Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kulim and Penang

For one person, living costs are similar in Kulim and in Penang: $891 and $913 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Kulim
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Kulim Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

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Kulim

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$891

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $891 per month in Kulim vs $913 in Penang, rent included.

Kulim $891
Penang $913

A couple spends around $1,374 per month in Kulim vs $1,403 in Penang, rent included.

Kulim $1,374
Penang $1,403

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Kulim vs $1,894 in Penang, rent included.

Kulim $1,857
Penang $1,894

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

Both Kulim and Penang are more affordable than the global median – Kulim 35% lower, Penang 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MYR 15.21

$3.73 MYR 15.23

-0.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.45 MYR 79.5

$19.91 MYR 81.4

-2.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 MYR 18.50

$4.78 MYR 19.53

-5.23%

Cappuccino

$2.89 MYR 11.80

$2.98 MYR 12.18

-3.02%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.20

$0.75 MYR 3.08

4.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.71

$0.37 MYR 1.50

13.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 MYR 15.95

$4.06 MYR 16.60

-3.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.82

$4.38 MYR 17.88

5.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 MYR 7.99

$1.86 MYR 7.62

5.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 MYR 5.02

$1.08 MYR 4.42

13.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.31

$1.76 MYR 7.21

-26.14%

Eggs

$2.23 MYR 9.10

$2.22 MYR 9.07

0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 MYR 51.8

$13.46 MYR 55.0

-5.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.85 MYR 15.75

$4.45 MYR 18.19

-13.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 MYR 43.82

$8.70 MYR 35.56

23.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MYR 12.46

$2.92 MYR 11.93

4.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MYR 7.71

$1.65 MYR 6.74

14.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MYR 10.40

$2.61 MYR 10.67

-2.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.90

$1.40 MYR 5.72

2.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$1.05 MYR 4.29

13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.55

$1.12 MYR 4.56

21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MYR 4.42

$1.10 MYR 4.48

-1.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.16

$0.59 MYR 2.40

-10.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 MYR 18.28

$4.69 MYR 19.15

-4.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.05 MYR 86.1

$19.31 MYR 78.9

9.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 MYR 12.53

$3.00 MYR 12.28

2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 MYR 15.95

$5.41 MYR 22.10

-27.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MYR 3.06

$0.50 MYR 2.05

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 MYR 51.7

$12.03 MYR 49.15

5.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 MYR 4.24

$1.66 MYR 6.80

-37.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MYR 2.29

$0.38 MYR 1.55

47.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 MYR 33.75

$7.47 MYR 30.53

10.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 MYR 3.01

$0.95 MYR 3.86

-22.11%

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

$48.9K MYR 199.7K

$44.2K MYR 180.6K

10.59%

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

$30.9K MYR 126.3K

$35.8K MYR 146.2K

-13.56%

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

$45.19 MYR 185

$36.68 MYR 150

23.20%

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

$8.70 MYR 35.55

$9.56 MYR 39.06

-9.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.83 MYR 106

$29.49 MYR 121

-12.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.10 MYR 148

$39.20 MYR 160

-7.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.37 MYR 30.13

$4.85 MYR 19.84

51.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 MYR 18.22

$4.78 MYR 19.53

-6.69%

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

$268 MYR 1,094

$398 MYR 1,625

-32.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,096 MYR 29.0K

$10.6K MYR 43.3K

-33.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 MYR 254

$60.9 MYR 249

2.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.78 MYR 126

$35.45 MYR 145

-13.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 MYR 315

$83.6 MYR 342

-7.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.8 MYR 290

$70.2 MYR 287

0.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 MYR 1,713

$408 MYR 1,667

2.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MYR 1,082

$287 MYR 1,174

-7.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 MYR 3,119

$698 MYR 2,851

9.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 MYR 2,032

$534 MYR 2,183

-6.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,141 MYR 8,749

$2,117 MYR 8,650

1.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,272 MYR 5,200

$1,261 MYR 5,153

0.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 MYR 3,807

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

4.04

0.50%

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

Last update for Kulim: 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

Kulim

$265 29.7%

Penang

$287 31.5% 8.4% $22

Groceries & Markets

Kulim

$262 29.4%

Penang

$257 28.2% 1.6% $4.2

Eating Out

Kulim

$112 12.5%

Penang

$113 12.4% 1.7% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Kulim

$108 12.2%

Penang

$113 12.3% 3.8% $4.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kulim

$80 9%

Penang

$76 8.3% 5% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Kulim

$45 5.1%

Penang

$49 5.3% 8.3% $3.7

Getting Around

Kulim

$19 2.2%

Penang

$18 1.9% 9.7% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $419 in Kulim 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 $19 in Kulim versus $20 in Penang. Groceries tell a different story – $262 in Kulim vs $257 in Penang – so Penang wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kulim

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

12:55 12:55 PM

Same time as Kulim

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

319,056

158,336

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kulim Penang 33 km

From you

Kulim
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

Kulim vs Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang costs about 2% more than Kulim, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,336 per month in Kulim 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 $419 in Kulim and $408 in Penang. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Kulim and $20 in Penang. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Penang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $891 in Kulim and $913 in Penang. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Penang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $891 in Kulim to $913 in Penang. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.