Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Tashkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Penang: $839 a month against $1,025 in Tashkent, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tashkent outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

41

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Tashkent
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Tashkent Living Index

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Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Tashkent

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$1,025

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penang and in Tashkent

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $839 in Penang versus $1,025 in Tashkent.

Penang $839
Tashkent $1,025

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,314 in Penang versus $1,630 in Tashkent.

Penang $1,314
Tashkent $1,630

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,790 in Penang versus $2,234 in Tashkent.

Penang $1,790
Tashkent $2,234

Living in Penang costs roughly 18% less than in Tashkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Penang 37% lower, Tashkent 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.65

$6.91 UZS 81.4K

-48.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 MYR 81.1

$33.76 UZS 397.7K

-41.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.71

$5.01 UZS 59.0K

-8.58%

Cappuccino

$3.04 MYR 12.42

$2.56 UZS 30.1K

18.75%

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

$0.73 MYR 2.98

$0.76 UZS 9,001

-3.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$0.34 UZS 3,991

14.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 MYR 17.07

$2.17 UZS 25.5K

92.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MYR 17.65

$3.84 UZS 45.3K

12.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.72

$1.35 UZS 15.8K

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 MYR 4.42

$0.83 UZS 9,736

30.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.24

$1.75 UZS 20.6K

1.14%

Eggs

$2.23 MYR 9.11

$1.82 UZS 21.5K

22.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 MYR 56.0

$8.03 UZS 94.6K

70.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 MYR 17.53

$4.13 UZS 48.6K

3.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 MYR 35.16

$12.77 UZS 150.4K

-32.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MYR 12.43

$1.56 UZS 18.3K

94.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.97

$1.78 UZS 21.0K

-3.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 MYR 10.91

$2.35 UZS 27.7K

13.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.01

$1.73 UZS 20.3K

-15.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.47

$0.57 UZS 6,664

91.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 MYR 4.39

$0.42 UZS 4,930

154.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.67

$1.05 UZS 12.4K

8.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.31

$0.46 UZS 5,370

23.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MYR 18.89

$1.99 UZS 23.5K

132.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.29 MYR 78.9

$7.58 UZS 89.3K

154.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 MYR 11.96

$1.34 UZS 15.7K

118.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 MYR 21.95

$3.54 UZS 41.7K

51.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MYR 2.08

$0.15 UZS 1,814

240.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.30 MYR 50.3

$12.64 UZS 148.9K

-2.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 MYR 7.17

$0.84 UZS 9,870

108.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.52

$0.36 UZS 4,279

2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 MYR 29.72

$3.43 UZS 40.4K

111.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 MYR 3.86

$1.17 UZS 13.8K

-19.66%

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

$41.0K MYR 167.4K

$16.7K UZS 196.5M

145.59%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.6K

$24.7K UZS 290.6M

41.38%

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

$36.55 MYR 149

$67.5 UZS 794.8K

-45.83%

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

$9.97 MYR 40.75

$4.46 UZS 52.5K

123.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.32 MYR 120

$13.75 UZS 162.0K

113.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.81 MYR 159

$63.7 UZS 750.2K

-39.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.98 MYR 20.35

$18.97 UZS 223.5K

-73.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 MYR 19.92

$6.02 UZS 70.9K

-19.10%

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

$430 MYR 1,757

$333 UZS 3.9M

29.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MYR 44.2K

$9,395 UZS 110.7M

15.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 MYR 246

$50.7 UZS 597.8K

18.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.26 MYR 144

$59.3 UZS 699.0K

-40.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 MYR 341

$111 UZS 1.3M

-24.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 MYR 285

$137 UZS 1.6M

-49.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 MYR 1,643

$595 UZS 7.0M

-32.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 MYR 950

$376 UZS 4.4M

-38.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 MYR 2,537

$1,177 UZS 13.9M

-47.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 MYR 1,678

$727 UZS 8.6M

-43.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,212 MYR 9,045

$1,653 UZS 19.5M

33.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,057 MYR 4,323

$941 UZS 11.1M

12.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$943 MYR 3,855

$712 UZS 8.4M

32.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

23.31

-82.67%

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

Last update for Penang: October 5, 2026

Last update for Tashkent: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Penang

$258 30.1%

Tashkent

$197 19% 23.8% $62

Accommodation & Living

Penang

$232 27.1%

Tashkent

$376 36.3% 62% $144

Eating Out

Penang

$113 13.2%

Tashkent

$124 12% 9.9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Penang

$112 13.1%

Tashkent

$161 15.6% 44% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penang

$76 8.8%

Tashkent

$86 8.3% 13% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Penang

$49 5.7%

Tashkent

$76 7.3% 56% $27

Getting Around

Penang

$18 2.1%

Tashkent

$16 1.5% 11.3% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $402 in Penang and $595 in Tashkent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Penang vs $34.00 in Tashkent. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $197, with Tashkent cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Penang

🇺🇿 Tashkent

🕒 Local time

11:30 11:30 AM

08:30 8:30 AM

3 h behind Penang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

2,956,384 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.49 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UZS, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11,780 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.49 USD). 1 EUR = 13,212 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.57 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Penang Tashkent 5,040 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Penang
Tashkent

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 Tashkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 32% 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: $402 in Penang versus $595 in Tashkent. 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 $34.00 in Tashkent. 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 $1,025 in Tashkent – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $839 in Penang versus $1,025 in Tashkent, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Penang but tight or insufficient in Tashkent. 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 Tashkent, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Penang and Tashkent 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 22% less than in Tashkent. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.