Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Kepong

For one person, living is cheaper in Kepong: $896 a month against $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Kepong
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Kepong Living Index

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Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Kepong

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,056 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $896 in Kepong, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,056
Kepong $896

A couple spends around $1,569 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,392 in Kepong, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,569
Kepong $1,392

A family of three spends $2,082 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,888 in Kepong, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $2,082
Kepong $1,888

Petaling Jaya costs about 18% more than Kepong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Petaling Jaya and Kepong are more affordable than the global median – Petaling Jaya 22% lower, Kepong 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 MYR 14.54

$3.74 MYR 15.23

-4.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.39 MYR 99.4

$24.13 MYR 98.3

1.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 MYR 19.75

$4.99 MYR 20.31

-2.81%

Cappuccino

$3.08 MYR 12.53

$2.98 MYR 12.13

3.36%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.46

$0.86 MYR 3.49

-1.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 MYR 1.67

$0.41 MYR 1.69

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.38

$3.28 MYR 13.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 MYR 23.19

$5.59 MYR 22.78

1.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

$1.74 MYR 7.09

10.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.21

$1.03 MYR 4.20

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.87

$1.42 MYR 5.77

1.41%

Eggs

$1.77 MYR 7.21

$1.82 MYR 7.43

-2.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 MYR 39.56

$9.82 MYR 40.02

-1.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 MYR 13.36

$3.32 MYR 13.52

-1.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.73 MYR 39.65

$9.29 MYR 37.84

4.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 MYR 14.29

$3.40 MYR 13.85

3.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 MYR 7.57

$1.74 MYR 7.07

6.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 MYR 11.13

$2.62 MYR 10.69

4.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.44

$1.66 MYR 6.77

10.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MYR 8.75

$1.46 MYR 5.93

47.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.23

$1.72 MYR 7.02

17.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MYR 5.90

$1.32 MYR 5.38

9.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.14

$0.51 MYR 2.08

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 MYR 18.59

$4.37 MYR 17.82

4.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 MYR 79.0

$13.83 MYR 56.4

40.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MYR 10.75

$2.64 MYR 10.77

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MYR 18.24

$3.02 MYR 12.30

48.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 MYR 5.10

$0.82 MYR 3.34

52.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 MYR 50.7

$12.44 MYR 50.7

0.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$0.95 MYR 3.86

25.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 MYR 35.65

$8.86 MYR 36.10

-1.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.55

$0.88 MYR 3.59

-1.14%

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

$45.9K MYR 186.9K

$43.6K MYR 177.6K

5.24%

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

$35.3K MYR 143.9K

$34.8K MYR 141.9K

1.41%

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

$49.61 MYR 202

$49.67 MYR 202

-0.12%

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

$8.18 MYR 33.33

$8.29 MYR 33.78

-1.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.36 MYR 111

$27.18 MYR 111

0.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 MYR 165

$40.69 MYR 166

-0.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.03 MYR 12.34

$6.25 MYR 25.47

-51.52%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MYR 20.38

$4.85 MYR 19.75

3.09%

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

$273 MYR 1,112

$238 MYR 968

14.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MYR 42.9K

$4,440 MYR 18.1K

136.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 MYR 210

$53.3 MYR 217

-3.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.45 MYR 120

$24.40 MYR 99.4

20.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.0 MYR 318

$82.9 MYR 338

-5.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 MYR 355

$87.0 MYR 354

0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MYR 2,084

$406 MYR 1,654

26.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 MYR 1,738

$291 MYR 1,184

46.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 MYR 3,914

$713 MYR 2,906

34.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 MYR 2,849

$550 MYR 2,242

27.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,144 MYR 12.8K

$1,993 MYR 8,122

57.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$976 MYR 3,978

$1,166 MYR 4,751

-16.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 MYR 7,115

$650 MYR 2,647

168.80%

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 Kepong: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Petaling Jaya

$426 40.4%

Kepong

$291 32.4% 31.8% $136

Groceries & Markets

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.6%

Kepong

$227 25.3% 9% $22

Eating Out

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.7%

Kepong

$113 12.6% 0.3% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.5%

Kepong

$111 12.4% 0.5% $0.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1%

Kepong

$85 9.5% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Petaling Jaya

$50 4.8%

Kepong

$50 5.6% 0.1% $0

Getting Around

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9%

Kepong

$18 2.1% 9.7% $2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $511 in Petaling Jaya versus $406 in Kepong. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Petaling Jaya are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Petaling Jaya versus $24 in Kepong. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Petaling Jaya vs $227 in Kepong – so Kepong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Kepong

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

Same time as Petaling Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

771,687

85,960

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Petaling Jaya Kepong 13 km

From you

Petaling Jaya
Kepong

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 Kepong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, $896 in Kepong – Kepong comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,583 per month in Petaling Jaya and $1,344 in Kepong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kepong, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $406 there versus $511 in Petaling Jaya.

Kindergarten costs $273 per month in Petaling Jaya and $238 in Kepong. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,056 in Petaling Jaya and $896 in Kepong. That makes Kepong about 15% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,056 in Petaling Jaya and $896 in Kepong, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kepong – 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.

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