Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Ampang Jaya

For one person, living costs are similar in Petaling Jaya and in Ampang Jaya: $1,037 and $1,009 a month, rent and utilities included.

51

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Ampang Jaya
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Ampang Jaya Living Index

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Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,037

/mo nomad

Ampang Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Petaling Jaya and in Ampang Jaya

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Petaling Jaya and in Ampang Jaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,037 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,009 in Ampang Jaya, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,037
Ampang Jaya $1,009

A couple spends around $1,499 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,506 in Ampang Jaya, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,499
Ampang Jaya $1,506

A family of three spends $1,962 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $2,003 in Ampang Jaya, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,962
Ampang Jaya $2,003

Petaling Jaya costs about 3% more than Ampang Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Petaling Jaya and Ampang Jaya are more affordable than the global median – Petaling Jaya 23% lower, Ampang Jaya 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.62

$3.69 MYR 15.07

-2.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 MYR 98.8

$24.43 MYR 99.6

-0.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 MYR 19.40

$4.95 MYR 20.19

-3.84%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.21

$3.06 MYR 12.48

-2.29%

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

$0.93 MYR 3.80

$0.93 MYR 3.79

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MYR 1.81

$0.55 MYR 2.26

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MYR 13.54

$4.37 MYR 17.82

-24.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 MYR 23.01

$6.42 MYR 26.19

-12.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.53

$1.74 MYR 7.10

6.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.16

$1.08 MYR 4.41

-5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.02

$1.50 MYR 6.10

-1.33%

Eggs

$1.83 MYR 7.48

$1.76 MYR 7.18

3.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 MYR 40.53

$9.99 MYR 40.76

-0.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 MYR 13.42

$3.47 MYR 14.16

-5.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.51 MYR 38.81

$9.91 MYR 40.42

-4.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 MYR 14.29

$3.37 MYR 13.73

3.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MYR 7.70

$1.69 MYR 6.91

11.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 MYR 11.07

$3.21 MYR 13.09

-15.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.44

$1.62 MYR 6.62

12.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MYR 8.79

$1.43 MYR 5.83

50.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 MYR 8.02

$1.72 MYR 7.02

14.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MYR 6.08

$1.38 MYR 5.61

7.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.27

$0.52 MYR 2.13

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MYR 18.86

$4.54 MYR 18.51

1.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.26 MYR 78.6

$19.73 MYR 80.5

-2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MYR 10.69

$2.85 MYR 11.61

-8.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MYR 19.09

$4.58 MYR 18.70

2.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$1.01 MYR 4.10

18.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 MYR 50.3

$19.59 MYR 79.9

-37.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 MYR 5.02

$1.25 MYR 5.08

-1.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.55

$0.35 MYR 1.44

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 MYR 35.75

$6.21 MYR 25.33

41.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 MYR 3.26

$0.87 MYR 3.55

-8.05%

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

$41.7K MYR 170.2K

$42.5K MYR 173.4K

-1.81%

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

$32.1K MYR 130.8K

$34.6K MYR 141.0K

-7.20%

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

$49.70 MYR 203

$48.90 MYR 199

1.64%

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

$7.99 MYR 32.61

$11.23 MYR 45.79

-28.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.77 MYR 109

$28.37 MYR 116

-5.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 MYR 214

$36.16 MYR 148

45.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.03 MYR 12.37

$7.54 MYR 30.76

-59.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MYR 20.12

$5.04 MYR 20.54

-2.18%

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

$273 MYR 1,114

$193 MYR 786

41.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MYR 42.8K

$4,453 MYR 18.2K

135.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 MYR 211

$53.2 MYR 217

-2.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.02 MYR 122

$30.19 MYR 123

-0.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 MYR 320

$81.6 MYR 333

-3.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 MYR 353

$86.6 MYR 353

-0.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 MYR 1,966

$436 MYR 1,780

10.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 MYR 1,620

$364 MYR 1,484

9.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 MYR 3,394

$1,491 MYR 6,083

-44.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 MYR 2,281

$590 MYR 2,407

-5.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,184 MYR 13.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$978 MYR 3,990

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 MYR 6,964

$836 MYR 3,412

104.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ampang Jaya: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Petaling Jaya

$397 38.3%

Ampang Jaya

$364 36.1% 8.4% $34

Groceries & Markets

Petaling Jaya

$249 24.1%

Ampang Jaya

$249 24.7% 0.4% $0.9

Eating Out

Petaling Jaya

$112 10.8%

Ampang Jaya

$122 12.1% 8.4% $9.5

Clothing & Footwear

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.7%

Ampang Jaya

$113 11.2% 2% $2.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petaling Jaya

$84 8.2%

Ampang Jaya

$88 8.8% 4.8% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Petaling Jaya

$62 6%

Ampang Jaya

$46 4.6% 25.9% $16

Getting Around

Petaling Jaya

$20 2%

Ampang Jaya

$27 2.6% 31.2% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Petaling Jaya versus $436 in Ampang Jaya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 104% higher in Petaling Jaya, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Petaling Jaya versus $24.00 in Ampang Jaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $249 – making Petaling Jaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Ampang Jaya

🕒 Local time

19:37 7:37 PM

Same time as Petaling Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

771,687

531,904

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Petaling Jaya Ampang Jaya 12 km

From you

Petaling Jaya
Ampang Jaya

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

Petaling Jaya vs Ampang Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,037 in Petaling Jaya, $1,009 in Ampang Jaya – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,556 per month in Petaling Jaya and $1,513 in Ampang Jaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ampang Jaya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,037 in Petaling Jaya and $1,009 in Ampang Jaya. That's a gap of about 3%.

Public transport costs about 59% less in Ampang Jaya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ampang Jaya, where all-in costs run around $1,009, than in Petaling Jaya at $1,037. In Ampang Jaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Petaling Jaya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Petaling Jaya has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,009 in Ampang Jaya to $1,037 in Petaling Jaya. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ampang Jaya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Petaling Jaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.