Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Kuantan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuantan: $839 a month against $1,037 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Kuantan
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Kuantan Living Index

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Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,037

/mo nomad

Kuantan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,037 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $839 in Kuantan, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,037
Kuantan $839

A couple spends around $1,499 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,219 in Kuantan, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,499
Kuantan $1,219

A family of three spends $1,962 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,599 in Kuantan, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,962
Kuantan $1,599

Petaling Jaya costs about 24% more than Kuantan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Petaling Jaya and Kuantan are more affordable than the global median – Petaling Jaya 23% lower, Kuantan 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.62

$2.49 MYR 10.18

43.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 MYR 98.8

$12.00 MYR 48.96

101.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 MYR 19.40

$3.63 MYR 14.83

31.13%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.21

$2.88 MYR 11.73

3.82%

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

$0.93 MYR 3.80

$0.71 MYR 2.89

30.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MYR 1.81

$0.45 MYR 1.82

-2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MYR 13.54

$2.80 MYR 11.43

18.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 MYR 23.01

$5.73 MYR 23.37

-1.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.53

$1.60 MYR 6.52

15.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.16

$0.82 MYR 3.35

24.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.02

$1.47 MYR 5.98

0.68%

Eggs

$1.83 MYR 7.48

$1.31 MYR 5.34

39.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 MYR 40.53

$9.51 MYR 38.79

4.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 MYR 13.42

$3.28 MYR 13.36

0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.51 MYR 38.81

$4.42 MYR 18.04

115.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 MYR 14.29

$3.03 MYR 12.35

15.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MYR 7.70

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-2.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 MYR 11.07

$2.73 MYR 11.12

-0.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.44

$1.75 MYR 7.14

4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MYR 8.79

$1.72 MYR 7.03

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 MYR 8.02

$1.94 MYR 7.93

1.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MYR 6.08

$0.76 MYR 3.12

96.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.27

$0.56 MYR 2.28

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MYR 18.86

$4.38 MYR 17.85

5.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.26 MYR 78.6

$19.95 MYR 81.4

-3.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MYR 10.69

$1.99 MYR 8.13

31.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MYR 19.09

$1.92 MYR 7.81

143.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$0.51 MYR 2.07

135.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 MYR 50.3

$12.15 MYR 49.55

1.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 MYR 5.02

$1.13 MYR 4.61

8.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.55

$0.35 MYR 1.45

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 MYR 35.75

$9.05 MYR 36.92

-3.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 MYR 3.26

$0.52 MYR 2.13

53.85%

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

$41.7K MYR 170.2K

$34.1K MYR 139.1K

22.36%

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

$32.1K MYR 130.8K

$33.1K MYR 134.9K

-3.07%

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

$49.70 MYR 203

$49.82 MYR 203

-0.24%

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

$7.99 MYR 32.61

$8.06 MYR 32.86

-0.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.77 MYR 109

$24.16 MYR 98.6

10.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 MYR 214

$39.79 MYR 162

31.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.03 MYR 12.37

$6.83 MYR 27.87

-55.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MYR 20.12

$4.65 MYR 18.98

6.02%

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

$273 MYR 1,114

$280 MYR 1,142

-2.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MYR 42.8K

$10.2K MYR 41.8K

2.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 MYR 211

$52.4 MYR 214

-1.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.02 MYR 122

$30.29 MYR 124

-0.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 MYR 320

$49.62 MYR 202

57.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 MYR 353

$48.89 MYR 199

76.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 MYR 1,966

$411 MYR 1,675

17.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 MYR 1,620

$302 MYR 1,232

31.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 MYR 3,394

$692 MYR 2,822

20.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 MYR 2,281

$476 MYR 1,943

17.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,184 MYR 13.0K

$2,015 MYR 8,220

58.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$978 MYR 3,990

$1,090 MYR 4,448

-10.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 MYR 6,964

$975 MYR 3,976

75.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.15

8.67%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kuantan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Petaling Jaya

$397 38.3%

Kuantan

$302 36% 24% $95

Groceries & Markets

Petaling Jaya

$249 24.1%

Kuantan

$212 25.3% 14.9% $37

Eating Out

Petaling Jaya

$112 10.8%

Kuantan

$95 11.4% 15% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.7%

Kuantan

$82 9.7% 26.5% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petaling Jaya

$84 8.2%

Kuantan

$82 9.8% 2.9% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Petaling Jaya

$62 6%

Kuantan

$49 5.9% 21.3% $13

Getting Around

Petaling Jaya

$20 2%

Kuantan

$17 2% 15.9% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Petaling Jaya versus $411 in Kuantan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 75% higher in Petaling Jaya, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Petaling Jaya versus $12.00 in Kuantan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $212 – making Kuantan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Kuantan

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

Same time as Petaling Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

771,687

548,014

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Petaling Jaya Kuantan 200 km

From you

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 Kuantan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Petaling Jaya is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,556 per month in Petaling Jaya and $1,259 in Kuantan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $273 per month in Petaling Jaya and $280 in Kuantan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Petaling Jaya, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kuantan, where all-in costs run around $839, than in Petaling Jaya at $1,037. In Kuantan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Petaling Jaya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuantan – 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 Kuantan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Petaling Jaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.