Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Gombak Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Gombak

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $912 in Petaling Jaya versus $819 in Gombak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,335 in Petaling Jaya versus $1,234 in Gombak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,758 in Petaling Jaya versus $1,648 in Gombak.

Living in Petaling Jaya is roughly 11% more expensive than in Gombak, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Petaling Jaya 32% lower, Gombak 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 MYR 14.28

$2.60 MYR 10.63

34.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.15 MYR 78.2

$19.17 MYR 78.3

-0.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 19.52

$3.80 MYR 15.52

25.79%

Cappuccino

$2.78 MYR 11.34

$2.25 MYR 9.19

23.56%

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

$0.72 MYR 2.96

$0.71 MYR 2.91

1.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.60

$0.37 MYR 1.49

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 MYR 14.75

$3.59 MYR 14.64

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MYR 20.13

$5.13 MYR 20.96

-3.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MYR 7.82

$1.88 MYR 7.69

2.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 MYR 3.81

$1.01 MYR 4.12

-7.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 MYR 7.31

$1.43 MYR 5.84

25.17%

Eggs

$2.20 MYR 8.97

$1.83 MYR 7.46

20.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.52 MYR 42.97

$10.56 MYR 43.13

-0.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 MYR 13.91

$3.44 MYR 14.04

-0.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.28 MYR 33.81

$7.98 MYR 32.58

3.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MYR 10.83

$2.76 MYR 11.29

-3.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.87

$1.76 MYR 7.19

-4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 MYR 10.32

$2.54 MYR 10.37

-0.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.90

$1.22 MYR 4.98

-1.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.80

$1.17 MYR 4.80

0.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.68

$1.03 MYR 4.22

34.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 MYR 3.93

$0.94 MYR 3.85

2.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.42

$0.54 MYR 2.22

9.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MYR 17.17

$4.19 MYR 17.10

0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 MYR 81.3

$19.32 MYR 78.9

3.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 MYR 11.35

$2.67 MYR 10.92

4.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 MYR 16.20

$3.92 MYR 15.99

1.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.08

$0.68 MYR 2.77

11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.59 MYR 47.33

$11.61 MYR 47.39

-0.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 MYR 4.16

$1.01 MYR 4.13

0.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 MYR 1.34

$1.11 MYR 4.52

-70.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.42 MYR 38.45

$4.20 MYR 17.16

124.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.87

$0.49 MYR 2.00

-6.12%

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

$31.0K MYR 126.7K

$31.3K MYR 127.6K

-0.73%

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

$28.3K MYR 115.4K

$28.0K MYR 114.2K

1.05%

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

$40.45 MYR 165

$41.18 MYR 168

-1.77%

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

$9.18 MYR 37.49

$9.75 MYR 39.80

-5.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.64 MYR 92.4

$23.07 MYR 94.2

-1.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.27 MYR 152

$36.79 MYR 150

1.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.35 MYR 29.99

$5.94 MYR 24.27

23.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.88 MYR 19.94

$4.99 MYR 20.37

-2.20%

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

$208 MYR 850

$116 MYR 472

80.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,031 MYR 32.8K

$4,317 MYR 17.6K

86.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.20 MYR 197

$49.23 MYR 201

-2.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.63 MYR 141

$27.21 MYR 111

27.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.0 MYR 221

$54.8 MYR 224

-1.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.14 MYR 201

$49.55 MYR 202

-0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 MYR 1,880

$380 MYR 1,550

21.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 MYR 1,389

$270 MYR 1,102

25.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 MYR 3,374

$656 MYR 2,678

25.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 MYR 2,196

$470 MYR 1,919

14.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,118 MYR 12.7K

$2,115 MYR 8,637

47.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$204 MYR 834

$1,136 MYR 4,640

-82.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,764 MYR 7,202

$547 MYR 2,235

222.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.49

3.96

13.38%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: July 27, 2026

Last update for Gombak: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $460 in Petaling Jaya and $380 in Gombak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Petaling Jaya pays 222% 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: $19.00 in Petaling Jaya vs $19.00 in Gombak. Groceries flip the comparison at $236 vs $231, with Gombak cheaper for home cooking.

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 Gombak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gombak wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Petaling Jaya. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gombak the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 222% higher in Petaling Jaya, 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: $460 in Petaling Jaya versus $380 in Gombak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Petaling Jaya. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gombak – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $19.00 in Petaling Jaya. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Gombak gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gombak delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $819 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gombak hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Petaling Jaya and Gombak 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 Gombak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Petaling Jaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.