Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Rawang

For one person, living is cheaper in Rawang: $735 a month against $913 in Penang, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Penang outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Rawang
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Rawang Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Rawang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$735

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Rawang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $913 in Penang versus $735 in Rawang.

Penang $913
Rawang $735

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,403 in Penang versus $1,173 in Rawang.

Penang $1,403
Rawang $1,173

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,894 in Penang versus $1,611 in Rawang.

Penang $1,894
Rawang $1,611

Living in Penang is roughly 24% more expensive than in Rawang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Penang 33% lower, Rawang 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 MYR 15.18

$3.72 MYR 15.15

0.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.91 MYR 81.1

$19.66 MYR 80.1

1.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.47

$4.97 MYR 20.25

-3.82%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.15

$3.00 MYR 12.22

-0.67%

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

$0.75 MYR 3.07

$0.82 MYR 3.35

-8.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.50

$0.40 MYR 1.61

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 MYR 16.55

$4.23 MYR 17.23

-4.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 MYR 17.83

$4.42 MYR 18.01

-0.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.60

$1.79 MYR 7.30

3.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.41

$1.04 MYR 4.23

3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.19

$1.69 MYR 6.88

4.14%

Eggs

$2.22 MYR 9.04

$2.14 MYR 8.72

3.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 MYR 54.9

$14.18 MYR 57.8

-5.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.13

$4.43 MYR 18.04

0.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 MYR 35.45

$10.17 MYR 41.42

-14.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MYR 11.89

$2.92 MYR 11.88

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.72

$1.82 MYR 7.44

-9.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.63

$2.64 MYR 10.77

-1.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.70

$1.43 MYR 5.82

-2.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$1.22 MYR 4.98

-13.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.55

$1.31 MYR 5.34

-14.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.47

$1.12 MYR 4.58

-1.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.39

$0.57 MYR 2.33

3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 MYR 19.09

$4.49 MYR 18.31

4.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 MYR 78.7

$19.06 MYR 77.7

1.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.24

$2.85 MYR 11.62

5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 MYR 22.04

$4.94 MYR 20.13

9.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MYR 2.04

$0.77 MYR 3.12

-35.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.03 MYR 49.00

$12.26 MYR 49.97

-1.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.78

$1.74 MYR 7.09

-4.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.54

$0.37 MYR 1.52

2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 MYR 30.44

$6.83 MYR 27.82

9.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 MYR 3.85

$0.83 MYR 3.37

14.46%

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

$44.2K MYR 180.1K

$43.5K MYR 177.1K

1.70%

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

$35.8K MYR 145.7K

$35.0K MYR 142.7K

2.14%

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

$36.68 MYR 149

$36.97 MYR 151

-0.78%

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

$9.56 MYR 38.94

$9.75 MYR 39.71

-1.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.49 MYR 120

$28.46 MYR 116

3.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 MYR 160

$37.63 MYR 153

4.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.85 MYR 19.78

$6.70 MYR 27.31

-27.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MYR 19.47

$4.87 MYR 19.85

-1.85%

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

$398 MYR 1,620

$401 MYR 1,634

-0.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

$10.9K MYR 44.6K

-3.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MYR 248

$60.1 MYR 245

1.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 MYR 144

$34.90 MYR 142

1.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 MYR 340

$82.4 MYR 336

1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 MYR 286

$71.1 MYR 290

-1.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 MYR 1,662

$143 MYR 581

186.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 MYR 1,170

$104 MYR 425

174.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,842

$576 MYR 2,347

21.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MYR 2,176

$234 MYR 955

127.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,117 MYR 8,624

$1,963 MYR 7,998

7.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 MYR 5,137

$1,197 MYR 4,877

5.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 MYR 3,795

$1,012 MYR 4,122

-7.93%

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 Rawang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$287 31.5%

Rawang

$104 14.2% 63.6% $183

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$257 28.2%

Rawang

$262 35.6% 1.8% $4.6

Eating Out

Penang

$113 12.4%

Rawang

$115 15.7% 1.8% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$113 12.3%

Rawang

$112 15.2% 0.6% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.3%

Rawang

$75 10.2% 0.7% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.3%

Rawang

$47 6.4% 2.9% $1.4

Getting Around

Penang

$18 1.9%

Rawang

$19 2.6% 7.7% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Penang and $143 in Rawang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rawang pays 9% 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 $20 in Rawang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $262 per month, with Penang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇲🇾 Rawang

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

Same time as Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

50,000

💱 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 Rawang 270 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 Rawang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rawang is about 19% cheaper overall, especially in leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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 $143 in Rawang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $398 in Penang versus $401 in Rawang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $913 per month in Penang versus $735 in Rawang – Rawang is about 19% 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 Rawang are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.