Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and George Town Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and George Town

😐 Solo nomad: Penang is 27.3% more expensive than George Town without rent, and 3.7% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Penang is 4.5% more expensive than George Town without rent, and 3.5% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 MYR 12.13

$3.10 MYR 12.23

-0.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.19 MYR 83.7

$21.04 MYR 83.1

0.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.20 MYR 16.58

$4.15 MYR 16.39

1.20%

Cappuccino

$2.96 MYR 11.71

$2.47 MYR 9.77

19.84%

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

$0.74 MYR 2.93

$0.73 MYR 2.88

1.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.45

$0.34 MYR 1.34

8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.49 MYR 17.73

$4.17 MYR 16.47

7.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 MYR 17.40

$4.69 MYR 18.52

-6.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 MYR 7.52

$1.89 MYR 7.48

0.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MYR 3.92

$1.13 MYR 4.47

-12.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MYR 8.11

$1.67 MYR 6.59

22.75%

Eggs

$2.15 MYR 8.48

$2.03 MYR 8.01

5.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.37 MYR 68.6

$17.53 MYR 69.3

-0.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 MYR 19.74

$4.99 MYR 19.69

0.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 MYR 58.8

$10.76 MYR 42.50

38.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MYR 10.96

$2.78 MYR 10.97

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 5.80

$1.43 MYR 5.63

2.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 MYR 10.21

$2.14 MYR 8.47

20.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MYR 8.66

$1.21 MYR 4.77

80.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 MYR 4.50

$0.83 MYR 3.28

37.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.75

$1.15 MYR 4.56

4.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 MYR 3.53

$0.73 MYR 2.90

21.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 MYR 1.93

$0.52 MYR 2.04

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MYR 17.18

$4.14 MYR 16.37

5.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.52 MYR 77.1

$12.93 MYR 51.1

50.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MYR 10.34

$2.60 MYR 10.29

0.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 MYR 13.75

$3.51 MYR 13.85

-0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 MYR 1.80

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.36 MYR 68.6

$11.93 MYR 47.14

45.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 MYR 2.68

$1.15 MYR 4.56

-40.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MYR 1.98

$0.47 MYR 1.85

6.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.19 MYR 28.39

$6.52 MYR 25.74

10.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 1.96

$0.50 MYR 1.97

-2.00%

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

$34.0K MYR 134.2K

$33.1K MYR 130.8K

2.57%

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

$27.9K MYR 110.1K

$25.3K MYR 99.9K

10.21%

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

$39.37 MYR 156

$39.38 MYR 156

-0.03%

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

$10.01 MYR 39.54

$9.59 MYR 37.86

4.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.45 MYR 124

$29.28 MYR 116

7.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.02 MYR 130

$38.62 MYR 153

-14.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.53 MYR 21.84

$3.86 MYR 15.25

43.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MYR 19.01

$3.98 MYR 15.71

20.85%

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

$237 MYR 937

$147 MYR 579

61.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,252 MYR 24.7K

$4,602 MYR 18.2K

35.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 MYR 214

$52.4 MYR 207

3.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.00 MYR 115

$28.97 MYR 114

0.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.5 MYR 247

$60.2 MYR 238

3.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 MYR 207

$53.0 MYR 209

-1.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 MYR 1,556

$360 MYR 1,423

9.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$230 MYR 910

$258 MYR 1,020

-10.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 MYR 2,531

$715 MYR 2,824

-10.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 MYR 2,042

$499 MYR 1,971

3.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,335 MYR 9,224

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,191 MYR 4,703

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$974 MYR 3,849

$1,216 MYR 4,803

-19.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

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

Last update for Penang: March 2, 2026

Last update for George Town: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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