Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Miri

For one person, living is cheaper in Miri: $805 a month against $913 in Penang, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Penang despite lower rent and utilities.

44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
Learn more

Penang Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Miri
Learn more

Miri Living Index

Jump to prices

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Miri

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$805

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Miri

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $913 in Penang versus $805 in Miri.

Penang $913
Miri $805

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,403 in Penang versus $1,224 in Miri.

Penang $1,403
Miri $1,224

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,894 in Penang versus $1,644 in Miri.

Penang $1,894
Miri $1,644

Living in Penang is roughly 13% more expensive than in Miri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Penang 33% lower, Miri 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 MYR 15.11

$3.55 MYR 14.40

5.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.91 MYR 80.7

$12.12 MYR 49.15

64.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.38

$4.42 MYR 17.91

8.14%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.08

$2.26 MYR 9.15

31.86%

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

$0.75 MYR 3.05

$0.80 MYR 3.24

-6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.49

$0.30 MYR 1.22

23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 MYR 16.46

$2.90 MYR 11.77

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 MYR 17.74

$3.86 MYR 15.65

13.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.56

$1.40 MYR 5.69

32.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.39

$1.80 MYR 7.29

-40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.16

$0.99 MYR 4.02

77.78%

Eggs

$2.22 MYR 9.00

$3.43 MYR 13.89

-35.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 MYR 54.6

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.04

$4.88 MYR 19.80

-8.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 MYR 35.27

$14.99 MYR 60.8

-41.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MYR 11.83

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.68

$1.96 MYR 7.95

-15.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.58

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.67

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.26

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.53

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.45

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.38

$0.39 MYR 1.57

51.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 MYR 18.99

$4.29 MYR 17.39

9.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 MYR 78.3

$19.71 MYR 79.9

-2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.18

$3.00 MYR 12.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 MYR 21.92

$2.33 MYR 9.46

132.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MYR 2.03

$0.47 MYR 1.92

6.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.03 MYR 48.76

$14.01 MYR 56.8

-14.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.74

$1.25 MYR 5.05

32.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.53

$0.59 MYR 2.38

-35.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 MYR 30.28

$5.98 MYR 24.24

24.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 MYR 3.83

$0.64 MYR 2.61

48.44%

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

$44.2K MYR 179.2K

$49.6K MYR 201.0K

-10.87%

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

$35.8K MYR 145.0K

$32.5K MYR 131.8K

10.00%

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

$36.68 MYR 149

$49.18 MYR 199

-25.42%

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

$9.56 MYR 38.74

$9.92 MYR 40.21

-3.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.49 MYR 120

$33.44 MYR 136

-11.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 MYR 159

$29.19 MYR 118

34.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.85 MYR 19.68

$6.25 MYR 25.35

-22.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MYR 19.37

$4.33 MYR 17.57

10.39%

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

$398 MYR 1,612

$99.5 MYR 403

299.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.0K

$6,535 MYR 26.5K

62.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MYR 247

$44.80 MYR 182

36.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 MYR 144

$23.11 MYR 93.7

53.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 MYR 339

$55.3 MYR 224

51.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 MYR 284

$43.17 MYR 175

62.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 MYR 1,654

$348 MYR 1,409

17.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 MYR 1,164

$289 MYR 1,173

-0.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,828

$589 MYR 2,388

18.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MYR 2,165

$578 MYR 2,343

-7.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,117 MYR 8,580

$1,201 MYR 4,868

76.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 MYR 5,111

$680 MYR 2,756

85.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 MYR 3,776

$688 MYR 2,789

35.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

4.12

-1.94%

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

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Last update for Miri: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$287 31.5%

Miri

$289 36% 0.8% $2.3

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$257 28.2%

Miri

$195 * 24.2% 24.4% $63

Eating Out

Penang

$113 12.4%

Miri

$95 11.9% 15.9% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$113 12.3%

Miri

$75 9.3% 33.5% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.3%

Miri

$93 11.5% 22.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.3%

Miri

$38 4.7% 22.4% $11

Getting Around

Penang

$18 1.9%

Miri

$20 2.5% 14.2% $2.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Penang and $348 in Miri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays 35% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Penang vs $12 in Miri for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $195 per month, with Miri cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇲🇾 Miri

🕒 Local time

22:26 10:26 PM

Same time as Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

248,877

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Penang Miri 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Penang
Miri

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 Miri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miri is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Penang, 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: $408 in Penang versus $348 in Miri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Miri – a meal for two runs $12 versus $20 in Penang. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $913 per month in Penang versus $805 in Miri – Miri is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

It comes down to priorities – Miri wins on affordability, Penang on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.