Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Kota Bharu Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Kota Bharu

😐 Solo nomad: Penang is 14.8% more expensive than Kota Bharu without rent, and 32.8% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Penang is 25.8% more expensive than Kota Bharu without rent, and 19.7% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 MYR 12.13

$1.79 MYR 7.06

71.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.19 MYR 83.7

$20.94 MYR 82.7

1.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.20 MYR 16.58

$4.26 MYR 16.82

-1.41%

Cappuccino

$2.96 MYR 11.71

$2.29 MYR 9.06

29.26%

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

$0.74 MYR 2.93

$0.49 MYR 1.92

51.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.45

$0.27 MYR 1.07

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.49 MYR 17.73

$4.36 MYR 17.23

2.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 MYR 17.40

$4.25 MYR 16.79

3.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 MYR 7.52

$1.50 MYR 5.93

26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MYR 3.92

$0.75 MYR 2.97

32.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MYR 8.11

$0.83 MYR 3.26

146.99%

Eggs

$2.15 MYR 8.48

$1.47 MYR 5.83

46.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.37 MYR 68.6

$14.82 MYR 58.5

17.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 MYR 19.74

$2.92 MYR 11.54

71.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 MYR 58.8

$5.96 MYR 23.55

149.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MYR 10.96

$1.38 MYR 5.46

101.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 5.80

$1.38 MYR 5.44

6.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 MYR 10.21

$1.40 MYR 5.52

84.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MYR 8.66

$0.85 MYR 3.35

157.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 MYR 4.50

$0.84 MYR 3.31

35.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.75

$1.21 MYR 4.78

-0.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 MYR 3.53

$0.95 MYR 3.74

-6.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 MYR 1.93

$0.43 MYR 1.70

13.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MYR 17.18

$2.94 MYR 11.63

47.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.52 MYR 77.1

$19.73 MYR 77.9

-1.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MYR 10.34

$1.42 MYR 5.62

84.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 MYR 13.75

$3.40 MYR 13.44

2.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 MYR 1.80

$0.69 MYR 2.74

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.36 MYR 68.6

$11.91 MYR 47.05

45.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 MYR 2.68

$0.72 MYR 2.85

-5.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MYR 1.98

$0.54 MYR 2.14

-7.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.19 MYR 28.39

$3.59 MYR 14.19

100.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 1.96

$0.46 MYR 1.83

6.52%

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

$34.0K MYR 134.2K

$30.5K MYR 120.4K

11.49%

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

$27.9K MYR 110.1K

$27.7K MYR 109.4K

0.59%

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

$39.37 MYR 156

$38.69 MYR 153

1.76%

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

$10.01 MYR 39.54

$8.28 MYR 32.71

20.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.45 MYR 124

$26.70 MYR 105

17.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.02 MYR 130

$36.78 MYR 145

-10.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.53 MYR 21.84

$6.06 MYR 23.95

-8.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MYR 19.01

$4.14 MYR 16.36

16.18%

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

$237 MYR 937

$118 MYR 465

101.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,252 MYR 24.7K

$6,225 MYR 24.6K

0.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 MYR 214

$52.3 MYR 207

3.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.00 MYR 115

$18.74 MYR 74.0

54.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.5 MYR 247

$60.6 MYR 239

3.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 MYR 207

$53.2 MYR 210

-1.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 MYR 1,556

$261 MYR 1,029

51.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$230 MYR 910

$140 MYR 554

64.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 MYR 2,531

$852 MYR 3,366

-24.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 MYR 2,042

$481 MYR 1,899

7.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,335 MYR 9,224

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,191 MYR 4,703

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$974 MYR 3,849

$305 MYR 1,205

219.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

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

Last update for Penang: March 2, 2026

Last update for Kota Bharu: February 28, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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