Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malacca and Petaling Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Malacca: $609 a month against $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Malacca
Learn more

Malacca Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
Learn more

Petaling Jaya Living Index

Jump to prices

Malacca

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$609

/mo nomad

Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $609 per month in Malacca vs $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Malacca $609
Petaling Jaya $1,056

A couple spends around $970 per month in Malacca vs $1,569 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Malacca $970
Petaling Jaya $1,569

A family of three spends $1,330 per month in Malacca vs $2,082 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Malacca $1,330
Petaling Jaya $2,082

Malacca is about 42% cheaper than Petaling Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Malacca and Petaling Jaya are more affordable than the global median – Malacca 55% lower, Petaling Jaya 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 MYR 13.11

$3.57 MYR 14.47

-9.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.02 MYR 73.1

$24.39 MYR 98.9

-26.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.80 MYR 19.46

$4.85 MYR 19.66

-1.03%

Cappuccino

$2.89 MYR 11.72

$3.08 MYR 12.47

-6.17%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.18

$0.85 MYR 3.44

-7.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.21

$0.41 MYR 1.66

34.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 MYR 7.83

$3.28 MYR 13.31

-41.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 MYR 11.77

$5.69 MYR 23.07

-49.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MYR 6.74

$1.93 MYR 7.83

-13.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.27

$1.03 MYR 4.19

1.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 5.99

$1.44 MYR 5.84

2.78%

Eggs

$1.68 MYR 6.81

$1.77 MYR 7.17

-5.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.08 MYR 73.3

$9.71 MYR 39.36

86.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 MYR 18.78

$3.28 MYR 13.30

41.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.55 MYR 42.76

$9.73 MYR 39.45

8.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MYR 13.36

$3.51 MYR 14.22

-6.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.81

$1.86 MYR 7.53

-9.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 MYR 9.69

$2.73 MYR 11.08

-12.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.87

$1.83 MYR 7.40

-7.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.70

$2.15 MYR 8.70

-34.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.72

$2.02 MYR 8.19

-17.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MYR 5.57

$1.45 MYR 5.87

-5.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.25

$0.52 MYR 2.13

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 MYR 16.97

$4.56 MYR 18.50

-8.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.21 MYR 57.6

$19.38 MYR 78.6

-26.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 MYR 8.68

$2.64 MYR 10.69

-18.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 MYR 12.70

$4.48 MYR 18.14

-30.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 MYR 1.93

$1.25 MYR 5.07

-61.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.40 MYR 50.3

$12.45 MYR 50.5

-0.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 MYR 4.13

$1.19 MYR 4.82

-14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 MYR 2.87

$0.35 MYR 1.44

102.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.09 MYR 49.02

$8.75 MYR 35.47

38.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$0.87 MYR 3.53

-41.38%

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

$44.4K MYR 180.2K

$45.9K MYR 186.0K

-3.13%

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

$36.0K MYR 145.9K

$35.3K MYR 143.2K

1.86%

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

$52.4 MYR 212

$49.61 MYR 201

5.58%

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

$11.33 MYR 45.93

$8.18 MYR 33.16

38.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.13 MYR 114

$27.36 MYR 111

2.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.87 MYR 88.7

$40.42 MYR 164

-45.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.78 MYR 47.74

$3.03 MYR 12.28

288.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MYR 19.94

$5.00 MYR 20.28

-1.60%

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

$237 MYR 961

$273 MYR 1,106

-13.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,388 MYR 17.8K

$10.5K MYR 42.6K

-58.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 MYR 219

$51.6 MYR 209

4.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.83 MYR 68.2

$29.45 MYR 119

-42.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 MYR 332

$78.0 MYR 316

5.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.7 MYR 392

$87.2 MYR 353

10.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$193 MYR 782

$511 MYR 2,073

-62.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 MYR 1,729

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 MYR 3,894

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 MYR 2,835

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,179 MYR 4,780

$3,144 MYR 12.7K

-62.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$794 MYR 3,218

$976 MYR 3,958

-18.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$416 MYR 1,686

$1,746 MYR 7,079

-76.18%

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 Malacca: October 25, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malacca

$258 42.4%

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.6% 3.5% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Malacca

$112 18.5%

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.5% 1.3% $1.5

Eating Out

Malacca

$96 15.7%

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.7% 17.9% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malacca

$92 15.1%

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1% 7.3% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Malacca

$32 5.2%

Petaling Jaya

$50 4.8% 59% $19

Getting Around

Malacca

$19 3.1%

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9% 8.3% $1.6

Accommodation & Living

Malacca

- * 0%

Petaling Jaya

$426 40.4%

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 $511 in Petaling Jaya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Petaling Jaya are about 4.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Malacca versus $24 in Petaling Jaya. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Malacca vs $249 in Petaling Jaya – so Petaling Jaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Malacca

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🕒 Local time

13:26 1:26 PM

Same time as Malacca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

579,000

771,687

💱 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 Petaling Jaya 120 km

From you

Malacca
Petaling Jaya

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 Petaling Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $609 in Malacca, $1,056 in Petaling Jaya – Malacca comes out roughly 42% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $913 per month in Malacca and $1,583 in Petaling Jaya. 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 $511 in Petaling Jaya.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $609 in Malacca and $1,056 in Petaling Jaya. That makes Malacca about 42% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $237 per month in Malacca and $273 in Petaling Jaya. 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 $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Malacca – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Petaling Jaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.