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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,036 in Petaling Jaya versus $976 in Labuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,491 in Petaling Jaya versus $1,496 in Labuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,946 in Petaling Jaya versus $2,016 in Labuan.

Living in Petaling Jaya is roughly 6% more expensive than in Labuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Petaling Jaya 24% lower, Labuan 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.60 MYR 14.70

$5.49 MYR 22.41

-34.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.59 MYR 100

$25.04 MYR 102

-1.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 MYR 20.20

$6.84 MYR 27.92

-27.63%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.17

$3.99 MYR 16.28

-25.31%

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

$0.92 MYR 3.75

$1.07 MYR 4.37

-14.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.70

$0.42 MYR 1.69

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MYR 13.28

$4.11 MYR 16.77

-20.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 MYR 24.01

$3.77 MYR 15.37

56.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 MYR 7.62

$1.77 MYR 7.23

5.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$1.09 MYR 4.45

-3.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.15

$1.43 MYR 5.84

5.59%

Eggs

$1.78 MYR 7.25

$1.91 MYR 7.78

-6.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.85 MYR 40.17

$16.99 MYR 69.3

-42.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 MYR 13.72

$4.54 MYR 18.50

-25.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.56 MYR 39.00

$9.91 MYR 40.43

-3.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 MYR 14.12

$3.11 MYR 12.71

11.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 MYR 7.83

$1.84 MYR 7.49

4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 MYR 10.92

$2.38 MYR 9.71

12.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.42

$1.39 MYR 5.66

30.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MYR 8.47

$1.34 MYR 5.48

55.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MYR 8.11

$1.22 MYR 4.97

63.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 MYR 6.10

$1.14 MYR 4.66

31.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.16

$0.53 MYR 2.15

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MYR 18.19

$4.65 MYR 18.98

-4.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 MYR 79.0

$21.54 MYR 87.9

-10.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 MYR 10.74

$2.53 MYR 10.32

3.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 MYR 18.43

$3.39 MYR 13.81

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 MYR 5.15

$0.84 MYR 3.45

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.42 MYR 50.7

$13.20 MYR 53.9

-5.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 MYR 5.15

$1.41 MYR 5.77

-10.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.47

$0.50 MYR 2.02

-28.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.15 MYR 37.34

$7.83 MYR 31.96

16.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 MYR 3.20

$0.78 MYR 3.18

1.28%

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

$41.6K MYR 169.7K

$43.6K MYR 178.0K

-4.67%

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

$32.4K MYR 132.4K

$31.3K MYR 127.5K

3.82%

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

$49.66 MYR 203

$50.1 MYR 204

-0.92%

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

$8.04 MYR 32.81

$9.61 MYR 39.18

-16.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.49 MYR 112

$28.20 MYR 115

-2.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MYR 212

$43.96 MYR 179

17.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.06 MYR 12.49

$6.76 MYR 27.58

-54.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.79 MYR 19.54

$4.46 MYR 18.21

7.40%

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

$282 MYR 1,152

$194 MYR 790

45.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MYR 42.9K

$4,758 MYR 19.4K

121.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 MYR 208

$60.6 MYR 247

-16.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.19 MYR 123

$34.51 MYR 141

-12.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 MYR 322

$80.3 MYR 328

-1.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.4 MYR 344

$72.1 MYR 294

17.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 MYR 1,963

$452 MYR 1,845

6.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 MYR 1,634

$311 MYR 1,270

28.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$861 MYR 3,511

$701 MYR 2,858

22.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 MYR 2,307

$521 MYR 2,124

8.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,210 MYR 13.1K

$1,900 MYR 7,751

68.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$975 MYR 3,977

$1,043 MYR 4,255

-6.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,709 MYR 6,973

$375 MYR 1,531

355.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.2

7.38%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: September 15, 2026

Last update for Labuan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Petaling Jaya and $452 in Labuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Petaling Jaya pays 355% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Petaling Jaya vs $25.00 in Labuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $268 per month, with Petaling Jaya cheaper across the board.

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 Labuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Labuan is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 355% higher in Petaling Jaya, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $481 in Petaling Jaya versus $452 in Labuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Petaling Jaya versus $194 in Labuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Petaling Jaya pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $976 in Labuan versus $1,036 in Petaling Jaya, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Labuan but tight or insufficient in Petaling Jaya. The gap between the two cities makes Labuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Labuan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Petaling Jaya, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Petaling Jaya and Labuan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Labuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Petaling Jaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.