Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Kuala Terengganu

For one person, living costs are similar in Penang and in Kuala Terengganu: $922 and $918 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Terengganu
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Kuala Terengganu Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$922

/mo nomad

Kuala Terengganu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Kuala Terengganu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $922 in Penang versus $918 in Kuala Terengganu.

Penang $922
Kuala Terengganu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,412 in Penang versus $1,412 in Kuala Terengganu.

Penang $1,412
Kuala Terengganu $1,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,901 in Penang versus $1,907 in Kuala Terengganu.

Penang $1,901
Kuala Terengganu $1,907

Monthly costs are close between Penang and Kuala Terengganu; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Penang 32% lower, Kuala Terengganu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 MYR 15.26

$2.51 MYR 10.14

50.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.80 MYR 80.1

$23.19 MYR 93.8

-14.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.70 MYR 18.99

$4.79 MYR 19.35

-1.88%

Cappuccino

$3.02 MYR 12.21

$2.72 MYR 11.01

11.03%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.11

$0.49 MYR 1.99

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.48

$0.28 MYR 1.14

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.21 MYR 17.02

$3.98 MYR 16.09

5.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 MYR 18.30

$4.59 MYR 18.56

-1.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 MYR 7.21

$1.71 MYR 6.92

4.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.26

$1.08 MYR 4.38

-2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MYR 6.94

$1.47 MYR 5.95

17.01%

Eggs

$2.23 MYR 9.01

$2.15 MYR 8.68

3.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 MYR 55.9

$13.52 MYR 54.7

2.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.01

$4.49 MYR 18.16

-0.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 MYR 36.06

$9.94 MYR 40.21

-10.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MYR 12.24

$3.29 MYR 13.29

-7.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.70

$1.66 MYR 6.71

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MYR 10.59

$2.42 MYR 9.80

8.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.71

$1.51 MYR 6.12

-6.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 MYR 4.32

$1.27 MYR 5.13

-15.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.58

$1.38 MYR 5.56

-18.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 MYR 4.42

$1.12 MYR 4.51

-2.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.18

$0.55 MYR 2.23

-1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MYR 18.81

$4.43 MYR 17.91

4.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.43 MYR 78.6

$18.83 MYR 76.2

3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 MYR 12.09

$3.00 MYR 12.11

-0.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.39 MYR 21.80

$4.44 MYR 17.94

21.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MYR 2.06

$0.72 MYR 2.90

-29.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.16 MYR 49.17

$12.03 MYR 48.65

1.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 MYR 6.89

$1.19 MYR 4.80

42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 MYR 1.62

$0.56 MYR 2.28

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.52 MYR 30.39

$7.41 MYR 29.98

1.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 MYR 3.79

$0.79 MYR 3.18

18.99%

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

$44.7K MYR 180.8K

$44.8K MYR 181.0K

-0.14%

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

$36.3K MYR 146.8K

$35.3K MYR 142.6K

2.93%

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

$37.54 MYR 152

$49.59 MYR 201

-24.30%

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

$9.56 MYR 38.66

$9.83 MYR 39.75

-2.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.23 MYR 118

$28.33 MYR 115

3.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.42 MYR 159

$37.05 MYR 150

6.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.82 MYR 19.48

$6.47 MYR 26.16

-25.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MYR 20.10

$4.78 MYR 19.33

3.97%

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

$401 MYR 1,622

$235 MYR 952

70.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MYR 46.4K

$6,971 MYR 28.2K

64.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MYR 246

$56.7 MYR 229

7.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.72 MYR 140

$34.64 MYR 140

0.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 MYR 335

$79.9 MYR 323

3.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 MYR 282

$75.4 MYR 305

-7.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 MYR 1,675

$407 MYR 1,646

1.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 MYR 1,189

$296 MYR 1,198

-0.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$703 MYR 2,843

$716 MYR 2,896

-1.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 MYR 2,167

$545 MYR 2,205

-1.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,142 MYR 8,661

$2,017 MYR 8,156

6.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,255 MYR 5,074

$1,175 MYR 4,753

6.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$927 MYR 3,748

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.24

4.06

4.43%

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

Last update for Penang: November 3, 2026

Last update for Kuala Terengganu: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$294 31.9%

Kuala Terengganu

$296 32.3% 0.8% $2.3

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$258 28%

Kuala Terengganu

$258 28.1% 0% $0.1

Eating Out

Penang

$115 12.5%

Kuala Terengganu

$99 10.8% 13.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$112 12.1%

Kuala Terengganu

$111 12.1% 0.7% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.3%

Kuala Terengganu

$88 9.6% 15% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.4%

Kuala Terengganu

$47 5.1% 5.6% $2.8

Getting Around

Penang

$18 1.9%

Kuala Terengganu

$19 2.1% 5.6% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $414 in Penang and $407 in Kuala Terengganu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20 in Penang vs $23 in Kuala Terengganu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $258 per month, with Penang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇲🇾 Kuala Terengganu

🕒 Local time

14:58 2:58 PM

Same time as Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

375,424

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Penang Kuala Terengganu 320 km

From you

Penang
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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 Kuala Terengganu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $1,384 in Penang and $1,377 in Kuala Terengganu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $414 in Penang versus $407 in Kuala Terengganu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $401 in Penang versus $235 in Kuala Terengganu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Penang – a meal for two runs $20 versus $23 in Kuala Terengganu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Kuala Terengganu 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 Kuala Terengganu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.