Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Kemaman

For one person, living costs are similar in Penang and in Kemaman: $913 and $897 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Kemaman
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Kemaman Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Kemaman

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Kemaman

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

A single person spends $913 per month in Penang vs $897 in Kemaman, rent included.

Penang $913
Kemaman $897

A couple spends around $1,403 per month in Penang vs $1,369 in Kemaman, rent included.

Penang $1,403
Kemaman $1,369

A family of three spends $1,894 per month in Penang vs $1,841 in Kemaman, rent included.

Penang $1,894
Kemaman $1,841

Penang and Kemaman have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Penang and Kemaman are more affordable than the global median – Penang 33% lower, Kemaman 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 MYR 15.17

$2.62 MYR 10.65

42.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.91 MYR 81.1

$14.92 MYR 60.7

33.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.45

$4.40 MYR 17.90

8.64%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.13

$3.09 MYR 12.57

-3.56%

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

$0.75 MYR 3.06

$0.48 MYR 1.93

56.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.50

$0.36 MYR 1.46

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 MYR 16.53

$3.28 MYR 13.34

23.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 MYR 17.81

$5.76 MYR 23.45

-23.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.59

$1.88 MYR 7.66

-1.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.40

$1.04 MYR 4.24

3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.18

$1.01 MYR 4.13

74.26%

Eggs

$2.22 MYR 9.03

$1.15 MYR 4.70

93.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 MYR 54.8

$9.61 MYR 39.11

40.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.12

$3.19 MYR 13.00

39.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 MYR 35.42

$9.30 MYR 37.84

-6.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MYR 11.88

$3.59 MYR 14.63

-18.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.71

$1.87 MYR 7.62

-11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.62

$2.62 MYR 10.66

-0.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.69

$1.82 MYR 7.40

-23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$2.17 MYR 8.83

-51.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.55

$2.04 MYR 8.30

-45.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.47

$1.47 MYR 5.98

-25.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.39

$0.51 MYR 2.08

15.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 MYR 19.07

$4.57 MYR 18.60

2.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 MYR 78.6

$19.42 MYR 79.1

-0.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.23

$2.72 MYR 11.09

10.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 MYR 22.01

$4.44 MYR 18.07

21.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MYR 2.04

$0.76 MYR 3.11

-34.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.03 MYR 48.96

$10.79 MYR 43.94

11.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.77

$1.20 MYR 4.88

38.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.54

$0.36 MYR 1.46

5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 MYR 30.41

$8.90 MYR 36.24

-16.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 MYR 3.85

$0.48 MYR 1.94

97.92%

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

$44.2K MYR 179.9K

$46.4K MYR 188.7K

-4.68%

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

$35.8K MYR 145.6K

$36.1K MYR 146.8K

-0.87%

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

$36.68 MYR 149

$49.04 MYR 200

-25.20%

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

$9.56 MYR 38.90

$8.25 MYR 33.58

15.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.49 MYR 120

$27.11 MYR 110

8.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 MYR 160

$41.78 MYR 170

-6.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.85 MYR 19.76

$6.29 MYR 25.62

-22.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MYR 19.45

$4.79 MYR 19.49

-0.21%

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

$398 MYR 1,619

$123 MYR 500

223.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

$10.3K MYR 42.1K

2.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MYR 248

$52.0 MYR 211

17.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 MYR 144

$30.15 MYR 123

17.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 MYR 340

$78.6 MYR 320

6.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 MYR 286

$86.0 MYR 350

-18.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 MYR 1,661

$434 MYR 1,767

-6.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 MYR 1,169

$288 MYR 1,171

-0.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,839

$636 MYR 2,589

9.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MYR 2,174

$546 MYR 2,223

-2.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,117 MYR 8,615

$2,062 MYR 8,395

2.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 MYR 5,132

$1,069 MYR 4,351

17.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 MYR 3,791

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

4.51

-10.42%

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

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kemaman: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$287 31.5%

Kemaman

$288 32.1% 0.2% $0.6

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$257 28.2%

Kemaman

$243 27.1% 5.5% $14

Eating Out

Penang

$113 12.4%

Kemaman

$102 11.4% 9.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$113 12.3%

Kemaman

$111 12.4% 1.4% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.3%

Kemaman

$84 9.4% 11.5% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.3%

Kemaman

$51 5.7% 5.3% $2.6

Getting Around

Penang

$18 1.9%

Kemaman

$17 1.9% 4.3% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $408 in Penang versus $434 in Kemaman. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Penang versus $15 in Kemaman. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $243 – making Kemaman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇲🇾 Kemaman

🕒 Local time

02:22 2:22 AM

Same time as Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

215,582

💱 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

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Penang Kemaman 370 km

From you

Penang
Kemaman

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 Kemaman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,369 per month in Penang and $1,346 in Kemaman. 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 $434 in Kemaman. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Penang, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $398 per month in Penang and $123 in Kemaman. 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 $897 in Kemaman 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.