Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malacca and Penang

For one person, living is cheaper in Malacca: $609 a month against $913 in Penang, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Malacca
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Malacca Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

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Malacca

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$609

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $609 per month in Malacca vs $913 in Penang, rent included.

Malacca $609
Penang $913

A couple spends around $970 per month in Malacca vs $1,403 in Penang, rent included.

Malacca $970
Penang $1,403

A family of three spends $1,330 per month in Malacca vs $1,894 in Penang, rent included.

Malacca $1,330
Penang $1,894

Malacca is about 33% cheaper than Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Malacca and Penang are more affordable than the global median – Malacca 55% lower, Penang 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 MYR 13.11

$3.73 MYR 15.11

-13.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.02 MYR 73.1

$19.91 MYR 80.7

-9.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.80 MYR 19.46

$4.78 MYR 19.38

0.42%

Cappuccino

$2.89 MYR 11.72

$2.98 MYR 12.08

-3.02%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.18

$0.75 MYR 3.05

5.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.21

$0.37 MYR 1.49

48.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 MYR 7.83

$4.06 MYR 16.46

-52.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 MYR 11.77

$4.38 MYR 17.74

-33.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MYR 6.74

$1.86 MYR 7.56

-10.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.27

$1.08 MYR 4.39

-2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 5.99

$1.76 MYR 7.16

-15.91%

Eggs

$1.68 MYR 6.81

$2.22 MYR 9.00

-24.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.08 MYR 73.3

$13.46 MYR 54.6

34.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 MYR 18.78

$4.45 MYR 18.04

4.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.55 MYR 42.76

$8.70 MYR 35.27

21.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MYR 13.36

$2.92 MYR 11.83

12.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.81

$1.65 MYR 6.68

1.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 MYR 9.69

$2.61 MYR 10.58

-8.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.87

$1.40 MYR 5.67

20.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.70

$1.05 MYR 4.26

34.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.72

$1.12 MYR 4.53

48.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MYR 5.57

$1.10 MYR 4.45

24.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.25

$0.59 MYR 2.38

-6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 MYR 16.97

$4.69 MYR 18.99

-10.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.21 MYR 57.6

$19.31 MYR 78.3

-26.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 MYR 8.68

$3.00 MYR 12.18

-28.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 MYR 12.70

$5.41 MYR 21.92

-42.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 MYR 1.93

$0.50 MYR 2.03

-4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.40 MYR 50.3

$12.03 MYR 48.76

3.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 MYR 4.13

$1.66 MYR 6.74

-38.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 MYR 2.87

$0.38 MYR 1.53

86.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.09 MYR 49.02

$7.47 MYR 30.28

61.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$0.95 MYR 3.83

-46.32%

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

$44.4K MYR 180.2K

$44.2K MYR 179.2K

0.56%

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

$36.0K MYR 145.9K

$35.8K MYR 145.0K

0.61%

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

$52.4 MYR 212

$36.68 MYR 149

42.80%

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

$11.33 MYR 45.93

$9.56 MYR 38.74

18.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.13 MYR 114

$29.49 MYR 120

-4.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.87 MYR 88.7

$39.20 MYR 159

-44.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.78 MYR 47.74

$4.85 MYR 19.68

142.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MYR 19.94

$4.78 MYR 19.37

2.93%

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

$237 MYR 961

$398 MYR 1,612

-40.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,388 MYR 17.8K

$10.6K MYR 43.0K

-58.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 MYR 219

$60.9 MYR 247

-11.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.83 MYR 68.2

$35.45 MYR 144

-52.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 MYR 332

$83.6 MYR 339

-1.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.7 MYR 392

$70.2 MYR 284

37.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$193 MYR 782

$408 MYR 1,654

-52.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 MYR 1,164

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,828

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MYR 2,165

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,179 MYR 4,780

$2,117 MYR 8,580

-44.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$794 MYR 3,218

$1,261 MYR 5,111

-37.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$416 MYR 1,686

$931 MYR 3,776

-55.34%

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 Malacca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malacca

$258 42.4%

Penang

$257 28.2% 0.4% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Malacca

$112 18.5%

Penang

$113 12.3% 0.2% $0.2

Eating Out

Malacca

$96 15.7%

Penang

$113 12.4% 18.5% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malacca

$92 15.1%

Penang

$76 8.3% 17.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Malacca

$32 5.2%

Penang

$49 5.3% 53.8% $17

Getting Around

Malacca

$19 3.1%

Penang

$18 1.9% 6.7% $1.3

Accommodation & Living

Malacca

- * 0%

Penang

$287 31.5%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $193 in Malacca 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.

Salaries in Penang are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Malacca versus $20 in Penang. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Malacca vs $257 in Penang – so Penang wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Malacca

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

19:08 7:08 PM

Same time as Malacca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

579,000

158,336

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malacca Penang 420 km

From you

Malacca
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

Malacca vs Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $609 in Malacca, $913 in Penang – Malacca comes out roughly 33% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $913 per month in Malacca and $1,369 in Penang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Malacca, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $193 there versus $408 in Penang.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $609 in Malacca and $913 in Penang. That makes Malacca about 33% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $237 per month in Malacca and $398 in Penang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $609 in Malacca and $913 in Penang, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Penang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $609 in Malacca to $913 in Penang. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Malacca. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Penang makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.