Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Kuantan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuantan: $820 a month against $922 in Penang, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Penang despite lower rent and utilities.

44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Kuantan
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Kuantan Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$922

/mo nomad

Kuantan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$820

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Kuantan

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

A single person spends $922 per month in Penang vs $820 in Kuantan, rent included.

Penang $922
Kuantan $820

A couple spends around $1,412 per month in Penang vs $1,248 in Kuantan, rent included.

Penang $1,412
Kuantan $1,248

A family of three spends $1,901 per month in Penang vs $1,676 in Kuantan, rent included.

Penang $1,901
Kuantan $1,676

Penang costs about 12% more than Kuantan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Penang and Kuantan are more affordable than the global median – Penang 32% lower, Kuantan 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 MYR 15.38

$2.43 MYR 9.92

55.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.80 MYR 80.7

$12.28 MYR 50.1

61.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.70 MYR 19.14

$3.53 MYR 14.39

33.14%

Cappuccino

$3.02 MYR 12.30

$2.81 MYR 11.45

7.47%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.14

$0.67 MYR 2.73

14.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.50

$0.42 MYR 1.70

-11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.21 MYR 17.15

$2.79 MYR 11.36

50.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 MYR 18.44

$5.88 MYR 23.98

-22.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 MYR 7.26

$1.61 MYR 6.55

10.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.30

$0.81 MYR 3.29

29.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MYR 6.99

$1.46 MYR 5.95

17.81%

Eggs

$2.23 MYR 9.08

$1.34 MYR 5.45

66.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 MYR 56.3

$9.73 MYR 39.66

41.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.15

$3.32 MYR 13.51

34.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 MYR 36.34

$4.35 MYR 17.74

105.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MYR 12.33

$2.92 MYR 11.90

3.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.75

$1.95 MYR 7.94

-14.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MYR 10.68

$2.67 MYR 10.88

-1.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.75

$1.74 MYR 7.11

-18.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 MYR 4.35

$1.76 MYR 7.17

-39.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.61

$1.90 MYR 7.76

-40.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 MYR 4.45

$0.70 MYR 2.83

55.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.20

$0.55 MYR 2.25

-1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MYR 18.96

$4.22 MYR 17.19

10.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.43 MYR 79.2

$19.87 MYR 81.0

-2.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 MYR 12.18

$1.93 MYR 7.88

54.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.39 MYR 21.97

$1.94 MYR 7.90

177.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.16 MYR 49.54

$12.05 MYR 49.12

0.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 MYR 6.94

$1.09 MYR 4.44

55.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 MYR 1.63

$0.35 MYR 1.44

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.52 MYR 30.62

$8.92 MYR 36.34

-15.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 MYR 3.82

$0.51 MYR 2.09

84.31%

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

$44.7K MYR 182.1K

$34.3K MYR 139.6K

30.44%

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

$36.3K MYR 147.9K

$35.1K MYR 143.0K

3.43%

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

$37.54 MYR 153

$48.55 MYR 198

-22.68%

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

$9.56 MYR 38.96

$8.40 MYR 34.22

13.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.23 MYR 119

$24.38 MYR 99.3

19.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.42 MYR 161

$37.84 MYR 154

4.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.82 MYR 19.63

$6.51 MYR 26.54

-25.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MYR 20.25

$4.58 MYR 18.68

8.52%

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

$401 MYR 1,635

$281 MYR 1,143

42.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MYR 46.8K

$10.4K MYR 42.4K

10.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MYR 248

$52.3 MYR 213

16.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.72 MYR 141

$30.31 MYR 124

14.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 MYR 338

$49.21 MYR 201

68.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 MYR 284

$49.39 MYR 201

41.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 MYR 1,688

0.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 MYR 1,198

$288 MYR 1,173

2.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$703 MYR 2,864

$732 MYR 2,982

-3.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 MYR 2,184

$561 MYR 2,288

-4.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,142 MYR 8,727

$2,019 MYR 8,229

6.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,255 MYR 5,113

$1,175 MYR 4,789

6.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$927 MYR 3,776

$965 MYR 3,930

-3.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.24

4.15

2.17%

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

Last update for Penang: November 3, 2026

Last update for Kuantan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$294 31.9%

Kuantan

$288 35.1% 2.1% $6.2

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$258 28%

Kuantan

$212 25.8% 18% $46

Eating Out

Penang

$115 12.5%

Kuantan

$94 11.4% 18.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$112 12.1%

Kuantan

$82 9.9% 27% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.3%

Kuantan

$81 9.9% 6.6% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.4%

Kuantan

$47 5.7% 4.8% $2.4

Getting Around

Penang

$18 1.9%

Kuantan

$17 2.1% 5.4% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 in Penang versus $414 in Kuantan. 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 4% higher in Kuantan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Penang versus $12 in Kuantan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $212 – making Kuantan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇲🇾 Kuantan

🕒 Local time

10:48 10:48 AM

Same time as Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

548,014

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Penang Kuantan 380 km

From you

Penang
Kuantan

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 Kuantan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Penang is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,384 per month in Penang and $1,230 in Kuantan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $414 in Penang and $414 in Kuantan. 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 $12 in Kuantan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Penang, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Penang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $820 in Kuantan to $922 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.