Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Bukit Mertajam

For one person, living is cheaper in Bukit Mertajam: $621 a month against $913 in Penang, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Bukit Mertajam
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Bukit Mertajam Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Bukit Mertajam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Bukit Mertajam

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 Bukit Mertajam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $913 in Penang versus $621 in Bukit Mertajam.

Penang $913
Bukit Mertajam $621

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,403 in Penang versus $976 in Bukit Mertajam.

Penang $1,403
Bukit Mertajam $976

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,894 in Penang versus $1,331 in Bukit Mertajam.

Penang $1,894
Bukit Mertajam $1,331

Living in Penang is roughly 47% more expensive than in Bukit Mertajam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Penang 33% lower, Bukit Mertajam 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 MYR 15.17

$1.91 MYR 7.79

95.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.91 MYR 81.1

$20.97 MYR 85.4

-5.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.45

$3.98 MYR 16.21

20.10%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.13

$3.14 MYR 12.77

-5.10%

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

$0.75 MYR 3.06

$0.69 MYR 2.82

8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.50

$0.45 MYR 1.85

-17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 MYR 16.53

$4.51 MYR 18.35

-9.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 MYR 17.81

$6.26 MYR 25.48

-30.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.59

$1.66 MYR 6.76

12.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.40

$1.12 MYR 4.56

-3.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.18

$1.95 MYR 7.94

-9.74%

Eggs

$2.22 MYR 9.03

$2.55 MYR 10.37

-12.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 MYR 54.8

$13.83 MYR 56.3

-2.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.12

$4.41 MYR 17.96

0.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 MYR 35.42

$9.98 MYR 40.64

-12.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MYR 11.88

$3.39 MYR 13.79

-13.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.71

$1.76 MYR 7.16

-6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.62

$2.26 MYR 9.21

15.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.69

$1.55 MYR 6.31

-9.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$1.27 MYR 5.15

-17.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.55

$1.38 MYR 5.60

-18.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.47

$1.12 MYR 4.55

-1.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.39

$0.67 MYR 2.72

-11.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 MYR 19.07

$4.45 MYR 18.11

5.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 MYR 78.6

$19.54 MYR 79.5

-1.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.23

$3.42 MYR 13.91

-12.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 MYR 22.01

$5.08 MYR 20.70

6.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MYR 2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.03 MYR 48.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.77

$1.24 MYR 5.03

33.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.54

$1.19 MYR 4.86

-68.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 MYR 30.41

$4.95 MYR 20.16

50.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 MYR 3.85

$0.81 MYR 3.31

17.28%

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

$44.2K MYR 179.9K

$43.9K MYR 178.5K

0.76%

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

$35.8K MYR 145.6K

$35.5K MYR 144.5K

0.70%

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

$36.68 MYR 149

$63.1 MYR 257

-41.85%

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

$9.56 MYR 38.90

$8.54 MYR 34.76

11.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.49 MYR 120

$26.67 MYR 109

10.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 MYR 160

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.85 MYR 19.76

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MYR 19.45

$5.00 MYR 20.36

-4.40%

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

$398 MYR 1,619

$249 MYR 1,013

59.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

$13.1K MYR 53.5K

-19.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MYR 248

$70.5 MYR 287

-13.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 MYR 144

$41.35 MYR 168

-14.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 MYR 340

$86.7 MYR 353

-3.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 MYR 286

$95.0 MYR 387

-26.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 MYR 1,661

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 MYR 1,169

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,839

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MYR 2,174

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,117 MYR 8,615

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 MYR 5,132

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 MYR 3,791

$572 MYR 2,330

62.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

4.17

-3.12%

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

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bukit Mertajam: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$287 31.5%

Bukit Mertajam

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$257 28.2%

Bukit Mertajam

$269 43.3% 4.5% $12

Eating Out

Penang

$113 12.4%

Bukit Mertajam

$105 16.8% 7.8% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$113 12.3%

Bukit Mertajam

$132 21.3% 17.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.3%

Bukit Mertajam

$98 15.8% 29.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.3%

Bukit Mertajam

$10 * 1.6% 79.5% $39

Getting Around

Penang

$18 1.9%

Bukit Mertajam

$7.2 * 1.2% 59% $10

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

Cost Breakdown

Penang pays 63% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Penang vs $21 in Bukit Mertajam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $269 per month, with Penang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇲🇾 Bukit Mertajam

🕒 Local time

00:50 12:50 AM

Same time as Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

212,329

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Penang Bukit Mertajam 23 km

From you

Penang
Bukit Mertajam

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 Bukit Mertajam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $913 in Penang and $621 in Bukit Mertajam, so Bukit Mertajam is about 32% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 63% higher in Penang, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Shoppers in Penang pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $913 per month in Penang versus $621 in Bukit Mertajam – Bukit Mertajam is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Bukit Mertajam 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, Penang and Bukit Mertajam are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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