Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Kulim

For one person, living costs are similar in Penang and in Kulim: $913 and $891 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Kulim
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Kulim Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Kulim

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Kulim

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

A single person spends $913 per month in Penang vs $891 in Kulim, rent included.

Penang $913
Kulim $891

A couple spends around $1,403 per month in Penang vs $1,374 in Kulim, rent included.

Penang $1,403
Kulim $1,374

A family of three spends $1,894 per month in Penang vs $1,857 in Kulim, rent included.

Penang $1,894
Kulim $1,857

Penang costs about 2% more than Kulim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Penang and Kulim are more affordable than the global median – Penang 33% lower, Kulim 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 MYR 15.23

$3.72 MYR 15.21

0.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.91 MYR 81.4

$19.45 MYR 79.5

2.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.53

$4.53 MYR 18.50

5.52%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.18

$2.89 MYR 11.80

3.11%

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

$0.75 MYR 3.08

$0.78 MYR 3.20

-3.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.50

$0.42 MYR 1.71

-11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 MYR 16.60

$3.90 MYR 15.95

4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 MYR 17.88

$4.61 MYR 18.82

-4.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.62

$1.96 MYR 7.99

-5.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.42

$1.23 MYR 5.02

-12.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.21

$1.30 MYR 5.31

35.38%

Eggs

$2.22 MYR 9.07

$2.23 MYR 9.10

-0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 MYR 55.0

$12.68 MYR 51.8

6.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.19

$3.85 MYR 15.75

15.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 MYR 35.56

$10.72 MYR 43.82

-18.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MYR 11.93

$3.05 MYR 12.46

-4.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.74

$1.89 MYR 7.71

-12.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.67

$2.55 MYR 10.40

2.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.72

$1.44 MYR 5.90

-2.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.29

$1.19 MYR 4.85

-11.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.56

$1.36 MYR 5.55

-17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.48

$1.08 MYR 4.42

1.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.40

$0.53 MYR 2.16

11.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 MYR 19.15

$4.47 MYR 18.28

4.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 MYR 78.9

$21.05 MYR 86.1

-8.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.28

$3.07 MYR 12.53

-2.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 MYR 22.10

$3.90 MYR 15.95

38.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$0.75 MYR 3.06

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.03 MYR 49.15

$12.64 MYR 51.7

-4.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.80

$1.04 MYR 4.24

59.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.55

$0.56 MYR 2.29

-32.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 MYR 30.53

$8.26 MYR 33.75

-9.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 MYR 3.86

$0.74 MYR 3.01

28.38%

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

$44.2K MYR 180.6K

$48.9K MYR 199.7K

-9.58%

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

$35.8K MYR 146.2K

$30.9K MYR 126.3K

15.69%

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

$36.68 MYR 150

$45.19 MYR 185

-18.83%

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

$9.56 MYR 39.06

$8.70 MYR 35.55

9.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.49 MYR 121

$25.83 MYR 106

14.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 MYR 160

$36.10 MYR 148

8.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.85 MYR 19.84

$7.37 MYR 30.13

-34.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MYR 19.53

$4.46 MYR 18.22

7.17%

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

$398 MYR 1,625

$268 MYR 1,094

48.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.3K

$7,096 MYR 29.0K

49.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MYR 249

$62.2 MYR 254

-1.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 MYR 145

$30.78 MYR 126

15.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 MYR 342

$77.2 MYR 315

8.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 MYR 287

$70.8 MYR 290

-0.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 MYR 1,667

$419 MYR 1,713

-2.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 MYR 1,174

$265 MYR 1,082

8.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,851

$763 MYR 3,119

-8.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MYR 2,183

$497 MYR 2,032

7.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,117 MYR 8,650

$2,141 MYR 8,749

-1.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 MYR 5,153

$1,272 MYR 5,200

-0.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 MYR 3,807

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 Kulim: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$287 31.5%

Kulim

$265 29.7% 7.8% $22

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$257 28.2%

Kulim

$262 29.4% 1.6% $4.2

Eating Out

Penang

$113 12.4%

Kulim

$112 12.5% 1.7% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$113 12.3%

Kulim

$108 12.2% 3.7% $4.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.3%

Kulim

$80 9% 5.3% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.3%

Kulim

$45 5.1% 7.7% $3.7

Getting Around

Penang

$18 1.9%

Kulim

$19 2.2% 10.7% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $408 in Penang versus $419 in Kulim. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Penang versus $19 in Kulim. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Penang vs $262 in Kulim – so Penang wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇲🇾 Kulim

🕒 Local time

17:22 5:22 PM

Same time as Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

319,056

💱 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

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Penang Kulim 33 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 Kulim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang costs about 2% more than Kulim, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,369 per month in Penang and $1,336 in Kulim. 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 $419 in Kulim. 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 $19 in Kulim. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Penang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $913 in Penang and $891 in Kulim. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Penang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $891 in Kulim to $913 in Penang. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.