Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and George Town, Malaysia

For one person, living is cheaper in Penang: $913 a month against $952 in George Town, rent and utilities included – about $470 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in George Town outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in George Town
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George Town Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

George Town

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$952

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in George Town

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $913 in Penang versus $952 in George Town.

Penang $913
George Town $952

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,403 in Penang versus $1,558 in George Town.

Penang $1,403
George Town $1,558

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,894 in Penang versus $2,164 in George Town.

Penang $1,894
George Town $2,164

Living in Penang costs roughly 4% less than in George Town.

Both cities sit below the global median: Penang 33% lower, George Town 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 MYR 15.11

$3.46 MYR 14.01

7.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.91 MYR 80.7

$15.45 MYR 62.6

28.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.38

$4.68 MYR 18.97

2.14%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.08

$2.75 MYR 11.15

8.36%

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

$0.75 MYR 3.05

$0.70 MYR 2.85

7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.49

$0.35 MYR 1.42

5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 MYR 16.46

$2.47 MYR 10.03

64.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 MYR 17.74

$4.42 MYR 17.93

-0.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.56

$1.87 MYR 7.58

-0.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.39

$1.05 MYR 4.25

2.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.16

$1.73 MYR 7.01

1.73%

Eggs

$2.22 MYR 9.00

$2.22 MYR 8.99

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 MYR 54.6

$13.65 MYR 55.4

-1.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.04

$4.48 MYR 18.14

-0.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 MYR 35.27

$8.70 MYR 35.26

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MYR 11.83

$2.34 MYR 9.48

24.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.68

$1.46 MYR 5.91

13.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.58

$2.22 MYR 9.00

17.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.67

$1.20 MYR 4.87

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.26

$0.92 MYR 3.71

14.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.53

$0.85 MYR 3.45

31.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.45

$0.74 MYR 3.02

48.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 MYR 18.99

$4.58 MYR 18.55

2.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 MYR 78.3

$18.84 MYR 76.4

2.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.18

$2.41 MYR 9.77

24.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 MYR 21.92

$3.56 MYR 14.45

51.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MYR 2.03

$0.47 MYR 1.92

6.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.03 MYR 48.76

$12.01 MYR 48.70

0.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.74

$1.23 MYR 4.99

34.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.53

$0.51 MYR 2.05

-25.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 MYR 30.28

$6.53 MYR 26.49

14.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 MYR 3.83

$0.82 MYR 3.34

15.85%

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

$44.2K MYR 179.2K

$45.5K MYR 184.6K

-2.97%

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

$35.8K MYR 145.0K

$34.6K MYR 140.4K

3.27%

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

$36.68 MYR 149

$36.85 MYR 149

-0.46%

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

$9.56 MYR 38.74

$8.05 MYR 32.62

18.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.49 MYR 120

$28.38 MYR 115

3.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 MYR 159

$40.35 MYR 164

-2.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.85 MYR 19.68

$5.03 MYR 20.38

-3.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MYR 19.37

$4.52 MYR 18.31

5.75%

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

$398 MYR 1,612

$168 MYR 683

136.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.0K

$4,958 MYR 20.1K

113.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MYR 247

$53.2 MYR 216

14.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 MYR 144

$34.86 MYR 141

1.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 MYR 339

$73.5 MYR 298

13.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 MYR 284

$70.8 MYR 287

-0.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 MYR 1,654

$709 MYR 2,874

-42.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 MYR 1,164

$366 MYR 1,485

-21.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,828

$1,104 MYR 4,475

-36.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MYR 2,165

$904 MYR 3,666

-40.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,117 MYR 8,580

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 MYR 5,111

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 MYR 3,776

$1,057 MYR 4,285

-11.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

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

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Last update for George Town: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$287 31.5%

George Town

$366 38.5% 27.6% $79

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$257 28.2%

George Town

$241 25.3% 6.3% $16

Eating Out

Penang

$113 12.4%

George Town

$100 10.5% 11.7% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$113 12.3%

George Town

$105 11% 7.1% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.3%

George Town

$73 7.7% 3.2% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.3%

George Town

$49 5.2% 1.3% $0.6

Getting Around

Penang

$18 1.9%

George Town

$18 1.9% 0.5% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Penang and $709 in George Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 13% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Penang vs $15 in George Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $241 per month, with George Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇲🇾 George Town

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

Same time as Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

794,313

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Penang George Town 10 km

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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 George Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $913 in Penang and $952 in George Town, so Penang is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Penang. 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: $408 in Penang versus $709 in George Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in George Town pay roughly 6% 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 $952 in George Town – Penang is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both work as nomad bases, but Penang delivers better value at $913 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Penang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Penang and George Town are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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