Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Sentul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sentul: $869 a month against $913 in Penang, rent and utilities included – about $530 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Sentul
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Sentul Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Sentul

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$869

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Sentul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $913 in Penang versus $869 in Sentul.

Penang $913
Sentul $869

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,403 in Penang versus $1,351 in Sentul.

Penang $1,403
Sentul $1,351

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,894 in Penang versus $1,833 in Sentul.

Penang $1,894
Sentul $1,833

Living in Penang is roughly 5% more expensive than in Sentul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Penang 33% lower, Sentul 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 MYR 15.18

$3.58 MYR 14.59

4.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.91 MYR 81.1

$22.02 MYR 89.7

-9.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.47

$4.75 MYR 19.34

0.63%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.15

$2.93 MYR 11.94

1.71%

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

$0.51 MYR 2.09

-27.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 MYR 16.55

$3.27 MYR 13.33

24.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 MYR 17.83

$5.82 MYR 23.71

-24.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.60

$1.72 MYR 7.03

8.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.41

$1.02 MYR 4.15

5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.19

$1.44 MYR 5.87

22.22%

Eggs

$2.22 MYR 9.04

$1.73 MYR 7.05

28.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 MYR 54.9

$9.77 MYR 39.80

37.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.13

$3.35 MYR 13.66

32.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 MYR 35.45

$9.69 MYR 39.47

-10.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MYR 11.89

$3.30 MYR 13.46

-11.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.72

$1.67 MYR 6.82

-1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.63

$2.74 MYR 11.15

-4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.70

$1.60 MYR 6.52

-12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$1.42 MYR 5.78

-26.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.55

$1.68 MYR 6.83

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.47

$1.33 MYR 5.43

-17.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.39

$0.54 MYR 2.20

9.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 MYR 19.09

$4.33 MYR 17.66

8.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 MYR 78.7

$13.96 MYR 56.9

38.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.24

$2.67 MYR 10.89

12.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 MYR 22.04

$3.04 MYR 12.38

77.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MYR 2.04

$0.84 MYR 3.42

-40.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.03 MYR 49.00

$12.36 MYR 50.4

-2.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.78

$1.02 MYR 4.15

62.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.54

$0.38 MYR 1.56

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 MYR 30.44

$8.91 MYR 36.30

-16.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 MYR 3.85

$0.80 MYR 3.25

18.75%

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

$44.2K MYR 180.1K

$43.9K MYR 178.9K

0.63%

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

$35.8K MYR 145.7K

$35.2K MYR 143.5K

1.51%

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

$36.68 MYR 149

$48.67 MYR 198

-24.64%

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

$9.56 MYR 38.94

$8.10 MYR 32.99

18.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.49 MYR 120

$26.45 MYR 108

11.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 MYR 160

$38.55 MYR 157

1.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.85 MYR 19.78

$7.36 MYR 30.00

-34.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MYR 19.47

$4.86 MYR 19.79

-1.65%

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

$398 MYR 1,620

$234 MYR 953

70.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

$4,527 MYR 18.4K

134.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MYR 248

$52.0 MYR 212

17.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 MYR 144

$16.61 MYR 67.7

113.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 MYR 340

$78.4 MYR 320

6.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 MYR 286

$85.6 MYR 349

-18.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 MYR 1,662

$426 MYR 1,736

-4.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 MYR 1,170

$275 MYR 1,122

4.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,842

$825 MYR 3,362

-15.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MYR 2,176

$528 MYR 2,152

1.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,117 MYR 8,624

$2,029 MYR 8,269

4.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 MYR 5,137

$1,176 MYR 4,792

7.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 MYR 3,795

$872 MYR 3,552

6.85%

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 Sentul: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$287 31.5%

Sentul

$275 31.7% 4.1% $12

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$257 28.2%

Sentul

$228 26.2% 11.6% $30

Eating Out

Penang

$113 12.4%

Sentul

$111 12.8% 1.8% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$113 12.3%

Sentul

$105 12.1% 7% $7.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.3%

Sentul

$83 9.6% 9.9% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.3%

Sentul

$48 5.6% 1% $0.5

Getting Around

Penang

$18 1.9%

Sentul

$19 2.2% 6% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Penang and $426 in Sentul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays 7% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Penang vs $22 in Sentul. Groceries flip the comparison at $257 vs $228, with Sentul cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇲🇾 Sentul

🕒 Local time

04:25 4:25 AM

Same time as Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

100,000

💱 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 Sentul 290 km

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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 Sentul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sentul is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 7% 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 $426 in Sentul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Penang – a meal for two runs $20 versus $22 in Sentul. 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 $869 in Sentul – Sentul is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Sentul is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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

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