Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Sarawak

For one person, living costs are similar in Penang and in Sarawak: $913 and $954 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
Learn more

Penang Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Sarawak
Learn more

Sarawak Living Index

Jump to prices

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Sarawak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$954

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Sarawak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $913 in Penang versus $954 in Sarawak.

Penang $913
Sarawak $954

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,403 in Penang versus $1,408 in Sarawak.

Penang $1,403
Sarawak $1,408

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,894 in Penang versus $1,862 in Sarawak.

Penang $1,894
Sarawak $1,862

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 MYR 15.18

$3.58 MYR 14.60

4.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.91 MYR 81.1

$19.96 MYR 81.3

-0.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.47

$4.70 MYR 19.16

1.70%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.15

$2.96 MYR 12.06

0.68%

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

$0.75 MYR 3.07

$0.77 MYR 3.13

-2.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.50

$0.39 MYR 1.59

-5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 MYR 16.55

$3.95 MYR 16.08

2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 MYR 17.83

$4.57 MYR 18.63

-4.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.60

$1.75 MYR 7.13

6.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.41

$1.22 MYR 4.98

-11.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.19

$1.36 MYR 5.53

29.41%

Eggs

$2.22 MYR 9.04

$2.26 MYR 9.20

-1.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 MYR 54.9

$14.46 MYR 58.9

-6.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.13

$4.07 MYR 16.58

9.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 MYR 35.45

$9.85 MYR 40.13

-11.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MYR 11.89

$2.90 MYR 11.81

0.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.72

$1.45 MYR 5.89

13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.63

$2.38 MYR 9.72

9.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.70

$1.31 MYR 5.34

6.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$1.23 MYR 5.02

-14.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.55

$1.24 MYR 5.06

-9.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.47

$1.11 MYR 4.50

-0.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.39

$0.46 MYR 1.89

28.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 MYR 19.09

$4.27 MYR 17.41

9.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 MYR 78.7

$16.86 MYR 68.7

14.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.24

$2.93 MYR 11.94

2.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 MYR 22.04

$4.03 MYR 16.40

34.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MYR 2.04

$0.75 MYR 3.05

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.03 MYR 49.00

$10.56 MYR 43.04

13.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.78

$1.12 MYR 4.55

48.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.54

$0.51 MYR 2.08

-25.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 MYR 30.44

$6.93 MYR 28.22

7.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 MYR 3.85

$0.77 MYR 3.15

23.38%

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

$44.2K MYR 180.1K

$50.4K MYR 205.2K

-12.27%

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

$35.8K MYR 145.7K

$39.9K MYR 162.5K

-10.32%

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

$36.68 MYR 149

$52.9 MYR 216

-30.70%

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

$9.56 MYR 38.94

$10.66 MYR 43.43

-10.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.49 MYR 120

$29.13 MYR 119

1.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 MYR 160

$40.05 MYR 163

-2.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.85 MYR 19.78

$7.22 MYR 29.42

-32.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MYR 19.47

$5.60 MYR 22.83

-14.64%

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

$398 MYR 1,620

$241 MYR 981

65.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

$6,956 MYR 28.3K

52.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MYR 248

$58.1 MYR 237

4.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 MYR 144

$29.97 MYR 122

18.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 MYR 340

$87.0 MYR 354

-3.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 MYR 286

$75.9 MYR 309

-7.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 MYR 1,662

$410 MYR 1,669

-0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 MYR 1,170

$318 MYR 1,297

-9.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,842

$704 MYR 2,870

-0.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MYR 2,176

$491 MYR 2,000

8.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,117 MYR 8,624

$2,170 MYR 8,841

-2.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 MYR 5,137

$1,323 MYR 5,393

-4.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 MYR 3,795

$349 MYR 1,420

167.20%

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 Sarawak: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$287 31.5%

Sarawak

$318 33.4% 10.9% $31

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$257 28.2%

Sarawak

$249 26.1% 3.1% $8.1

Eating Out

Penang

$113 12.4%

Sarawak

$112 11.7% 1.4% $1.6

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$113 12.3%

Sarawak

$113 11.8% 0.3% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.3%

Sarawak

$93 9.7% 22.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.3%

Sarawak

$51 5.4% 5.1% $2.5

Getting Around

Penang

$18 1.9%

Sarawak

$17 1.8% 2% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Penang and $410 in Sarawak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays about 2.7 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 $20 in Sarawak. Groceries flip the comparison at $257 vs $249, with Sarawak cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇲🇾 Sarawak

🕒 Local time

23:06 11:06 PM

Same time as Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Penang Sarawak 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Penang
Sarawak

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 Sarawak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang is cheaper overall, especially in leisure. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Penang is about 2.7 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: $408 in Penang versus $410 in Sarawak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $398 in Penang versus $241 in Sarawak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

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