Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Kepong

For one person, living costs are similar in Penang and in Kepong: $913 and $896 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 Kepong
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Kepong Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Kepong

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Kepong

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

A single person spends $913 per month in Penang vs $896 in Kepong, rent included.

Penang $913
Kepong $896

A couple spends around $1,403 per month in Penang vs $1,392 in Kepong, rent included.

Penang $1,403
Kepong $1,392

A family of three spends $1,894 per month in Penang vs $1,888 in Kepong, rent included.

Penang $1,894
Kepong $1,888

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 MYR 15.18

$3.74 MYR 15.23

-0.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.91 MYR 81.1

$24.13 MYR 98.3

-17.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.47

$4.99 MYR 20.31

-4.21%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.15

$2.98 MYR 12.13

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

$0.75 MYR 3.07

$0.86 MYR 3.49

-12.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.50

$0.41 MYR 1.69

-9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 MYR 16.55

$3.28 MYR 13.35

23.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 MYR 17.83

$5.59 MYR 22.78

-21.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.60

$1.74 MYR 7.09

6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.41

$1.03 MYR 4.20

4.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.19

$1.42 MYR 5.77

23.94%

Eggs

$2.22 MYR 9.04

$1.82 MYR 7.43

21.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 MYR 54.9

$9.82 MYR 40.02

37.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.13

$3.32 MYR 13.52

34.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 MYR 35.45

$9.29 MYR 37.84

-6.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MYR 11.89

$3.40 MYR 13.85

-14.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.72

$1.74 MYR 7.07

-5.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.63

$2.62 MYR 10.69

-0.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.70

$1.66 MYR 6.77

-15.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$1.46 MYR 5.93

-28.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.55

$1.72 MYR 7.02

-34.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.47

$1.32 MYR 5.38

-16.67%

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 19.09

$4.37 MYR 17.82

7.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 MYR 78.7

$13.83 MYR 56.4

39.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.24

$2.64 MYR 10.77

13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 MYR 22.04

$3.02 MYR 12.30

79.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MYR 2.04

$0.82 MYR 3.34

-39.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.03 MYR 49.00

$12.44 MYR 50.7

-3.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.78

$0.95 MYR 3.86

74.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.54

$0.35 MYR 1.44

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 MYR 30.44

$8.86 MYR 36.10

-15.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 MYR 3.85

$0.88 MYR 3.59

7.95%

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

$44.2K MYR 180.1K

$43.6K MYR 177.6K

1.38%

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

$35.8K MYR 145.7K

$34.8K MYR 141.9K

2.67%

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

$36.68 MYR 149

$49.67 MYR 202

-26.15%

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

$9.56 MYR 38.94

$8.29 MYR 33.78

15.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.49 MYR 120

$27.18 MYR 111

8.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 MYR 160

$40.69 MYR 166

-3.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.85 MYR 19.78

$6.25 MYR 25.47

-22.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MYR 19.47

$4.85 MYR 19.75

-1.44%

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

$398 MYR 1,620

$238 MYR 968

67.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

$4,440 MYR 18.1K

138.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MYR 248

$53.3 MYR 217

14.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 MYR 144

$24.40 MYR 99.4

45.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 MYR 340

$82.9 MYR 338

0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 MYR 286

$87.0 MYR 354

-19.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 MYR 1,662

$406 MYR 1,654

0.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 MYR 1,170

$291 MYR 1,184

-1.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,842

$713 MYR 2,906

-2.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MYR 2,176

$550 MYR 2,242

-2.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,117 MYR 8,624

$1,993 MYR 8,122

6.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 MYR 5,137

$1,166 MYR 4,751

8.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 MYR 3,795

$650 MYR 2,647

43.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

4.06

-0.49%

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

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kepong: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$287 31.5%

Kepong

$291 32.4% 1.2% $3.5

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$257 28.2%

Kepong

$227 25.3% 11.8% $30

Eating Out

Penang

$113 12.4%

Kepong

$113 12.6% 0.2% $0.2

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$113 12.3%

Kepong

$111 12.4% 1% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.3%

Kepong

$85 9.5% 12.5% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.3%

Kepong

$50 5.6% 3.3% $1.6

Getting Around

Penang

$18 1.9%

Kepong

$18 2.1% 4.8% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $408 in Penang versus $406 in Kepong. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 43% higher in Penang. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Penang versus $24 in Kepong. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Penang vs $227 in Kepong – so Kepong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇲🇾 Kepong

🕒 Local time

04:34 4:34 AM

Same time as Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

85,960

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Penang Kepong 280 km

From you

Penang
Kepong

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 Kepong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,369 per month in Penang and $1,344 in Kepong. 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 $406 in Kepong. 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 $24 in Kepong. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Penang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $913 in Penang and $896 in Kepong, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Penang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $896 in Kepong 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 Kepong. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Penang makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.