Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lipis and Penang

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

44

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lipis
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Kuala Lipis Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

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Kuala Lipis

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$897

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Kuala Lipis $897
Penang $913

A couple spends around $1,420 per month in Kuala Lipis vs $1,403 in Penang, rent included.

Kuala Lipis $1,420
Penang $1,403

A family of three spends $1,944 per month in Kuala Lipis vs $1,894 in Penang, rent included.

Kuala Lipis $1,944
Penang $1,894

Kuala Lipis is about 2% cheaper than Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 MYR 14.62

$3.73 MYR 15.18

-3.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.70 MYR 101

$19.91 MYR 81.1

24.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 MYR 20.31

$4.78 MYR 19.47

4.18%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.20

$2.98 MYR 12.15

0.34%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.48

$0.75 MYR 3.07

13.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.70

$0.37 MYR 1.50

13.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MYR 13.06

$4.06 MYR 16.55

-20.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 MYR 22.94

$4.38 MYR 17.83

28.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 MYR 7.96

$1.86 MYR 7.60

4.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.38

$1.08 MYR 4.41

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.00

$1.76 MYR 7.19

-16.48%

Eggs

$1.78 MYR 7.24

$2.22 MYR 9.04

-19.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MYR 39.99

$13.46 MYR 54.9

-27.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.92

$4.45 MYR 18.13

-28.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.58 MYR 39.01

$8.70 MYR 35.45

10.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 MYR 14.64

$2.92 MYR 11.89

22.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 MYR 7.54

$1.65 MYR 6.72

12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 MYR 11.22

$2.61 MYR 10.63

5.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.46

$1.40 MYR 5.70

30.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MYR 8.80

$1.05 MYR 4.28

105.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 MYR 8.36

$1.12 MYR 4.55

83.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MYR 6.06

$1.10 MYR 4.47

35.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.11

$0.59 MYR 2.39

-11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MYR 18.17

$4.69 MYR 19.09

-4.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.69 MYR 80.2

$19.31 MYR 78.7

1.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 MYR 11.04

$3.00 MYR 12.24

-9.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 MYR 18.08

$5.41 MYR 22.04

-17.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MYR 2.67

$0.50 MYR 2.04

32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.50 MYR 55.0

$12.03 MYR 49.00

12.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$1.66 MYR 6.78

-27.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$0.38 MYR 1.54

-5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.79 MYR 35.81

$7.47 MYR 30.44

17.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 MYR 3.29

$0.95 MYR 3.85

-14.74%

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

$44.9K MYR 183.1K

$44.2K MYR 180.1K

1.69%

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

$34.8K MYR 142.0K

$35.8K MYR 145.7K

-2.55%

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

$49.77 MYR 203

$36.68 MYR 149

35.69%

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

$8.30 MYR 33.81

$9.56 MYR 38.94

-13.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.35 MYR 111

$29.49 MYR 120

-7.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.93 MYR 167

$39.20 MYR 160

4.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.48 MYR 30.46

$4.85 MYR 19.78

54.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.88 MYR 19.88

$4.78 MYR 19.47

2.09%

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

$276 MYR 1,125

$398 MYR 1,620

-30.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K MYR 42.0K

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

-2.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 MYR 210

$60.9 MYR 248

-15.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.76 MYR 121

$35.45 MYR 144

-16.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 MYR 317

$83.6 MYR 340

-6.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 MYR 354

$70.2 MYR 286

23.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 MYR 1,571

$408 MYR 1,662

-5.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 MYR 1,092

$287 MYR 1,170

-6.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 MYR 2,824

$698 MYR 2,842

-0.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 MYR 2,272

$534 MYR 2,176

4.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,178 MYR 8,872

$2,117 MYR 8,624

2.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,305 MYR 5,315

$1,261 MYR 5,137

3.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 MYR 3,795

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 Kuala Lipis: October 25, 2026

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lipis

$268 29.9%

Penang

$287 31.5% 7.2% $19

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lipis

$251 28%

Penang

$257 28.2% 2.5% $6.3

Eating Out

Kuala Lipis

$112 12.5%

Penang

$113 12.4% 1.3% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lipis

$111 12.3%

Penang

$113 12.3% 1.7% $1.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lipis

$85 9.5%

Penang

$76 8.3% 11.4% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lipis

$51 5.7%

Penang

$49 5.3% 3.8% $1.9

Getting Around

Kuala Lipis

$19 2.1%

Penang

$18 1.9% 8.1% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $385 in Kuala Lipis 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 $25 in Kuala Lipis versus $20 in Penang. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Kuala Lipis vs $257 in Penang – so Kuala Lipis wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lipis

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

02:04 2:04 AM

Same time as Kuala Lipis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

158,336

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Kuala Lipis Penang 240 km

From you

Kuala Lipis
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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

Kuala Lipis vs Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Penang is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,345 per month in Kuala Lipis 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 $385 in Kuala Lipis and $408 in Penang. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $897 in Kuala Lipis and $913 in Penang. That’s a gap of about 2%.

Kindergarten costs $276 per month in Kuala Lipis and $398 in Penang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Kuala Lipis – 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.