Comparación del coste de vida entre Penang y Kedah Comparación del coste de vida entre Penang y Kedah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Penang versus $869 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,379 in Penang versus $1,333 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,895 in Penang versus $1,797 in Kedah.

Living in Penang costs roughly 1% less than in Kedah, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Penang 36% lower, Kedah 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.10 MYR 12.24

$3.10 MYR 12.26

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.13 MYR 83.5

$20.93 MYR 82.7

0.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.12 MYR 16.27

$4.12 MYR 16.26

Cappuccino

$2.88 MYR 11.36

$2.92 MYR 11.52

-1.37%

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

$0.70 MYR 2.75

$0.74 MYR 2.91

-5.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.32

$0.36 MYR 1.44

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.30 MYR 16.98

$4.29 MYR 16.95

0.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MYR 17.51

$4.53 MYR 17.91

-2.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.48

$1.81 MYR 7.16

4.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.05

$0.92 MYR 3.65

11.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 MYR 7.86

$1.21 MYR 4.78

64.46%

Eggs

$2.04 MYR 8.07

$2.06 MYR 8.15

-0.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.30 MYR 68.4

$14.78 MYR 58.4

17.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.95 MYR 19.54

$4.98 MYR 19.67

-0.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.01 MYR 59.3

$14.83 MYR 58.6

1.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 MYR 11.38

$2.78 MYR 10.99

3.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 5.96

$1.20 MYR 4.76

25.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 MYR 10.38

$2.71 MYR 10.70

-2.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MYR 8.24

$2.15 MYR 8.51

-2.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.64

$1.17 MYR 4.64

0.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 MYR 4.63

$1.18 MYR 4.64

-0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 MYR 3.59

$0.95 MYR 3.74

-4.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.91

$0.45 MYR 1.77

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MYR 16.94

$4.32 MYR 17.08

-0.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 MYR 76.7

$19.89 MYR 78.6

-2.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 MYR 10.82

$2.69 MYR 10.61

1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 MYR 13.39

$3.54 MYR 13.96

-4.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 MYR 1.80

$0.68 MYR 2.70

-32.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.53 MYR 69.3

$11.59 MYR 45.78

51.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 MYR 2.94

$0.72 MYR 2.86

2.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MYR 2.10

$0.47 MYR 1.85

12.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.95 MYR 27.46

$6.96 MYR 27.49

-0.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.82

$0.49 MYR 1.94

-6.12%

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

$33.5K MYR 132.3K

$33.7K MYR 133.3K

-0.72%

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

$27.9K MYR 110.3K

$27.2K MYR 107.4K

2.68%

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

$39.31 MYR 155

$37.91 MYR 150

3.69%

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

$10.23 MYR 40.40

$10.09 MYR 39.84

1.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 MYR 123

$11.64 MYR 45.97

167.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.28 MYR 131

$37.47 MYR 148

-11.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.39 MYR 21.30

$5.95 MYR 23.49

-9.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MYR 19.01

$2.77 MYR 10.95

73.65%

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

$240 MYR 947

$238 MYR 942

0.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,163 MYR 24.3K

$6,226 MYR 24.6K

-1.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 MYR 215

$54.7 MYR 216

-0.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.08 MYR 115

$29.36 MYR 116

-0.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.4 MYR 239

$61.0 MYR 241

-0.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.6 MYR 208

$52.8 MYR 208

-0.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$381 MYR 1,503

$394 MYR 1,558

-3.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$227 MYR 895

$265 MYR 1,046

-14.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$639 MYR 2,524

$656 MYR 2,590

-2.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 MYR 2,077

$470 MYR 1,858

11.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,317 MYR 9,153

$1,947 MYR 7,692

19.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 MYR 4,729

$795 MYR 3,142

50.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$968 MYR 3,824

$1,390 MYR 5,491

-30.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Penang: April 27, 2026

Última actualización para Kedah: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $381 in Penang and $394 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 44% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $21.00 in Penang vs $21.00 in Kedah. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $272, with Kedah cheaper for home cooking.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.

Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales

Penang vs Kedah: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes

Penang and Kedah differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($862 vs $869 including rent). Penang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kedah earns 44% less. 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: $381 in Penang versus $394 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 in Penang versus $238 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Kedah pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Penang gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Penang and Kedah are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Penang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Kedah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.