Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Amstetten

For one person, living is cheaper in Penang: $856 a month against $2,203 in Amstetten, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Amstetten
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Amstetten Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$856

/mo nomad

Amstetten

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Amstetten

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Penang and in Amstetten actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $856 in Penang versus $2,203 in Amstetten.

Penang $856
Amstetten $2,203

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,310 in Penang versus $3,235 in Amstetten.

Penang $1,310
Amstetten $3,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,764 in Penang versus $4,266 in Amstetten.

Penang $1,764
Amstetten $4,266

Living in Penang costs roughly 61% less than in Amstetten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Penang is 37% below, Amstetten is 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 MYR 15.27

$16.94 €15.07

-77.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.62 MYR 80.0

$55.5 €49.39

-64.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 MYR 18.90

$11.32 €10.07

-59.10%

Cappuccino

$2.88 MYR 11.74

$3.97 €3.54

-27.46%

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

$0.72 MYR 2.92

$3.09 €2.75

-76.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.51

$2.46 €2.18

-84.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 MYR 17.05

$3.88 €3.45

7.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 MYR 18.32

$3.57 €3.17

25.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 MYR 7.32

$1.74 €1.55

3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 MYR 4.43

$2.43 €2.16

-55.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$2.33 €2.07

-25.75%

Eggs

$2.24 MYR 9.13

$4.79 €4.26

-53.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.48 MYR 55.0

$21.90 €19.48

-38.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.33 MYR 17.66

$12.96 €11.53

-66.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.44 MYR 34.43

$21.61 €19.22

-60.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 MYR 12.09

$2.97 €2.64

-0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.97

$2.60 €2.31

-34.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 MYR 11.00

$3.46 €3.08

-21.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.94

$4.02 €3.57

-63.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 MYR 4.35

$2.57 €2.29

-58.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 MYR 4.40

$3.19 €2.84

-66.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.66

$2.14 €1.91

-46.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MYR 2.35

$1.23 €1.10

-52.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MYR 18.75

$7.21 €6.41

-36.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.94 MYR 77.3

$9.08 €8.08

108.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 MYR 11.90

$1.10 €0.97

165.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 MYR 21.00

$1.65 €1.46

212.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MYR 2.06

$2.85 €2.54

-82.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.35 MYR 50.4

$54.5 €48.51

-77.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MYR 7.04

$5.73 €5.10

-69.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.53

$2.33 €2.08

-84.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.38 MYR 30.09

$31.09 €27.65

-76.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 MYR 3.88

$1.63 €1.45

-41.72%

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

$45.2K MYR 184.4K

$30.1K €26.8K

50.13%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.4K

$30.3K €27.0K

15.13%

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

$36.48 MYR 149

$278 €247

-86.87%

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

$9.94 MYR 40.55

$11.25 €10.01

-11.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.72 MYR 117

$37.53 €33.39

-23.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.98 MYR 159

$70.8 €63.0

-44.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.83 MYR 19.70

$22.57 €20.08

-78.60%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 MYR 20.45

$15.62 €13.89

-67.93%

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

$427 MYR 1,740

$281 €250

51.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MYR 44.1K

$15.6K €13.9K

-30.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 MYR 245

$82.8 €73.6

-27.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.02 MYR 143

$59.2 €52.7

-40.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 MYR 342

$113 €101

-25.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 MYR 288

$124 €111

-43.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$400 MYR 1,631

$635 €565

-37.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 MYR 956

$861 €765

-72.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$606 MYR 2,474

$1,312 €1,167

-53.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 MYR 1,679

$1,398 €1,244

-70.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,161 MYR 8,817

$7,147 €6,358

-69.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,087 MYR 4,433

$5,906 €5,254

-81.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$942 MYR 3,842

$3,008 €2,676

-68.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

3.5

15.43%

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

Last update for Penang: October 18, 2026

Last update for Amstetten: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$255 29.8%

Amstetten

$394 17.9% 54.7% $139

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$234 27.4%

Amstetten

$861 39.1% 267% $626

Eating Out

Penang

$113 13.2%

Amstetten

$266 12.1% 136% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$112 13.1%

Amstetten

$171 7.8% 52.1% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$75 8.8%

Amstetten

$327 14.8% 335% $251

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.7%

Amstetten

$102 4.6% 108% $53

Getting Around

Penang

$18 2.1%

Amstetten

$83 3.8% 364% $65

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $400 in Penang and $635 in Amstetten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amstetten pays 219% 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: $20.00 in Penang vs $56.0 in Amstetten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $394 per month, with Penang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇦🇹 Amstetten

🕒 Local time

10:38 10:38 AM

04:38 4:38 AM

6 h behind Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

13,878

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Penang Amstetten 9,220 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Penang
Amstetten

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

Penang vs Amstetten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang and Amstetten differ by about 157% in total monthly costs ($856 vs $2,203 including rent). Penang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 219% lower in Amstetten. 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: $400 in Penang versus $635 in Amstetten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Penang versus $281 in Amstetten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Amstetten. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $856 in Penang versus $2,203 in Amstetten, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Penang but tight or insufficient in Amstetten. The gap between the two cities makes Penang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Penang and Amstetten 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 Penang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Amstetten. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.