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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $909 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $957 in Kemaman, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,337 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,416 in Kemaman, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,765 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,876 in Kemaman, rent included.

Petaling Jaya is about 5% cheaper than Kemaman, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Petaling Jaya and Kemaman are more affordable than the global median – Petaling Jaya 32% lower, Kemaman 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 MYR 14.70

$2.52 MYR 10.20

44.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.88 MYR 76.6

$14.10 MYR 57.2

33.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 MYR 19.02

$3.70 MYR 14.99

26.76%

Cappuccino

$2.71 MYR 10.99

$2.29 MYR 9.30

18.34%

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

$0.68 MYR 2.74

$0.49 MYR 1.99

38.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.49

$0.34 MYR 1.38

8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 MYR 14.24

$4.29 MYR 17.40

-18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 MYR 20.10

$5.46 MYR 22.16

-9.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MYR 7.78

$1.87 MYR 7.59

2.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 MYR 3.85

$1.00 MYR 4.06

-5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 MYR 7.07

$0.98 MYR 3.97

77.55%

Eggs

$2.16 MYR 8.75

$1.16 MYR 4.72

86.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 MYR 43.82

$14.17 MYR 57.4

-23.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 MYR 14.45

$3.72 MYR 15.07

-4.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.94 MYR 32.21

$9.71 MYR 39.36

-18.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 MYR 11.18

$3.97 MYR 16.11

-30.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MYR 7.02

$1.75 MYR 7.10

-1.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 MYR 10.04

$3.29 MYR 13.36

-24.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.89

$2.52 MYR 10.23

-51.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.65

$1.70 MYR 6.90

-32.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.58

$1.00 MYR 4.07

38.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 MYR 3.83

$1.07 MYR 4.34

-12.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MYR 2.57

$0.49 MYR 1.99

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MYR 16.74

$4.33 MYR 17.58

-4.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.45 MYR 78.9

$20.19 MYR 81.9

-3.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 MYR 11.09

$4.38 MYR 17.77

-37.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 MYR 15.30

$5.44 MYR 22.06

-30.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.08

$0.74 MYR 3.02

2.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.97 MYR 48.52

$11.70 MYR 47.45

2.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 MYR 4.00

$1.15 MYR 4.65

-13.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 MYR 1.32

$1.10 MYR 4.45

-70.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.35 MYR 37.92

$4.23 MYR 17.15

121.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.47 MYR 1.90

$0.49 MYR 2.01

-4.08%

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

$31.3K MYR 126.9K

$44.0K MYR 178.3K

-28.84%

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

$28.2K MYR 114.2K

$31.8K MYR 129.1K

-11.52%

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

$40.93 MYR 166

$74.5 MYR 302

-45.07%

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

$8.87 MYR 35.97

$9.68 MYR 39.23

-8.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.16 MYR 93.9

$27.84 MYR 113

-16.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.87 MYR 149

$37.27 MYR 151

-1.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.22 MYR 29.28

$5.86 MYR 23.78

23.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 MYR 20.30

$5.73 MYR 23.23

-12.57%

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

$209 MYR 849

$117 MYR 476

78.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,132 MYR 33.0K

$4,262 MYR 17.3K

90.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.47 MYR 197

$108 MYR 440

-55.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.99 MYR 138

$27.79 MYR 113

22.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.9 MYR 219

$75.3 MYR 305

-28.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.57 MYR 197

$78.4 MYR 318

-38.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 MYR 1,911

$389 MYR 1,578

21.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 MYR 1,407

$265 MYR 1,073

31.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 MYR 3,311

$655 MYR 2,656

24.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 MYR 2,200

$467 MYR 1,894

16.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,158 MYR 12.8K

$1,765 MYR 7,157

78.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$210 MYR 851

$896 MYR 3,631

-76.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 MYR 7,066

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Kemaman: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $471 in Petaling Jaya versus $389 in Kemaman. 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 $19.00 in Petaling Jaya versus $14.00 in Kemaman. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Petaling Jaya vs $274 in Kemaman – so Petaling Jaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Kemaman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kemaman is pricier by about 5%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,364 per month in Petaling Jaya and $1,435 in Kemaman. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Petaling Jaya and $14.00 in Kemaman. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $909 in Petaling Jaya and $957 in Kemaman. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $909 in Petaling Jaya and $957 in Kemaman, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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