Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Setia Alam

For one person, living costs are similar in Penang and in Setia Alam: $913 and $904 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Setia Alam
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Setia Alam Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Setia Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$904

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Setia Alam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $913 in Penang versus $904 in Setia Alam.

Penang $913
Setia Alam $904

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,403 in Penang versus $1,353 in Setia Alam.

Penang $1,403
Setia Alam $1,353

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,894 in Penang versus $1,801 in Setia Alam.

Penang $1,894
Setia Alam $1,801

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Penang 33% lower, Setia Alam 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 MYR 15.11

$4.75 MYR 19.28

-21.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.91 MYR 80.7

$24.61 MYR 99.8

-19.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.38

$4.98 MYR 20.18

-4.02%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.08

$2.79 MYR 11.32

6.81%

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

$0.75 MYR 3.05

$0.77 MYR 3.10

-2.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.49

$0.45 MYR 1.84

-17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 MYR 16.46

$4.40 MYR 17.83

-7.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 MYR 17.74

$6.03 MYR 24.46

-27.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.56

$1.48 MYR 6.02

25.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.39

$0.72 MYR 2.91

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.16

$0.59 MYR 2.40

198.31%

Eggs

$2.22 MYR 9.00

$1.15 MYR 4.67

93.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 MYR 54.6

$13.91 MYR 56.4

-3.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.04

$2.51 MYR 10.18

77.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 MYR 35.27

$2.51 MYR 10.18

246.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MYR 11.83

$1.19 MYR 4.83

145.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.68

$1.85 MYR 7.51

-10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.58

$1.24 MYR 5.04

110.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.67

$1.21 MYR 4.89

15.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.26

$0.69 MYR 2.81

52.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.53

$0.70 MYR 2.83

60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.45

$0.70 MYR 2.85

57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.38

$0.72 MYR 2.91

-18.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 MYR 18.99

$4.18 MYR 16.93

12.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 MYR 78.3

$19.78 MYR 80.2

-2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.18

$3.49 MYR 14.15

-14.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 MYR 21.92

$4.99 MYR 20.23

8.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MYR 2.03

$0.75 MYR 3.03

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.03 MYR 48.76

$12.39 MYR 50.2

-2.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.74

$1.21 MYR 4.89

37.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.53

$1.21 MYR 4.90

-68.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 MYR 30.28

$4.77 MYR 19.32

56.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 MYR 3.83

$0.49 MYR 1.98

93.88%

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

$44.2K MYR 179.2K

$39.5K MYR 159.9K

12.01%

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

$35.8K MYR 145.0K

$33.4K MYR 135.2K

7.21%

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

$36.68 MYR 149

$61.0 MYR 247

-39.87%

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

$9.56 MYR 38.74

$8.67 MYR 35.14

10.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.49 MYR 120

$25.85 MYR 105

14.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 MYR 159

$51.1 MYR 207

-23.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.85 MYR 19.68

$6.74 MYR 27.33

-28.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MYR 19.37

$5.00 MYR 20.26

-4.40%

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

$398 MYR 1,612

$235 MYR 951

69.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.0K

$7,890 MYR 32.0K

34.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MYR 247

$72.5 MYR 294

-15.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 MYR 144

$26.70 MYR 108

32.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 MYR 339

$53.5 MYR 217

56.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 MYR 284

$36.15 MYR 147

94.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 MYR 1,654

$522 MYR 2,116

-21.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 MYR 1,164

$313 MYR 1,269

-8.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,828

$843 MYR 3,418

-17.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MYR 2,165

$544 MYR 2,207

-1.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,117 MYR 8,580

$2,033 MYR 8,242

4.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 MYR 5,111

$1,188 MYR 4,816

6.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 MYR 3,776

$1,152 MYR 4,670

-19.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

1.00%

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

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Last update for Setia Alam: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$287 31.5%

Setia Alam

$313 34.7% 9% $26

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$257 28.2%

Setia Alam

$201 22.2% 22% $57

Eating Out

Penang

$113 12.4%

Setia Alam

$125 13.9% 10.5% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$113 12.3%

Setia Alam

$85 9.4% 24.5% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.3%

Setia Alam

$96 10.6% 26.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.3%

Setia Alam

$61 6.8% 25.3% $12

Getting Around

Penang

$18 1.9%

Setia Alam

$23 2.5% 28.7% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Penang and $522 in Setia Alam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setia Alam pays 24% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Penang vs $25 in Setia Alam. Groceries flip the comparison at $257 vs $201, with Setia Alam cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇲🇾 Setia Alam

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

Same time as Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

150,000

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Penang Setia Alam 290 km

From you

Penang
Setia Alam

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 Setia Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 19% 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 $522 in Setia Alam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $398 in Penang versus $235 in Setia Alam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Penang – a meal for two runs $20 versus $25 in Setia Alam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Setia Alam 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 Setia Alam are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.