Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Lumut, Perak

For one person, living is cheaper in Lumut, Perak: $983 a month against $1,094 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Petaling Jaya outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

52

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Lumut, Perak
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Lumut, Perak Living Index

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Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,094

/mo nomad

Lumut, Perak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$983

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Petaling Jaya and in Lumut, Perak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,094 in Petaling Jaya versus $983 in Lumut, Perak.

Petaling Jaya $1,094
Lumut, Perak $983

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Petaling Jaya versus $1,487 in Lumut, Perak.

Petaling Jaya $1,589
Lumut, Perak $1,487

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,083 in Petaling Jaya versus $1,991 in Lumut, Perak.

Petaling Jaya $2,083
Lumut, Perak $1,991

Living in Petaling Jaya is roughly 11% more expensive than in Lumut, Perak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Petaling Jaya 19% lower, Lumut, Perak 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 MYR 14.77

$3.58 MYR 14.50

1.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.78 MYR 101

$12.07 MYR 48.94

105.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 MYR 20.27

$4.95 MYR 20.07

1.01%

Cappuccino

$3.02 MYR 12.26

$2.93 MYR 11.88

3.07%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.45

$0.77 MYR 3.13

10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.81

$0.39 MYR 1.56

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.29

$3.75 MYR 15.22

-12.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 MYR 23.18

$5.95 MYR 24.12

-4.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 MYR 7.92

$2.14 MYR 8.70

-8.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.36

$1.10 MYR 4.48

-2.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.79

$1.86 MYR 7.54

-23.12%

Eggs

$1.85 MYR 7.50

$2.54 MYR 10.32

-27.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 MYR 40.02

$14.18 MYR 57.5

-30.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 MYR 13.51

$4.50 MYR 18.26

-26.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.80 MYR 39.77

$10.18 MYR 41.28

-3.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 MYR 14.56

$3.48 MYR 14.11

3.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 MYR 7.76

$1.82 MYR 7.40

4.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 MYR 10.68

$2.35 MYR 9.53

11.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 MYR 7.06

$1.57 MYR 6.35

10.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 MYR 8.69

$1.23 MYR 4.97

73.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 MYR 8.29

$1.33 MYR 5.38

53.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MYR 5.84

$1.12 MYR 4.53

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.14

$0.71 MYR 2.87

-25.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 MYR 18.26

$4.38 MYR 17.79

2.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 MYR 81.2

$19.26 MYR 78.1

3.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 MYR 10.83

$3.47 MYR 14.08

-23.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 MYR 18.22

$5.06 MYR 20.52

-11.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 MYR 4.93

$0.75 MYR 3.03

62.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.31 MYR 49.94

$12.06 MYR 48.91

2.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 MYR 4.15

$1.20 MYR 4.89

-15.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

$1.26 MYR 5.09

-72.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.04 MYR 36.66

$4.77 MYR 19.35

89.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.34

$0.87 MYR 3.55

-5.75%

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

$45.1K MYR 183.0K

$44.5K MYR 180.6K

1.32%

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

$35.0K MYR 142.1K

0.01%

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

$50.3 MYR 204

$61.7 MYR 250

-18.54%

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

$7.57 MYR 30.72

$8.70 MYR 35.29

-12.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.54 MYR 108

$26.02 MYR 106

2.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.38 MYR 192

$37.25 MYR 151

27.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.12 MYR 12.66

$6.38 MYR 25.90

-51.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.84 MYR 19.62

$4.83 MYR 19.60

0.21%

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

$280 MYR 1,135

$237 MYR 962

17.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K MYR 83.6K

$12.9K MYR 52.3K

59.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 MYR 213

$70.9 MYR 288

-25.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.69 MYR 120

$41.11 MYR 167

-27.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 MYR 311

$84.6 MYR 343

-9.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.3 MYR 354

$94.7 MYR 384

-7.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 MYR 2,105

$418 MYR 1,695

24.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 MYR 1,848

$296 MYR 1,200

53.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 MYR 3,778

$716 MYR 2,905

30.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 MYR 2,759

$554 MYR 2,249

22.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,129 MYR 12.7K

$2,015 MYR 8,176

55.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$972 MYR 3,944

$1,194 MYR 4,844

-18.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 MYR 7,082

$378 MYR 1,532

362.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.17

8.15%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lumut, Perak: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Petaling Jaya

$456 41.7%

Lumut, Perak

$296 30.1% 35.1% $160

Groceries & Markets

Petaling Jaya

$253 23.1%

Lumut, Perak

$277 28.1% 9.5% $24

Eating Out

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.4%

Lumut, Perak

$114 11.6% 0.4% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.1%

Lumut, Perak

$131 13.3% 18.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petaling Jaya

$84 7.7%

Lumut, Perak

$96 9.8% 14.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Petaling Jaya

$57 5.2%

Lumut, Perak

$47 4.8% 17.8% $10

Getting Around

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.8%

Lumut, Perak

$23 2.3% 12.8% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $519 in Petaling Jaya and $418 in Lumut, Perak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Petaling Jaya pays about 4.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $25 in Petaling Jaya vs $12 in Lumut, Perak. Groceries flip the comparison at $253 vs $277, with Petaling Jaya cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Lumut, Perak

🕒 Local time

03:12 3:12 AM

Same time as Petaling Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

771,687

39,595

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Petaling Jaya Lumut, Perak 170 km

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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 Lumut, Perak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lumut, Perak wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Petaling Jaya. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lumut, Perak the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Petaling Jaya is about 4.6 times higher, 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: $519 in Petaling Jaya versus $418 in Lumut, Perak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Petaling Jaya pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,094 per month in Petaling Jaya versus $983 in Lumut, Perak – Lumut, Perak is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Lumut, Perak is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Petaling Jaya and Lumut, Perak are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Lumut, Perak wins on affordability, Petaling Jaya on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.