Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $839 in Penang, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Delhi

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

A single person spends $839 per month in Penang vs $520 in Delhi, rent included.

Penang $839
Delhi $520

A couple spends around $1,314 per month in Penang vs $858 in Delhi, rent included.

Penang $1,314
Delhi $858

A family of three spends $1,790 per month in Penang vs $1,195 in Delhi, rent included.

Penang $1,790
Delhi $1,195

Penang costs about 61% more than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Penang and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Penang 37% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.63

$3.67 ₹355

-2.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 MYR 81.0

$20.95 ₹2,027

-5.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.69

$3.74 ₹362

22.46%

Cappuccino

$3.04 MYR 12.40

$2.33 ₹226

30.47%

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

$0.73 MYR 2.98

$0.37 ₹35.82

97.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$0.20 ₹18.91

95.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 MYR 17.05

$2.02 ₹195

106.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MYR 17.63

$3.19 ₹308

35.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.71

$0.68 ₹65.9

177.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.42

$0.52 ₹50.2

107.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.23

$0.83 ₹80.0

113.25%

Eggs

$2.23 MYR 9.10

$1.07 ₹104

108.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 MYR 55.9

$4.43 ₹428

209.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 MYR 17.51

$3.37 ₹326

27.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 MYR 35.12

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MYR 12.42

$1.99 ₹192

52.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.96

$0.72 ₹70.1

137.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 MYR 10.90

$1.02 ₹98.4

161.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.00

$0.52 ₹50.1

182.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.47

$0.27 ₹25.96

303.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 MYR 4.39

$0.37 ₹35.42

189.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.67

$0.43 ₹41.64

165.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.31

$0.31 ₹30.39

83.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MYR 18.87

$4.92 ₹476

-6.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.29 MYR 78.8

$8.34 ₹808

131.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 MYR 11.95

$1.64 ₹159

78.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 MYR 21.92

$2.70 ₹261

98.89%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MYR 2.08

$0.46 ₹44.04

10.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.30 MYR 50.2

$15.29 ₹1,480

-19.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 MYR 7.17

$1.03 ₹99.8

69.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.51

$0.27 ₹26.38

37.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 MYR 29.68

$1.53 ₹148

375.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 MYR 3.85

$1.05 ₹102

-10.48%

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

$41.0K MYR 167.2K

$10.5K ₹1.0M

291.40%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.4K

$18.4K ₹1.8M

89.86%

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

$36.55 MYR 149

$42.67 ₹4,129

-14.34%

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

$9.97 MYR 40.70

$4.04 ₹391

146.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.32 MYR 120

$6.75 ₹653

334.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.81 MYR 158

$19.40 ₹1,878

100.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.98 MYR 20.33

$8.06 ₹780

-38.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 MYR 19.89

$5.08 ₹492

-4.13%

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

$430 MYR 1,755

$100 ₹9,696

329.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MYR 44.1K

$2,268 ₹219.5K

376.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 MYR 246

$24.14 ₹2,336

149.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.26 MYR 144

$28.38 ₹2,747

24.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 MYR 341

$53.3 ₹5,160

56.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 MYR 285

$44.13 ₹4,271

58.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 MYR 1,641

$264 ₹25.5K

52.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 MYR 949

$154 ₹14.9K

50.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 MYR 2,534

$736 ₹71.2K

-15.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 MYR 1,676

$397 ₹38.5K

3.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,212 MYR 9,034

$2,494 ₹241.4K

-11.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,057 MYR 4,317

$1,017 ₹98.4K

4.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$943 MYR 3,851

$585 ₹56.7K

61.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

8.33

-51.50%

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

Last update for Penang: October 5, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$258 30.1%

Delhi

$108 20.8% 58.2% $150

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$232 27.1%

Delhi

$154 29.7% 33.7% $78

Eating Out

Penang

$113 13.2%

Delhi

$87 16.8% 22.6% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$112 13.1%

Delhi

$67 13% 39.7% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.8%

Delhi

$53 10.3% 29.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.7%

Delhi

$30 5.7% 39.1% $19

Getting Around

Penang

$18 2.1%

Delhi

$20 3.8% 8.8% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $402 in Penang versus $264 in Delhi. 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 61% higher in Penang, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Penang versus $21.00 in Delhi. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Penang vs $108 in Delhi – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

20:11 8:11 PM

17:41 5:41 PM

2 h 30 min behind Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 108 INR (1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Penang Delhi 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Penang
Delhi

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 Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $839 in Penang, $520 in Delhi – roughly 61% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,259 per month in Penang and $780 in Delhi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Penang and $21.00 in Delhi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $839 in Penang and $520 in Delhi. That's a gap of about 61%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $839 in Penang and $520 in Delhi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Penang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $520 in Delhi to $839 in Penang. 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 Delhi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Penang makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.