Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Kampar

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampar: $878 a month against $913 in Penang, rent and utilities included – about $420 less a year. The total is higher in Penang despite lower rent and utilities.

44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Kampar
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Kampar Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Kampar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$878

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Kampar

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

A single person spends $913 per month in Penang vs $878 in Kampar, rent included.

Penang $913
Kampar $878

A couple spends around $1,403 per month in Penang vs $1,349 in Kampar, rent included.

Penang $1,403
Kampar $1,349

A family of three spends $1,894 per month in Penang vs $1,820 in Kampar, rent included.

Penang $1,894
Kampar $1,820

Penang costs about 4% more than Kampar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Penang and Kampar are more affordable than the global median – Penang 33% lower, Kampar 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 MYR 15.17

$2.15 MYR 8.75

73.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.91 MYR 81.1

$19.27 MYR 78.4

3.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.45

$4.75 MYR 19.35

0.63%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.13

$2.39 MYR 9.73

24.69%

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

$0.75 MYR 3.06

$0.51 MYR 2.06

47.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.50

$0.46 MYR 1.88

-19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 MYR 16.53

$2.19 MYR 8.89

85.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 MYR 17.81

$6.20 MYR 25.23

-29.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.59

$1.94 MYR 7.89

-4.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.40

$0.69 MYR 2.83

56.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.18

$1.85 MYR 7.51

-4.86%

Eggs

$2.22 MYR 9.03

$1.81 MYR 7.37

22.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 MYR 54.8

$13.95 MYR 56.8

-3.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.12

$4.60 MYR 18.74

-3.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 MYR 35.42

$7.21 MYR 29.34

20.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MYR 11.88

$3.35 MYR 13.62

-12.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.71

$1.86 MYR 7.59

-11.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.62

$2.27 MYR 9.23

14.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.69

$1.58 MYR 6.42

-11.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$1.22 MYR 4.96

-13.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.55

$1.36 MYR 5.53

-17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.47

$1.13 MYR 4.61

-2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.39

$0.71 MYR 2.89

-16.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 MYR 19.07

$4.36 MYR 17.73

7.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 MYR 78.6

$19.63 MYR 79.9

-1.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.23

$3.43 MYR 13.94

-12.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 MYR 22.01

$5.01 MYR 20.38

7.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MYR 2.04

$0.71 MYR 2.89

-29.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.03 MYR 48.96

$12.15 MYR 49.48

-0.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.77

$1.20 MYR 4.89

38.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.54

$1.23 MYR 5.01

-69.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 MYR 30.41

$4.84 MYR 19.72

54.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 MYR 3.85

$0.64 MYR 2.59

48.44%

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

$44.2K MYR 179.9K

$43.7K MYR 177.9K

1.10%

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

$35.8K MYR 145.6K

$34.3K MYR 139.7K

4.19%

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

$36.68 MYR 149

$49.92 MYR 203

-26.52%

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

$9.56 MYR 38.90

$4.84 MYR 19.71

97.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.49 MYR 120

$21.50 MYR 87.5

37.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 MYR 160

$36.90 MYR 150

6.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.85 MYR 19.76

$6.60 MYR 26.86

-26.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MYR 19.45

$4.92 MYR 20.01

-2.85%

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

$398 MYR 1,619

$235 MYR 956

69.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

$13.0K MYR 52.8K

-18.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MYR 248

$60.3 MYR 245

1.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 MYR 144

$12.03 MYR 48.96

194.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 MYR 340

$72.4 MYR 295

15.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 MYR 286

$72.2 MYR 294

-2.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 MYR 1,661

$407 MYR 1,656

0.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 MYR 1,169

$289 MYR 1,178

-0.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,839

$707 MYR 2,877

-1.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MYR 2,174

$547 MYR 2,226

-2.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,117 MYR 8,615

$1,867 MYR 7,599

13.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 MYR 5,132

$1,348 MYR 5,486

-6.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 MYR 3,791

$371 MYR 1,511

150.91%

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 Kampar: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$287 31.5%

Kampar

$289 33% 0.8% $2.2

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$257 28.2%

Kampar

$258 29.4% 0.3% $0.8

Eating Out

Penang

$113 12.4%

Kampar

$87 10% 23% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$113 12.3%

Kampar

$98 11.1% 13.3% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.3%

Kampar

$76 8.7% 0.7% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.3%

Kampar

$47 5.3% 4.2% $2

Getting Around

Penang

$18 1.9%

Kampar

$22 2.6% 27% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $408 in Penang versus $407 in Kampar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Penang are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Penang versus $19 in Kampar. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Penang vs $258 in Kampar – so Penang wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇲🇾 Kampar

🕒 Local time

23:55 11:55 PM

Same time as Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

98,878

💱 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

Lowest

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Between locations

Penang Kampar 160 km

From you

Penang
Kampar

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 Kampar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Penang is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,369 per month in Penang and $1,317 in Kampar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $408 in Penang and $407 in Kampar. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Penang and $19 in Kampar. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $398 per month in Penang and $235 in Kampar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Penang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $878 in Kampar to $913 in Penang. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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