Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Penang: $839 a month against $3,182 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $28,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Sydney

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $839 in Penang versus $3,182 in Sydney.

Penang $839
Sydney $3,182

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,314 in Penang versus $4,696 in Sydney.

Penang $1,314
Sydney $4,696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,790 in Penang versus $6,210 in Sydney.

Penang $1,790
Sydney $6,210

Living in Penang costs roughly 74% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Penang is 37% below, Sydney is 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.63

$17.66 A$25.28

-79.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 MYR 81.0

$97.1 A$139

-79.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.69

$11.94 A$17.09

-61.64%

Cappuccino

$3.04 MYR 12.40

$4.00 A$5.72

-24.00%

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

$0.73 MYR 2.98

$2.84 A$4.06

-74.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$2.27 A$3.25

-82.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 MYR 17.05

$7.89 A$11.29

-47.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MYR 17.63

$7.13 A$10.20

-39.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.71

$1.66 A$2.38

13.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.42

$2.79 A$4.00

-61.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.23

$2.32 A$3.33

-23.71%

Eggs

$2.23 MYR 9.10

$5.53 A$7.92

-59.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 MYR 55.9

$12.08 A$17.28

13.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 MYR 17.51

$9.84 A$14.09

-56.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 MYR 35.12

$16.61 A$23.78

-48.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MYR 12.42

$4.02 A$5.76

-24.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.96

$3.15 A$4.51

-45.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 MYR 10.90

$3.50 A$5.01

-23.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.00

$4.47 A$6.39

-67.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.47

$3.32 A$4.76

-67.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 MYR 4.39

$2.30 A$3.30

-53.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.67

$2.34 A$3.35

-51.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.31

$1.15 A$1.65

-50.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MYR 18.87

$45.02 A$64.4

-89.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.29 MYR 78.8

$13.96 A$19.97

38.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 MYR 11.95

$3.98 A$5.70

-26.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 MYR 21.92

$4.07 A$5.82

31.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MYR 2.08

$3.16 A$4.52

-83.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.30 MYR 50.2

$150 A$215

-91.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 MYR 7.17

$3.45 A$4.94

-49.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.51

$1.63 A$2.33

-77.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 MYR 29.68

$39.98 A$57.2

-81.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 MYR 3.85

$1.40 A$2.01

-32.86%

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

$41.0K MYR 167.2K

$28.4K A$40.7K

44.10%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.4K

$29.4K A$42.1K

18.59%

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

$36.55 MYR 149

$220 A$315

-83.38%

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

$9.97 MYR 40.70

$27.70 A$39.64

-64.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.32 MYR 120

$55.5 A$79.5

-47.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.81 MYR 158

$74.3 A$106

-47.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.98 MYR 20.33

$23.95 A$34.28

-79.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 MYR 19.89

$17.73 A$25.37

-72.53%

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

$430 MYR 1,755

$2,157 A$3,087

-80.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MYR 44.1K

$28.3K A$40.5K

-61.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 MYR 246

$78.4 A$112

-23.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.26 MYR 144

$70.5 A$101

-50.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 MYR 341

$111 A$159

-24.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 MYR 285

$132 A$189

-46.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 MYR 1,641

$2,514 A$3,598

-84.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 MYR 949

$1,732 A$2,478

-86.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 MYR 2,534

$4,889 A$6,996

-87.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 MYR 1,676

$3,039 A$4,349

-86.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,212 MYR 9,034

$13.2K A$18.9K

-83.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,057 MYR 4,317

$8,117 A$11.6K

-86.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$943 MYR 3,851

$4,082 A$5,842

-76.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

5.84

-30.82%

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

Last update for Penang: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$258 30.1%

Sydney

$380 12% 47.3% $122

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$232 27.1%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.5% 645% $1.5K

Eating Out

Penang

$113 13.2%

Sydney

$299 9.4% 165% $186

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$112 13.1%

Sydney

$176 5.6% 57.5% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.8%

Sydney

$303 9.6% 300% $227

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.7%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 126% $61

Getting Around

Penang

$18 2.1%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 871% $156

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $402 in Penang and $2,514 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 333% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $20.00 in Penang vs $97.0 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $380 per month, with Penang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

18:09 6:09 PM

21:09 9:09 PM

3 h ahead of Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Penang Sydney 6,900 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Penang
Sydney

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 Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 279% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 333% lower in Sydney. 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: $402 in Penang versus $2,514 in Sydney. 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 $20.00 versus $97.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $839 per month in Penang versus $3,182 in Sydney – a 279% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $839 in Penang versus $3,182 in Sydney, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Penang but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Penang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Penang is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sydney, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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

Expats usually find Penang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 279% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.