Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Putra Heights

For one person, living costs are similar in Penang and in Putra Heights: $913 and $927 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
Learn more

Penang Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Putra Heights
Learn more

Putra Heights Living Index

Jump to prices

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Putra Heights

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Putra Heights

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $913 in Penang versus $927 in Putra Heights.

Penang $913
Putra Heights $927

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,403 in Penang versus $1,421 in Putra Heights.

Penang $1,403
Putra Heights $1,421

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,894 in Penang versus $1,915 in Putra Heights.

Penang $1,894
Putra Heights $1,915

Monthly costs are close between Penang and Putra Heights; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Penang 33% lower, Putra Heights 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 MYR 15.17

$3.77 MYR 15.35

-1.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.91 MYR 81.1

$18.15 MYR 73.9

9.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.45

$4.90 MYR 19.95

-2.45%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.13

$2.83 MYR 11.51

5.30%

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

$0.75 MYR 3.06

$0.78 MYR 3.18

-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 16.53

$4.51 MYR 18.34

-9.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 MYR 17.81

$6.23 MYR 25.38

-29.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.59

$1.67 MYR 6.78

11.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.40

$1.07 MYR 4.34

0.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.18

$1.43 MYR 5.84

23.08%

Eggs

$2.22 MYR 9.03

$1.75 MYR 7.12

26.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 MYR 54.8

$14.08 MYR 57.3

-4.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.12

$4.56 MYR 18.56

-2.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 MYR 35.42

$10.18 MYR 41.44

-14.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MYR 11.88

$3.31 MYR 13.49

-11.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.71

$1.73 MYR 7.06

-4.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.62

$2.31 MYR 9.39

12.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.69

$1.50 MYR 6.09

-6.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$1.23 MYR 5.00

-14.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.55

$1.36 MYR 5.53

-17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.47

$1.13 MYR 4.61

-2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.39

$0.55 MYR 2.22

7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 MYR 19.07

$4.40 MYR 17.93

6.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 MYR 78.6

$14.20 MYR 57.8

35.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.23

$2.95 MYR 12.01

1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 MYR 22.01

$3.02 MYR 12.30

79.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MYR 2.04

$0.74 MYR 3.02

-32.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.03 MYR 48.96

$12.19 MYR 49.61

-1.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.77

$0.95 MYR 3.86

74.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.54

$0.71 MYR 2.87

-46.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 MYR 30.41

$4.99 MYR 20.33

49.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 MYR 3.85

$0.87 MYR 3.54

9.20%

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

$44.2K MYR 179.9K

$44.4K MYR 180.9K

-0.57%

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

$35.8K MYR 145.6K

$34.7K MYR 141.1K

3.18%

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

$36.68 MYR 149

$62.9 MYR 256

-41.69%

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

$9.56 MYR 38.90

$8.99 MYR 36.61

6.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.49 MYR 120

$25.85 MYR 105

14.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 MYR 160

$37.32 MYR 152

5.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.85 MYR 19.76

$5.72 MYR 23.29

-15.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MYR 19.45

$5.01 MYR 20.37

-4.59%

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

$398 MYR 1,619

$241 MYR 981

64.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

$5,302 MYR 21.6K

100.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MYR 248

$54.1 MYR 220

12.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 MYR 144

$16.45 MYR 67.0

115.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 MYR 340

$79.9 MYR 325

4.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 MYR 286

$97.9 MYR 399

-28.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 MYR 1,661

$422 MYR 1,716

-3.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 MYR 1,169

$286 MYR 1,164

0.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,839

$707 MYR 2,878

-1.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MYR 2,174

$546 MYR 2,223

-2.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,117 MYR 8,615

$1,818 MYR 7,400

16.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 MYR 5,132

$1,236 MYR 5,031

2.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 MYR 3,791

$1,102 MYR 4,486

-15.49%

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 Putra Heights: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$287 31.5%

Putra Heights

$286 30.8% 0.5% $1.3

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$257 28.2%

Putra Heights

$246 26.5% 4.4% $11

Eating Out

Penang

$113 12.4%

Putra Heights

$119 12.8% 4.6% $5.2

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$113 12.3%

Putra Heights

$112 12.1% 0.7% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.3%

Putra Heights

$98 10.5% 29.1% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.3%

Putra Heights

$47 5.1% 2.9% $1.4

Getting Around

Penang

$18 1.9%

Putra Heights

$20 2.1% 11.6% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Penang and $422 in Putra Heights. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Putra Heights pays 18% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Penang vs $18 in Putra Heights for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $246 per month, with Putra Heights cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇲🇾 Putra Heights

🕒 Local time

23:57 11:57 PM

Same time as Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

60,000

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Penang Putra Heights 300 km

From you

Penang
Putra Heights

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 Putra Heights: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Penang. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $408 in Penang versus $422 in Putra Heights. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Putra Heights – a meal for two runs $18 versus $20 in Penang. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $398 in Penang versus $241 in Putra Heights. 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 Putra Heights are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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