Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muar and Petaling Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Muar: $951 a month against $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Petaling Jaya outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

48

Cost of Living Index in Muar
Learn more

Muar Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
Learn more

Petaling Jaya Living Index

Jump to prices

Muar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$951

/mo nomad

Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $951 in Muar versus $1,056 in Petaling Jaya.

Muar $951
Petaling Jaya $1,056

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,505 in Muar versus $1,569 in Petaling Jaya.

Muar $1,505
Petaling Jaya $1,569

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,059 in Muar versus $2,082 in Petaling Jaya.

Muar $2,059
Petaling Jaya $2,082

Living in Muar costs roughly 10% less than in Petaling Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Muar 30% lower, Petaling Jaya 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.82 MYR 19.55

$3.57 MYR 14.47

35.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.01 MYR 118

$24.39 MYR 98.9

18.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.88 MYR 15.73

$4.85 MYR 19.66

-20.00%

Cappuccino

$3.05 MYR 12.36

$3.08 MYR 12.47

-0.97%

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

$0.76 MYR 3.10

$0.85 MYR 3.44

-10.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 MYR 1.86

$0.41 MYR 1.66

12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.44 MYR 17.99

$3.28 MYR 13.31

35.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.27 MYR 25.41

$5.69 MYR 23.07

10.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 MYR 8.64

$1.93 MYR 7.83

10.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.34

$1.03 MYR 4.19

3.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MYR 7.52

$1.44 MYR 5.84

28.47%

Eggs

$2.44 MYR 9.88

$1.77 MYR 7.17

37.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.25 MYR 57.8

$9.71 MYR 39.36

46.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.44 MYR 18.01

$3.28 MYR 13.30

35.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.95 MYR 40.34

$9.73 MYR 39.45

2.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 MYR 13.63

$3.51 MYR 14.22

-4.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 MYR 7.48

$1.86 MYR 7.53

-0.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 MYR 9.11

$2.73 MYR 11.08

-17.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.13

$1.83 MYR 7.40

-17.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 4.93

$2.15 MYR 8.70

-43.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 MYR 5.55

$2.02 MYR 8.19

-32.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 MYR 4.70

$1.45 MYR 5.87

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 MYR 2.88

$0.52 MYR 2.13

36.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 MYR 18.04

$4.56 MYR 18.50

-2.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.48 MYR 79.0

$19.38 MYR 78.6

0.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 MYR 14.12

$2.64 MYR 10.69

31.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 MYR 20.25

$4.48 MYR 18.14

11.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MYR 2.61

$1.25 MYR 5.07

-48.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.62 MYR 43.06

$12.45 MYR 50.5

-14.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.81

$1.19 MYR 4.82

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.05

$0.35 MYR 1.44

257.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 MYR 19.76

$8.75 MYR 35.47

-44.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 MYR 3.29

$0.87 MYR 3.53

-6.90%

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

$44.4K MYR 180.1K

$45.9K MYR 186.0K

-3.15%

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

$34.9K MYR 141.3K

$35.3K MYR 143.2K

-1.30%

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

$62.0 MYR 251

$49.61 MYR 201

25.04%

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

$8.88 MYR 36.01

$8.18 MYR 33.16

8.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 MYR 106

$27.36 MYR 111

-4.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.02 MYR 150

$40.42 MYR 164

-8.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 MYR 23.46

$3.03 MYR 12.28

91.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.85 MYR 19.66

$5.00 MYR 20.28

-3.00%

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

$240 MYR 972

$273 MYR 1,106

-12.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MYR 54.0K

$10.5K MYR 42.6K

26.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 MYR 293

$51.6 MYR 209

39.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.83 MYR 170

$29.45 MYR 119

42.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 MYR 342

$78.0 MYR 316

8.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.3 MYR 391

$87.2 MYR 353

10.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 MYR 1,803

$511 MYR 2,073

-13.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 MYR 1,024

$426 MYR 1,729

-40.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 MYR 2,499

$961 MYR 3,894

-35.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$518 MYR 2,099

$699 MYR 2,835

-25.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,001 MYR 8,111

$3,144 MYR 12.7K

-36.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,229 MYR 4,981

$976 MYR 3,958

25.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 MYR 2,444

$1,746 MYR 7,079

-65.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

4.51

-7.54%

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

Last update for Muar: October 26, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Muar

$274 28.9%

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.6% 9.1% $25

Accommodation & Living

Muar

$253 26.6%

Petaling Jaya

$426 40.4% 68.8% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Muar

$133 14%

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.5% 16.4% $22

Eating Out

Muar

$126 13.3%

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.7% 10.7% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muar

$97 10.2%

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1% 12.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Muar

$47 4.9%

Petaling Jaya

$50 4.8% 7.9% $3.7

Getting Around

Muar

$21 2.2%

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9% 0.9% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $445 in Muar and $511 in Petaling Jaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Petaling Jaya pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $29 in Muar vs $24 in Petaling Jaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $249 per month, with Petaling Jaya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Muar

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🕒 Local time

17:40 5:40 PM

Same time as Muar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

314,776

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

Muar Petaling Jaya 160 km

From you

Muar
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $951 in Muar and $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, so Muar is about 10% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Muar. 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: $445 in Muar versus $511 in Petaling Jaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Muar runs roughly 15% less than in Petaling Jaya. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $240 in Muar versus $273 in Petaling Jaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Muar gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Muar and Petaling Jaya are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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