58

-27.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MYR 4.34

$0.94 MYR 3.83

13.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 MYR 1.99

$0.63 MYR 2.57

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 MYR 17.58

$4.13 MYR 16.74

4.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.19 MYR 81.9

$19.45 MYR 78.9

3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 MYR 17.77

$2.74 MYR 11.09

59.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MYR 22.06

$3.77 MYR 15.30

44.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MYR 3.02

$0.76 MYR 3.08

-2.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 MYR 47.45

$11.97 MYR 48.52

-2.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 MYR 4.65

$0.99 MYR 4.00

16.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MYR 4.45

$0.32 MYR 1.32

243.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 MYR 17.15

$9.35 MYR 37.92

-54.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 2.01

$0.47 MYR 1.90

4.26%

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

$44.0K MYR 178.3K

$31.3K MYR 126.9K

40.52%

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

$31.8K MYR 129.1K

$28.2K MYR 114.2K

13.02%

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

$74.5 MYR 302

$40.93 MYR 166

82.04%

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

$9.68 MYR 39.23

$8.87 MYR 35.97

9.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.84 MYR 113

$23.16 MYR 93.9

20.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.27 MYR 151

$36.87 MYR 149

1.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.86 MYR 23.78

$7.22 MYR 29.28

-18.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.73 MYR 23.23

$5.01 MYR 20.30

14.37%

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

$117 MYR 476

$209 MYR 849

-43.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,262 MYR 17.3K

$8,132 MYR 33.0K

-47.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 MYR 440

$48.47 MYR 197

123.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.79 MYR 113

$33.99 MYR 138

-18.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 MYR 305

$53.9 MYR 219

39.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 MYR 318

$48.57 MYR 197

61.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$389 MYR 1,578

$471 MYR 1,911

-17.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MYR 1,073

$347 MYR 1,407

-23.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 MYR 2,656

$817 MYR 3,311

-19.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 MYR 1,894

$543 MYR 2,200

-13.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,765 MYR 7,157

$3,158 MYR 12.8K

-44.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$896 MYR 3,631

$210 MYR 851

326.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 MYR 7,066

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

4.49

-11.80%

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

Last update for Kemaman: June 8, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $389 in Kemaman versus $471 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 $14.00 in Kemaman versus $19.00 in Petaling Jaya. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Kemaman vs $236 in Petaling Jaya – so Petaling Jaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 – Kemaman is pricier by about 5%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,435 per month in Kemaman and $1,364 in Petaling Jaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Petaling Jaya, 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 $14.00 in Kemaman and $19.00 in Petaling Jaya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $957 in Kemaman and $909 in Petaling Jaya. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $957 in Kemaman and $909 in Petaling Jaya, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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 Petaling Jaya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kemaman makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.