Cost of Living Comparison Between Lumut, Perak and Penang Cost of Living Comparison Between Lumut, Perak and Penang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $928 in Lumut, Perak versus $869 in Penang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,381 in Lumut, Perak versus $1,385 in Penang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Lumut, Perak versus $1,901 in Penang.

Living in Lumut, Perak is roughly 7% more expensive than Penang, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lumut, Perak 31% lower, Penang 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 MYR 14.67

$3.04 MYR 12.34

19.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.71 MYR 47.48

$21.59 MYR 87.5

-45.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.62 MYR 18.74

$4.33 MYR 17.57

6.70%

Cappuccino

$2.76 MYR 11.21

$2.94 MYR 11.90

-6.12%

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

$0.86 MYR 3.47

$0.68 MYR 2.78

26.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 MYR 1.37

$0.36 MYR 1.48

-5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 MYR 14.62

$4.40 MYR 17.85

-17.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 MYR 23.46

$4.46 MYR 18.10

29.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 MYR 8.13

$1.81 MYR 7.32

10.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 MYR 4.29

$0.99 MYR 4.00

7.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MYR 6.98

$2.03 MYR 8.21

-15.27%

Eggs

$2.28 MYR 9.23

$2.13 MYR 8.65

7.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.37 MYR 58.3

$17.36 MYR 70.4

-17.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.57 MYR 18.54

$5.21 MYR 21.12

-12.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 MYR 38.36

$15.08 MYR 61.1

-37.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MYR 11.78

$2.87 MYR 11.66

1.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 MYR 6.33

$1.47 MYR 5.96

6.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 MYR 10.92

$2.57 MYR 10.43

4.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.17

$2.11 MYR 8.57

-27.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 MYR 5.17

$1.18 MYR 4.79

7.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.40

$1.16 MYR 4.71

14.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.75

$0.95 MYR 3.87

23.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MYR 2.51

$0.49 MYR 1.97

26.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 MYR 16.78

$4.36 MYR 17.68

-5.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.05 MYR 77.3

$19.63 MYR 79.6

-2.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 MYR 13.59

$2.62 MYR 10.61

27.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MYR 17.04

$3.40 MYR 13.80

23.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MYR 2.98

$0.45 MYR 1.82

64.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.99 MYR 48.62

$17.40 MYR 70.6

-31.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 MYR 4.65

$0.69 MYR 2.80

66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 MYR 4.64

$0.54 MYR 2.21

111.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 MYR 19.61

$7.20 MYR 29.19

-32.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 MYR 2.06

$0.47 MYR 1.89

8.51%

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

$40.4K MYR 163.7K

$32.9K MYR 133.5K

22.64%

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

$32.5K MYR 131.8K

$27.3K MYR 110.6K

19.16%

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

$64.4 MYR 261

$38.60 MYR 157

66.87%

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

$11.27 MYR 45.71

$10.06 MYR 40.79

12.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.07 MYR 106

$31.44 MYR 127

-17.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.58 MYR 148

$33.04 MYR 134

10.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.77 MYR 23.40

$5.42 MYR 21.97

6.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.30 MYR 21.50

$4.91 MYR 19.90

7.94%

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

$268 MYR 1,087

$238 MYR 963

12.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,459 MYR 38.4K

$6,198 MYR 25.1K

52.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 MYR 244

$54.6 MYR 221

10.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.78 MYR 149

$28.39 MYR 115

29.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 MYR 351

$60.5 MYR 245

43.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 MYR 330

$53.5 MYR 217

52.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 MYR 1,580

$387 MYR 1,569

0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 MYR 1,112

$230 MYR 933

19.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 MYR 2,619

$640 MYR 2,597

0.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MYR 1,906

$525 MYR 2,131

-10.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,878 MYR 7,613

$2,250 MYR 9,123

-16.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$875 MYR 3,547

$1,186 MYR 4,807

-26.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$383 MYR 1,553

$951 MYR 3,858

-59.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

4.16

7.45%

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

Last update for Lumut, Perak: June 7, 2026

Last update for Penang: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $390 in Lumut, Perak and $387 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays 148% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $12.00 in Lumut, Perak vs $22.00 in Penang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $287 per month, with Lumut, Perak cheaper across the board.

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

Lumut, Perak vs Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Lumut, Perak. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Penang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Penang earns 148% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $390 in Lumut, Perak versus $387 in Penang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Penang – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $12.00 in Lumut, Perak. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $928 per month in Lumut, Perak versus $869 in Penang – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $869 in Penang versus $928 in Lumut, Perak, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Penang but tight or insufficient in Lumut, Perak. The gap between the two cities makes Penang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Penang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $869 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Penang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lumut, Perak and Penang 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 Penang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Lumut, Perak. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.