Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Kota Bharu Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Kota Bharu

😐 Solo nomad: Petaling Jaya is 7% more expensive than Kota Bharu without rent, and 38.6% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Petaling Jaya is 18.7% more expensive than Kota Bharu without rent, and 13.3% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Petaling Jaya
Kota Bharu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.45 MYR 13.65
$1.76 MYR 6.95
96.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.09 MYR 75.4
$20.93 MYR 82.7
-8.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.58 MYR 18.09
$4.20 MYR 16.59
9.05%
Cappuccino
$2.82 MYR 11.12
$2.31 MYR 9.14
22.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 MYR 2.63
$0.46 MYR 1.81
45.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39 MYR 1.55
$0.25 MYR 0.99
56.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.44 MYR 13.61
$4.27 MYR 16.88
-19.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.21 MYR 20.59
$4.28 MYR 16.92
21.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Petaling Jaya
Kota Bharu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.87 MYR 7.40
$1.49 MYR 5.88
25.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 MYR 4.04
$0.77 MYR 3.03
32.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.79 MYR 7.06
$0.77 MYR 3.05
132.47%
Eggs
$2.26 MYR 8.93
$1.48 MYR 5.85
52.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.46 MYR 41.33
$15.12 MYR 59.7
-30.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.39 MYR 13.39
$2.96 MYR 11.71
14.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.22 MYR 32.47
$6.21 MYR 24.55
32.37%
Apples (1kg)
$2.63 MYR 10.40
$1.43 MYR 5.65
83.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 MYR 6.65
$1.45 MYR 5.73
15.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.47 MYR 9.75
$1.38 MYR 5.46
78.99%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.24 MYR 4.91
$0.90 MYR 3.55
37.78%
Potato (1kg)
$1.14 MYR 4.50
$0.81 MYR 3.22
40.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.34 MYR 5.30
$1.20 MYR 4.75
11.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.95 MYR 3.76
$0.95 MYR 3.74
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.62 MYR 2.45
$0.40 MYR 1.59
55.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.35 MYR 17.20
$3.04 MYR 12.01
43.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.85 MYR 78.4
$19.44 MYR 76.8
2.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.69 MYR 10.64
$1.39 MYR 5.50
93.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.93 MYR 15.52
$3.39 MYR 13.40
15.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Petaling Jaya
Kota Bharu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 MYR 2.98
$0.70 MYR 2.75
7.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.61 MYR 45.86
$11.85 MYR 46.80
-2.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.98 MYR 3.89
$0.70 MYR 2.76
40.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.33 MYR 1.29
$0.53 MYR 2.10
-37.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.45 MYR 37.35
$3.60 MYR 14.22
162.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.47 MYR 1.85
$0.50 MYR 1.99
-6.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.1K MYR 122.7K
$30.1K MYR 119.0K
3.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.0K MYR 110.5K
$27.2K MYR 107.5K
2.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Petaling Jaya
Kota Bharu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$40.62 MYR 160
$39.15 MYR 155
3.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.08 MYR 35.87
$8.41 MYR 33.22
7.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.14 MYR 91.4
$26.11 MYR 103
-11.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Petaling Jaya
Kota Bharu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.14 MYR 147
$37.05 MYR 146
0.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.19 MYR 28.39
$5.84 MYR 23.08
23.12%
Cinema Ticket
$4.93 MYR 19.47
$4.27 MYR 16.87
15.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Petaling Jaya
Kota Bharu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$211 MYR 833
$119 MYR 470
77.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,152 MYR 32.2K
$6,291 MYR 24.8K
29.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Petaling Jaya
Kota Bharu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.59 MYR 196
$52.2 MYR 206
-5.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.85 MYR 138
$18.77 MYR 74.1
85.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$54.7 MYR 216
$61.6 MYR 243
-11.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$49.12 MYR 194
$52.6 MYR 208
-6.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Petaling Jaya
Kota Bharu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$455 MYR 1,798
$264 MYR 1,044
72.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$347 MYR 1,371
$140 MYR 553
147.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$828 MYR 3,271
$860 MYR 3,395
-3.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$536 MYR 2,118
$476 MYR 1,880
12.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,238 MYR 12.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$217 MYR 856
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Petaling Jaya
Kota Bharu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,792 MYR 7,079
$304 MYR 1,199
490.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.49
4.16
7.93%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: April 13, 2026

Last update for Kota Bharu: April 13, 2026

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 other spots: cost of living compared

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