Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Kuching Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Kuching

😐 Solo nomad: Penang is 10.7% more expensive than Kuching without rent, and 9% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Penang is 7.7% more expensive than Kuching without rent, and 13.2% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 MYR 12.10

$2.89 MYR 11.39

6.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.19 MYR 83.5

$19.78 MYR 78.0

7.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.20 MYR 16.53

$4.76 MYR 18.76

-11.76%

Cappuccino

$2.96 MYR 11.68

$2.45 MYR 9.66

20.82%

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

$0.74 MYR 2.92

$0.70 MYR 2.77

5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.44

$0.30 MYR 1.16

23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.49 MYR 17.69

$2.90 MYR 11.41

54.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 MYR 17.35

$3.60 MYR 14.18

22.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 MYR 7.50

$1.87 MYR 7.38

1.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MYR 3.91

$1.12 MYR 4.42

-11.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MYR 8.09

$1.02 MYR 4.04

100.98%

Eggs

$2.15 MYR 8.46

$2.19 MYR 8.62

-1.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.37 MYR 68.4

$9.74 MYR 38.37

78.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 MYR 19.69

$3.85 MYR 15.19

29.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 MYR 58.6

$8.02 MYR 31.61

85.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MYR 10.93

$2.99 MYR 11.77

-7.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 5.79

$1.10 MYR 4.35

33.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 MYR 10.18

$2.53 MYR 9.97

1.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MYR 8.64

$1.82 MYR 7.16

20.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 MYR 4.49

$1.12 MYR 4.41

1.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.73

$1.24 MYR 4.90

-3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 MYR 3.52

$1.68 MYR 6.60

-47.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 MYR 1.93

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MYR 17.13

$4.19 MYR 16.52

3.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.52 MYR 76.9

$21.67 MYR 85.4

-9.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MYR 10.32

$3.88 MYR 15.31

-32.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 MYR 13.71

$3.49 MYR 13.73

-0.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 MYR 1.80

$0.25 MYR 0.99

84.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.36 MYR 68.4

$11.85 MYR 46.70

46.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 MYR 2.68

$0.93 MYR 3.66

-26.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MYR 1.98

$1.10 MYR 4.33

-54.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.19 MYR 28.32

$1.95 MYR 7.67

268.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 1.95

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

$34.0K MYR 133.9K

$45.7K MYR 180.2K

-25.72%

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

$27.9K MYR 109.8K

$37.0K MYR 145.6K

-24.58%

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

$39.37 MYR 155

$41.74 MYR 164

-5.68%

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

$10.01 MYR 39.44

$8.98 MYR 35.37

11.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.45 MYR 124

$25.04 MYR 98.7

25.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.02 MYR 130

$29.52 MYR 116

11.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.53 MYR 21.78

$9.91 MYR 39.04

-44.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MYR 18.96

$4.60 MYR 18.12

4.57%

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

$237 MYR 934

$140 MYR 554

68.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,252 MYR 24.6K

$5,993 MYR 23.6K

4.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 MYR 214

$66.8 MYR 263

-18.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.00 MYR 114

$31.50 MYR 124

-7.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.5 MYR 246

$84.4 MYR 332

-25.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 MYR 207

$71.2 MYR 281

-26.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 MYR 1,552

$283 MYR 1,115

39.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$230 MYR 907

$207 MYR 817

11.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 MYR 2,524

$559 MYR 2,202

14.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 MYR 2,037

$390 MYR 1,538

32.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,335 MYR 9,201

$2,168 MYR 8,543

7.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,191 MYR 4,691

$1,569 MYR 6,180

-24.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$974 MYR 3,839

$546 MYR 2,153

78.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

4.27

-2.58%

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

Last update for Penang: March 2, 2026

Last update for Kuching: March 2, 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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