Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Labuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Penang: $922 a month against $969 in Labuan, rent and utilities included – about $560 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Labuan
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Labuan Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$922

/mo nomad

Labuan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$969

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Labuan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $922 in Penang versus $969 in Labuan.

Penang $922
Labuan $969

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,412 in Penang versus $1,507 in Labuan.

Penang $1,412
Labuan $1,507

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,901 in Penang versus $2,045 in Labuan.

Penang $1,901
Labuan $2,045

Living in Penang costs roughly 5% less than in Labuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Penang 32% lower, Labuan 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 MYR 15.33

$5.45 MYR 22.14

-30.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.80 MYR 80.4

$24.74 MYR 100

-19.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.70 MYR 19.07

$6.91 MYR 28.07

-31.98%

Cappuccino

$3.02 MYR 12.26

$3.96 MYR 16.07

-23.74%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.13

$1.07 MYR 4.33

-28.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.49

$0.41 MYR 1.67

-9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.21 MYR 17.09

$3.82 MYR 15.53

10.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 MYR 18.38

$4.63 MYR 18.79

-2.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 MYR 7.24

$1.77 MYR 7.18

0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$1.05 MYR 4.25

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MYR 6.97

$1.44 MYR 5.86

19.44%

Eggs

$2.23 MYR 9.05

$2.26 MYR 9.18

-1.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 MYR 56.1

$16.79 MYR 68.2

-17.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.09

$4.54 MYR 18.42

-1.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 MYR 36.22

$9.39 MYR 38.14

-5.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MYR 12.29

$3.28 MYR 13.31

-7.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.73

$1.67 MYR 6.80

-0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MYR 10.64

$2.52 MYR 10.23

3.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.74

$1.58 MYR 6.41

-10.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 MYR 4.34

$1.21 MYR 4.93

-11.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.60

$1.38 MYR 5.58

-18.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 MYR 4.43

$1.18 MYR 4.81

-7.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$0.52 MYR 2.10

3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MYR 18.89

$4.30 MYR 17.45

8.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.43 MYR 78.9

$19.07 MYR 77.5

1.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 MYR 12.14

$2.98 MYR 12.10

0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.39 MYR 21.89

$4.44 MYR 18.02

21.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$0.70 MYR 2.84

-27.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.16 MYR 49.38

$12.19 MYR 49.50

-0.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 MYR 6.92

$1.20 MYR 4.88

41.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 MYR 1.63

$0.58 MYR 2.34

-31.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.52 MYR 30.52

$7.38 MYR 29.96

1.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 MYR 3.80

$0.77 MYR 3.15

22.08%

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

$44.7K MYR 181.5K

$44.4K MYR 180.4K

0.63%

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

$36.3K MYR 147.4K

$35.9K MYR 145.8K

1.08%

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

$37.54 MYR 152

$48.90 MYR 199

-23.23%

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

$9.56 MYR 38.83

$9.66 MYR 39.24

-1.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.23 MYR 119

$28.73 MYR 117

1.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.42 MYR 160

$37.51 MYR 152

5.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.82 MYR 19.56

$6.74 MYR 27.36

-28.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MYR 20.18

$4.39 MYR 17.82

13.21%

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

$401 MYR 1,629

$241 MYR 979

66.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MYR 46.6K

$6,912 MYR 28.1K

66.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MYR 247

$55.2 MYR 224

10.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.72 MYR 141

$34.25 MYR 139

1.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 MYR 337

$81.9 MYR 333

1.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 MYR 283

$76.3 MYR 310

-8.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 MYR 1,682

$409 MYR 1,661

1.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 MYR 1,194

$291 MYR 1,181

1.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$703 MYR 2,855

$732 MYR 2,973

-3.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 MYR 2,176

$557 MYR 2,262

-3.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,142 MYR 8,698

$1,970 MYR 8,003

8.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,255 MYR 5,096

$1,191 MYR 4,839

5.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$927 MYR 3,764

$362 MYR 1,471

155.86%

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 Labuan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$294 31.9%

Labuan

$291 30% 1.1% $3.2

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$258 28%

Labuan

$268 27.6% 3.8% $9.7

Eating Out

Penang

$115 12.5%

Labuan

$146 15.1% 26.9% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$112 12.1%

Labuan

$111 11.5% 0.2% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.3%

Labuan

$87 9% 14.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.4%

Labuan

$46 4.8% 6.2% $3.1

Getting Around

Penang

$18 1.9%

Labuan

$19 2% 6.5% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $414 in Penang and $409 in Labuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays about 2.6 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20 in Penang vs $25 in Labuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $268 per month, with Penang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇲🇾 Labuan

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

Same time as Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

95,120

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Penang Labuan 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Penang
Labuan

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 Labuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Penang is about 2.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $414 in Penang versus $409 in Labuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $401 in Penang versus $241 in Labuan. 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 $25 in Labuan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Labuan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.