Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Miri and Petaling Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Miri: $809 a month against $1,037 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Miri
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Miri Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index

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Miri

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$809

/mo nomad

Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $809 in Miri versus $1,037 in Petaling Jaya.

Miri $809
Petaling Jaya $1,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,235 in Miri versus $1,499 in Petaling Jaya.

Miri $1,235
Petaling Jaya $1,499

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,661 in Miri versus $1,962 in Petaling Jaya.

Miri $1,661
Petaling Jaya $1,962

Living in Miri costs roughly 22% less than in Petaling Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Miri 40% lower, Petaling Jaya 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 MYR 14.57

$3.58 MYR 14.62

-0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.29 MYR 50.1

$24.22 MYR 98.8

-49.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.66

$4.76 MYR 19.40

-3.78%

Cappuccino

$2.39 MYR 9.74

$2.99 MYR 12.21

-20.07%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.40

$0.93 MYR 3.80

-10.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.23

$0.44 MYR 1.81

-31.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 MYR 11.94

$3.32 MYR 13.54

-11.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 MYR 15.63

$5.64 MYR 23.01

-32.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MYR 5.76

$1.85 MYR 7.53

-23.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 MYR 7.62

$1.02 MYR 4.16

83.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 MYR 3.82

$1.48 MYR 6.02

-36.49%

Eggs

$3.56 MYR 14.53

$1.83 MYR 7.48

94.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 MYR 40.53

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 MYR 19.74

$3.29 MYR 13.42

47.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.25 MYR 62.2

$9.51 MYR 38.81

60.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 MYR 14.29

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 MYR 8.09

$1.89 MYR 7.70

4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 MYR 11.07

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.44

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MYR 8.79

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 MYR 8.02

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MYR 6.08

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.57

$0.56 MYR 2.27

-30.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MYR 17.20

$4.62 MYR 18.86

-8.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.34 MYR 78.9

$19.26 MYR 78.6

0.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 MYR 12.31

$2.62 MYR 10.69

15.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 MYR 9.77

$4.68 MYR 19.09

-48.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MYR 2.04

$1.20 MYR 4.91

-58.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.38 MYR 58.7

$12.34 MYR 50.3

16.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.93

$1.23 MYR 5.02

-1.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MYR 2.36

$0.38 MYR 1.55

52.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 MYR 25.38

$8.76 MYR 35.75

-29.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 MYR 2.78

$0.80 MYR 3.26

-15.00%

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

$49.8K MYR 203.1K

$41.7K MYR 170.2K

19.30%

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

$32.7K MYR 133.3K

$32.1K MYR 130.8K

1.93%

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

$49.34 MYR 201

$49.70 MYR 203

-0.72%

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

$9.96 MYR 40.64

$7.99 MYR 32.61

24.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.87 MYR 134

$26.77 MYR 109

22.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.98 MYR 118

$52.5 MYR 214

-44.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.10 MYR 24.88

$3.03 MYR 12.37

101.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 MYR 18.33

$4.93 MYR 20.12

-8.92%

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

$98.5 MYR 402

$273 MYR 1,114

-63.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,442 MYR 26.3K

$10.5K MYR 42.8K

-38.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.57 MYR 182

$51.7 MYR 211

-13.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.03 MYR 93.9

$30.02 MYR 122

-23.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.8 MYR 224

$78.4 MYR 320

-30.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.84 MYR 175

$86.4 MYR 353

-50.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 MYR 1,377

$482 MYR 1,966

-29.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 MYR 1,183

$397 MYR 1,620

-27.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 MYR 2,423

$832 MYR 3,394

-28.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$587 MYR 2,393

$559 MYR 2,281

4.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,212 MYR 4,946

$3,184 MYR 13.0K

-61.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$683 MYR 2,785

$978 MYR 3,990

-30.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$683 MYR 2,787

$1,707 MYR 6,964

-59.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

4.51

-8.65%

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

Last update for Miri: October 11, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Miri

$290 35.9%

Petaling Jaya

$397 38.3% 37% $107

Groceries & Markets

Miri

$196 * 24.2%

Petaling Jaya

$249 24.1% 27.4% $54

Eating Out

Miri

$98 12.1%

Petaling Jaya

$112 10.8% 14.8% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Miri

$92 11.4%

Petaling Jaya

$84 8.2% 8.4% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Miri

$74 9.2%

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.7% 49.2% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Miri

$38 4.7%

Petaling Jaya

$62 6% 64.3% $24

Getting Around

Miri

$20 2.5%

Petaling Jaya

$20 2% 1% $0.2

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 $338 in Miri and $482 in Petaling Jaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Petaling Jaya pays 150% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $12.00 in Miri vs $24.00 in Petaling Jaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $249 per month, with Miri cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Miri

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

Same time as Miri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,877

771,687

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Miri Petaling Jaya 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Miri
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

Miri vs Petaling Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miri is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 150% lower in Petaling Jaya. 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: $338 in Miri versus $482 in Petaling Jaya. 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 $12.00 versus $24.00 in Petaling Jaya. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $809 per month in Miri versus $1,037 in Petaling Jaya – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $809 in Miri versus $1,037 in Petaling Jaya, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Miri but tight or insufficient in Petaling Jaya. The gap between the two cities makes Miri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Miri is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Petaling Jaya, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Miri and Petaling Jaya 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 Miri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Petaling Jaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.