Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Da Nang

For one person, living costs are similar in Penang and in Da Nang: $852 and $863 a month, rent and utilities included.

42

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
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Da Nang Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$852

/mo nomad

Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$863

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Da Nang

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 Da Nang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $852 per month in Penang vs $863 in Da Nang, rent included.

Penang $852
Da Nang $863

A couple spends around $1,307 per month in Penang vs $1,404 in Da Nang, rent included.

Penang $1,307
Da Nang $1,404

A family of three spends $1,763 per month in Penang vs $1,945 in Da Nang, rent included.

Penang $1,763
Da Nang $1,945

Penang is about 1% cheaper than Da Nang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Penang and Da Nang are more affordable than the global median – Penang 37% lower, Da Nang 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MYR 15.18

$2.30 ₫59.4K

61.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.53 MYR 79.7

$19.62 ₫508.0K

-0.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 MYR 18.47

$4.60 ₫119.1K

-1.52%

Cappuccino

$2.92 MYR 11.89

$1.66 ₫43.0K

75.90%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.17

$0.61 ₫15.7K

27.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MYR 1.63

$0.34 ₫8,877

17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.12 MYR 16.81

$1.34 ₫34.6K

207.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 MYR 18.51

$2.36 ₫61.1K

92.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MYR 7.65

$1.60 ₫41.5K

17.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.41

$1.21 ₫31.3K

-10.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.21

$1.00 ₫25.9K

77.00%

Eggs

$2.17 MYR 8.85

$1.51 ₫39.1K

43.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 MYR 55.9

$12.90 ₫333.9K

6.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 MYR 17.56

$4.29 ₫111.1K

0.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.79 MYR 35.86

$9.06 ₫234.6K

-2.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MYR 12.05

$2.73 ₫70.6K

8.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.96

$1.19 ₫30.8K

43.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 MYR 11.21

$1.29 ₫33.4K

113.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.76

$1.60 ₫41.3K

-11.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 MYR 4.36

$1.18 ₫30.4K

-9.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 MYR 4.37

$1.33 ₫34.3K

-19.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 MYR 4.43

$1.01 ₫26.1K

7.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.33

$0.53 ₫13.7K

7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 MYR 18.80

$1.56 ₫40.3K

195.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.15 MYR 78.1

$7.93 ₫205.2K

141.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 MYR 11.88

$0.88 ₫22.9K

230.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 MYR 21.18

$2.12 ₫54.9K

144.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MYR 1.92

$0.32 ₫8,182

46.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.23 MYR 49.87

$4.99 ₫129.3K

145.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MYR 6.86

$1.05 ₫27.1K

60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 MYR 1.66

$0.55 ₫14.3K

-25.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 MYR 29.12

$19.50 ₫504.8K

-63.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 MYR 3.80

$0.95 ₫24.5K

-2.11%

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

$42.3K MYR 172.6K

$30.9K ₫799.2M

37.06%

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

$35.8K MYR 146.1K

$28.0K ₫724.6M

27.94%

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

$37.07 MYR 151

$76.6 ₫2.0M

-51.59%

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

$9.84 MYR 40.13

$6.47 ₫167.6K

52.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.79 MYR 117

$8.08 ₫209.1K

256.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.22 MYR 156

$24.98 ₫646.6K

53.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.97 MYR 20.28

$5.35 ₫138.6K

-7.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.82 MYR 19.67

$3.07 ₫79.4K

57.00%

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

$423 MYR 1,726

$161 ₫4.2M

162.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MYR 44.1K

$15.2K ₫392.3M

-28.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 MYR 240

$45.38 ₫1.2M

29.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.27 MYR 144

$27.22 ₫704.7K

29.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 MYR 342

$100 ₫2.6M

-16.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 MYR 290

$80.9 ₫2.1M

-12.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 MYR 1,658

$529 ₫13.7M

-23.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 MYR 934

$349 ₫9.0M

-34.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 MYR 2,496

$1,053 ₫27.3M

-41.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$408 MYR 1,663

$811 ₫21.0M

-49.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,223 MYR 9,070

$3,834 ₫99.3M

-42.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,070 MYR 4,365

$1,308 ₫33.9M

-18.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$907 MYR 3,702

$363 ₫9.4M

149.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

10.72

-62.31%

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

Last update for Penang: October 12, 2026

Last update for Da Nang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$257 30.2%

Da Nang

$201 23.2% 22% $57

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$229 26.9%

Da Nang

$349 40.4% 52.5% $120

Eating Out

Penang

$113 13.2%

Da Nang

$67 7.8% 40.3% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$112 13.2%

Da Nang

$114 13.2% 1.8% $2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.9%

Da Nang

$91 10.6% 20.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$48 5.6%

Da Nang

$31 3.6% 35% $17

Getting Around

Penang

$18 2.1%

Da Nang

$10 1.2% 43.5% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $406 in Penang versus $529 in Da Nang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 150% higher in Penang, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Penang versus $20.00 in Da Nang. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Penang vs $201 in Da Nang – so Da Nang wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🕒 Local time

10:49 10:49 AM

09:49 9:49 AM

1 h behind Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

1,245,200

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Penang Da Nang 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Penang
Da Nang

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 Da Nang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $852 in Penang, $863 in Da Nang – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,278 per month in Penang and $1,295 in Da Nang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Penang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 28% cheaper in Da Nang – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Penang and $20.00 in Da Nang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Penang and $863 in Da Nang, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Da Nang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $852 in Penang to $863 in Da Nang. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Penang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Da Nang makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.