Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Miri and Penang

For one person, living is cheaper in Miri: $805 a month against $913 in Penang, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Penang despite lower rent and utilities.

39

Cost of Living Index in Miri
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Miri Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

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Miri

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$805

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $805 in Miri versus $913 in Penang.

Miri $805
Penang $913

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,224 in Miri versus $1,403 in Penang.

Miri $1,224
Penang $1,403

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,644 in Miri versus $1,894 in Penang.

Miri $1,644
Penang $1,894

Living in Miri costs roughly 12% less than in Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Miri 41% lower, Penang 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.55 MYR 14.40

$3.73 MYR 15.11

-4.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.12 MYR 49.15

$19.91 MYR 80.7

-39.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.42 MYR 17.91

$4.78 MYR 19.38

-7.53%

Cappuccino

$2.26 MYR 9.15

$2.98 MYR 12.08

-24.16%

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

$0.80 MYR 3.24

$0.75 MYR 3.05

6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.22

$0.37 MYR 1.49

-18.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 MYR 11.77

$4.06 MYR 16.46

-28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 MYR 15.65

$4.38 MYR 17.74

-11.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MYR 5.69

$1.86 MYR 7.56

-24.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 MYR 7.29

$1.08 MYR 4.39

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 MYR 4.02

$1.76 MYR 7.16

-43.75%

Eggs

$3.43 MYR 13.89

$2.22 MYR 9.00

54.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 MYR 54.6

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 MYR 19.80

$4.45 MYR 18.04

9.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 MYR 60.8

$8.70 MYR 35.27

72.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MYR 11.83

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MYR 7.95

$1.65 MYR 6.68

18.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.58

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.67

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.26

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.53

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.45

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.57

$0.59 MYR 2.38

-33.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MYR 17.39

$4.69 MYR 18.99

-8.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.71 MYR 79.9

$19.31 MYR 78.3

2.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.15

$3.00 MYR 12.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 MYR 9.46

$5.41 MYR 21.92

-56.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MYR 1.92

$0.50 MYR 2.03

-6.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.01 MYR 56.8

$12.03 MYR 48.76

16.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MYR 5.05

$1.66 MYR 6.74

-24.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 MYR 2.38

$0.38 MYR 1.53

55.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MYR 24.24

$7.47 MYR 30.28

-19.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 MYR 2.61

$0.95 MYR 3.83

-32.63%

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

$49.6K MYR 201.0K

$44.2K MYR 179.2K

12.20%

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

$32.5K MYR 131.8K

$35.8K MYR 145.0K

-9.09%

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

$49.18 MYR 199

$36.68 MYR 149

34.08%

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

$9.92 MYR 40.21

$9.56 MYR 38.74

3.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.44 MYR 136

$29.49 MYR 120

13.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.19 MYR 118

$39.20 MYR 159

-25.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.25 MYR 25.35

$4.85 MYR 19.68

28.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.33 MYR 17.57

$4.78 MYR 19.37

-9.41%

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

$99.5 MYR 403

$398 MYR 1,612

-74.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,535 MYR 26.5K

$10.6K MYR 43.0K

-38.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.80 MYR 182

$60.9 MYR 247

-26.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.11 MYR 93.7

$35.45 MYR 144

-34.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.3 MYR 224

$83.6 MYR 339

-33.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.17 MYR 175

$70.2 MYR 284

-38.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 MYR 1,409

$408 MYR 1,654

-14.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 MYR 1,173

$287 MYR 1,164

0.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 MYR 2,388

$698 MYR 2,828

-15.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 MYR 2,343

$534 MYR 2,165

8.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,201 MYR 4,868

$2,117 MYR 8,580

-43.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$680 MYR 2,756

$1,261 MYR 5,111

-46.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$688 MYR 2,789

$931 MYR 3,776

-26.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

4.04

1.98%

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

Last update for Miri: 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

Miri

$289 36%

Penang

$287 31.5% 0.8% $2.3

Groceries & Markets

Miri

$195 * 24.2%

Penang

$257 28.2% 32.3% $63

Eating Out

Miri

$95 11.9%

Penang

$113 12.4% 18.9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Miri

$93 11.5%

Penang

$76 8.3% 18.2% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Miri

$75 9.3%

Penang

$113 12.3% 50.3% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Miri

$38 4.7%

Penang

$49 5.3% 28.8% $11

Getting Around

Miri

$20 2.5%

Penang

$18 1.9% 12.4% $2.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $348 in Miri and $408 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays 35% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $12 in Miri vs $20 in Penang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $257 per month, with Miri cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Miri

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

19:36 7:36 PM

Same time as Miri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,877

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

Miri Penang 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Miri
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

Miri vs Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miri is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Miri. 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: $348 in Miri versus $408 in Penang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Miri – a meal for two runs $12 versus $20 in Penang. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $805 per month in Miri versus $913 in Penang – Miri is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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, Miri and Penang are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Miri wins on affordability, Penang on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.