Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Muar

For one person, living costs are similar in Penang and in Muar: $913 and $951 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Muar
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Muar Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Muar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Muar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $913 in Penang versus $951 in Muar.

Penang $913
Muar $951

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,403 in Penang versus $1,505 in Muar.

Penang $1,403
Muar $1,505

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,894 in Penang versus $2,059 in Muar.

Penang $1,894
Muar $2,059

Living in Penang costs roughly 4% less than in Muar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Penang 33% lower, Muar 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 MYR 15.23

$4.82 MYR 19.72

-22.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.91 MYR 81.4

$29.01 MYR 119

-31.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.54

$3.88 MYR 15.86

23.20%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.19

$3.05 MYR 12.46

-2.30%

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

$0.75 MYR 3.08

$0.76 MYR 3.12

-1.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.50

$0.46 MYR 1.88

-19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 MYR 16.60

$4.44 MYR 18.14

-8.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 MYR 17.89

$6.27 MYR 25.63

-30.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.62

$2.13 MYR 8.72

-12.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.42

$1.07 MYR 4.37

0.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.22

$1.85 MYR 7.58

-4.86%

Eggs

$2.22 MYR 9.07

$2.44 MYR 9.96

-9.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 MYR 55.0

$14.25 MYR 58.3

-5.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.20

$4.44 MYR 18.17

0.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 MYR 35.57

$9.95 MYR 40.68

-12.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MYR 11.93

$3.36 MYR 13.75

-13.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.74

$1.85 MYR 7.55

-10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.67

$2.25 MYR 9.19

16.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.72

$1.51 MYR 6.19

-7.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.30

$1.22 MYR 4.97

-13.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.57

$1.37 MYR 5.60

-18.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.49

$1.16 MYR 4.74

-5.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.40

$0.71 MYR 2.91

-16.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 MYR 19.16

$4.45 MYR 18.19

5.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 MYR 79.0

$19.48 MYR 79.7

-0.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.28

$3.48 MYR 14.24

-13.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 MYR 22.11

$4.99 MYR 20.42

8.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$0.64 MYR 2.63

-21.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.03 MYR 49.17

$10.62 MYR 43.43

13.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.80

$1.19 MYR 4.85

39.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.55

$1.25 MYR 5.10

-69.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 MYR 30.54

$4.87 MYR 19.93

53.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 MYR 3.86

$0.81 MYR 3.32

17.28%

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

$44.2K MYR 180.7K

$44.4K MYR 181.6K

-0.53%

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

$35.8K MYR 146.2K

$34.9K MYR 142.5K

2.57%

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

$36.68 MYR 150

$62.0 MYR 254

-40.87%

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

$9.56 MYR 39.07

$8.88 MYR 36.32

7.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.49 MYR 121

$26.21 MYR 107

12.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 MYR 160

$37.02 MYR 151

5.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.85 MYR 19.85

$5.79 MYR 23.66

-16.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MYR 19.54

$4.85 MYR 19.83

-1.44%

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

$398 MYR 1,626

$240 MYR 981

65.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.4K

$13.3K MYR 54.5K

-20.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MYR 249

$72.2 MYR 295

-15.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 MYR 145

$41.83 MYR 171

-15.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 MYR 342

$84.3 MYR 345

-0.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 MYR 287

$96.3 MYR 394

-27.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 MYR 1,668

$445 MYR 1,818

-8.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 MYR 1,174

$253 MYR 1,033

13.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,852

$617 MYR 2,521

13.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MYR 2,184

$518 MYR 2,117

3.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,117 MYR 8,653

$2,001 MYR 8,180

5.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 MYR 5,155

$1,229 MYR 5,023

2.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 MYR 3,808

$603 MYR 2,465

54.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

4.17

-3.12%

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

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Last update for Muar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$287 31.5%

Muar

$253 26.6% 12% $35

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$257 28.2%

Muar

$274 28.9% 6.6% $17

Eating Out

Penang

$113 12.4%

Muar

$126 13.3% 11.4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$113 12.3%

Muar

$133 14% 17.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.3%

Muar

$97 10.2% 28.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.3%

Muar

$47 4.9% 4.2% $2

Getting Around

Penang

$18 1.9%

Muar

$21 2.2% 17.2% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Penang and $445 in Muar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays 55% 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 $29 in Muar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $274 per month, with Penang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇲🇾 Muar

🕒 Local time

00:02 12:02 AM

Same time as Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

314,776

💱 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

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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 Muar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang and Muar differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($913 vs $951 including rent). Penang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 55% 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 $445 in Muar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Muar runs roughly 12% less than in Penang. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $398 in Penang versus $240 in Muar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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 Muar are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.