Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Kajang, Selangor

For one person, living is cheaper in Kajang, Selangor: $925 a month against $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Petaling Jaya outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

50

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Kajang, Selangor
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Kajang, Selangor Living Index

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Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Kajang, Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Petaling Jaya and in Kajang, Selangor

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

A single person spends $1,056 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $925 in Kajang, Selangor, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,056
Kajang, Selangor $925

A couple spends around $1,569 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,410 in Kajang, Selangor, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,569
Kajang, Selangor $1,410

A family of three spends $2,082 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,895 in Kajang, Selangor, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $2,082
Kajang, Selangor $1,895

Petaling Jaya costs about 14% more than Kajang, Selangor.

Both Petaling Jaya and Kajang, Selangor are more affordable than the global median – Petaling Jaya 22% lower, Kajang, Selangor 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 MYR 14.47

$3.77 MYR 15.28

-5.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.39 MYR 98.9

$18.15 MYR 73.6

34.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 MYR 19.66

$4.83 MYR 19.59

0.41%

Cappuccino

$3.08 MYR 12.47

$2.86 MYR 11.58

7.69%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.44

$0.79 MYR 3.18

7.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 MYR 1.66

$0.46 MYR 1.84

-10.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.31

$4.48 MYR 18.16

-26.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 MYR 23.07

$6.17 MYR 25.00

-7.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.83

$1.69 MYR 6.85

14.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.19

$1.07 MYR 4.33

-3.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.84

$1.50 MYR 6.09

-4.00%

Eggs

$1.77 MYR 7.17

$1.65 MYR 6.70

7.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 MYR 39.36

$18.37 MYR 74.5

-47.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 MYR 13.30

$4.45 MYR 18.04

-26.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.73 MYR 39.45

$10.06 MYR 40.77

-3.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 MYR 14.22

$3.43 MYR 13.90

2.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 MYR 7.53

$1.69 MYR 6.83

10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 MYR 11.08

$2.31 MYR 9.37

18.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.40

$1.51 MYR 6.13

21.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MYR 8.70

$1.23 MYR 4.98

74.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.19

$1.68 MYR 6.81

20.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MYR 5.87

$1.17 MYR 4.75

23.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.13

$0.55 MYR 2.23

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 MYR 18.50

$4.29 MYR 17.41

6.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 MYR 78.6

$14.03 MYR 56.9

38.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MYR 10.69

$2.99 MYR 12.13

-11.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MYR 18.14

$3.01 MYR 12.22

48.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 MYR 5.07

$0.75 MYR 3.04

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 MYR 50.5

$12.39 MYR 50.2

0.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.82

$1.25 MYR 5.07

-4.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

$0.75 MYR 3.05

-53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 MYR 35.47

$5.01 MYR 20.33

74.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.53

$0.81 MYR 3.29

7.41%

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

$45.9K MYR 186.0K

$43.4K MYR 176.1K

5.61%

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

$35.3K MYR 143.2K

$35.4K MYR 143.7K

-0.33%

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

$49.61 MYR 201

$53.0 MYR 215

-6.33%

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

$8.18 MYR 33.16

$9.61 MYR 38.96

-14.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.36 MYR 111

$25.69 MYR 104

6.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 MYR 164

$42.05 MYR 170

-3.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.03 MYR 12.28

$7.38 MYR 29.90

-58.94%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MYR 20.28

$4.91 MYR 19.90

1.83%

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

$273 MYR 1,106

$234 MYR 950

16.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MYR 42.6K

$4,442 MYR 18.0K

136.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 MYR 209

$53.7 MYR 218

-3.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.45 MYR 119

$16.39 MYR 66.4

79.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.0 MYR 316

$81.4 MYR 330

-4.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 MYR 353

$98.0 MYR 397

-11.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MYR 2,073

$358 MYR 1,453

42.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 MYR 1,729

$274 MYR 1,111

55.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 MYR 3,894

$727 MYR 2,949

32.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 MYR 2,835

$491 MYR 1,991

42.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,144 MYR 12.7K

$2,045 MYR 8,291

53.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$976 MYR 3,958

$1,056 MYR 4,282

-7.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 MYR 7,079

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.06

11.08%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kajang, Selangor: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Petaling Jaya

$426 40.4%

Kajang, Selangor

$274 29.6% 35.7% $152

Groceries & Markets

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.6%

Kajang, Selangor

$259 28% 3.9% $9.7

Eating Out

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.7%

Kajang, Selangor

$119 12.8% 5.1% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.5%

Kajang, Selangor

$112 12.1% 1.3% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1%

Kajang, Selangor

$88 9.6% 3.7% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Petaling Jaya

$50 4.8%

Kajang, Selangor

$52 5.6% 2.9% $1.4

Getting Around

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9%

Kajang, Selangor

$20 2.2% 0.1% $0

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $511 in Petaling Jaya versus $358 in Kajang, Selangor. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Petaling Jaya versus $18 in Kajang, Selangor. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Petaling Jaya vs $259 in Kajang, Selangor – so Petaling Jaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Kajang, Selangor

🕒 Local time

11:55 11:55 AM

Same time as Petaling Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

771,687

1,047,356

💱 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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Petaling Jaya Kajang, Selangor 20 km

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Petaling Jaya
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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 Kajang, Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Petaling Jaya costs about 14% more than Kajang, Selangor, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,583 per month in Petaling Jaya and $1,387 in Kajang, Selangor. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kajang, Selangor, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $358 there versus $511 in Petaling Jaya.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Petaling Jaya and $18 in Kajang, Selangor. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Petaling Jaya – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,056 in Petaling Jaya and $925 in Kajang, Selangor, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kajang, Selangor – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.