Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Terengganu and Petaling Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Terengganu: $924 a month against $1,037 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Terengganu
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Kuala Terengganu Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index

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Kuala Terengganu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$924

/mo nomad

Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $924 in Kuala Terengganu versus $1,037 in Petaling Jaya.

Kuala Terengganu $924
Petaling Jaya $1,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,372 in Kuala Terengganu versus $1,499 in Petaling Jaya.

Kuala Terengganu $1,372
Petaling Jaya $1,499

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,821 in Kuala Terengganu versus $1,962 in Petaling Jaya.

Kuala Terengganu $1,821
Petaling Jaya $1,962

Living in Kuala Terengganu costs roughly 11% less than in Petaling Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuala Terengganu 32% lower, Petaling Jaya 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 MYR 10.15

$3.58 MYR 14.62

-30.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.06 MYR 94.1

$24.22 MYR 98.8

-4.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 MYR 19.25

$4.76 MYR 19.40

-0.84%

Cappuccino

$2.72 MYR 11.08

$2.99 MYR 12.21

-9.03%

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

$0.47 MYR 1.90

$0.93 MYR 3.80

-49.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 MYR 1.14

$0.44 MYR 1.81

-36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 MYR 14.52

$3.32 MYR 13.54

7.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 MYR 17.05

$5.64 MYR 23.01

-25.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MYR 6.94

$1.85 MYR 7.53

-8.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.15

$1.02 MYR 4.16

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.22

$1.48 MYR 6.02

-13.51%

Eggs

$2.13 MYR 8.68

$1.83 MYR 7.48

16.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.66 MYR 63.9

$9.93 MYR 40.53

57.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 MYR 17.73

$3.29 MYR 13.42

32.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.41 MYR 34.29

$9.51 MYR 38.81

-11.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 MYR 13.73

$3.50 MYR 14.29

-4.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 MYR 6.59

$1.89 MYR 7.70

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 MYR 8.59

$2.71 MYR 11.07

-22.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.13

$1.82 MYR 7.44

-17.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.01

$2.15 MYR 8.79

-31.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.45

$1.97 MYR 8.02

-44.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$1.49 MYR 6.08

-32.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.17

$0.56 MYR 2.27

-5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MYR 18.18

$4.62 MYR 18.86

-3.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.84 MYR 72.8

$19.26 MYR 78.6

-7.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 MYR 11.91

$2.62 MYR 10.69

11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 MYR 19.66

$4.68 MYR 19.09

2.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MYR 2.75

$1.20 MYR 4.91

-44.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.62 MYR 43.31

$12.34 MYR 50.3

-13.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 MYR 5.20

$1.23 MYR 5.02

3.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 MYR 1.89

$0.38 MYR 1.55

21.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.55 MYR 26.73

$8.76 MYR 35.75

-25.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 MYR 3.65

$0.80 MYR 3.26

12.50%

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

$43.8K MYR 178.8K

$41.7K MYR 170.2K

5.04%

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

$32.1K MYR 131.0K

$32.1K MYR 130.8K

0.14%

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

$45.25 MYR 185

$49.70 MYR 203

-8.95%

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

$8.79 MYR 35.87

$7.99 MYR 32.61

10.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.10 MYR 102

$26.77 MYR 109

-6.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.04 MYR 180

$52.5 MYR 214

-16.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.97 MYR 32.49

$3.03 MYR 12.37

163.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MYR 19.61

$4.93 MYR 20.12

-2.43%

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

$172 MYR 701

$273 MYR 1,114

-37.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,936 MYR 28.3K

$10.5K MYR 42.8K

-33.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 MYR 235

$51.7 MYR 211

11.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.37 MYR 148

$30.02 MYR 122

21.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 MYR 353

$78.4 MYR 320

10.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.0 MYR 278

$86.4 MYR 353

-21.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 MYR 1,472

$482 MYR 1,966

-25.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 MYR 1,275

$397 MYR 1,620

-21.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$722 MYR 2,946

$832 MYR 3,394

-13.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MYR 1,923

$559 MYR 2,281

-15.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,073 MYR 8,456

$3,184 MYR 13.0K

-34.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,145 MYR 4,669

$978 MYR 3,990

17.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 MYR 6,964

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

4.51

-9.98%

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

Last update for Kuala Terengganu: October 10, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Terengganu

$312 33.8%

Petaling Jaya

$397 38.3% 27.1% $85

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Terengganu

$254 27.5%

Petaling Jaya

$249 24.1% 1.8% $4.6

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Terengganu

$112 12.1%

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.7% 0.7% $0.8

Eating Out

Kuala Terengganu

$96 10.4%

Petaling Jaya

$112 10.8% 17.2% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Terengganu

$79 8.6%

Petaling Jaya

$84 8.2% 6.7% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Terengganu

$54 5.8%

Petaling Jaya

$62 6% 16.3% $8.7

Getting Around

Kuala Terengganu

$17 1.8%

Petaling Jaya

$20 2% 20% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $361 in Kuala Terengganu and $482 in Petaling Jaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Kuala Terengganu vs $24.00 in Petaling Jaya. Groceries flip the comparison at $254 vs $249, with Petaling Jaya cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Terengganu

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🕒 Local time

09:46 9:46 AM

Same time as Kuala Terengganu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

375,424

771,687

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Kuala Terengganu Petaling Jaya 300 km

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Kuala Terengganu
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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 Terengganu vs Petaling Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuala Terengganu and Petaling Jaya differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($924 vs $1,037 including rent). Kuala Terengganu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,386 in Kuala Terengganu and $1,556 in Petaling Jaya to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $361 in Kuala Terengganu versus $482 in Petaling Jaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $924 per month in Kuala Terengganu versus $1,037 in Petaling Jaya – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kuala Terengganu runs roughly 16% less than in Petaling Jaya. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $924 in Kuala Terengganu versus $1,037 in Petaling Jaya, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kuala Terengganu but tight or insufficient in Petaling Jaya. The gap between the two cities makes Kuala Terengganu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kuala Terengganu and Petaling Jaya are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kuala Terengganu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Petaling Jaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.