Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Miri

For one person, living is cheaper in Miri: $809 a month against $1,037 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Miri
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Miri Living Index

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Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,037

/mo nomad

Miri

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$809

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,037 in Petaling Jaya versus $809 in Miri.

Petaling Jaya $1,037
Miri $809

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,499 in Petaling Jaya versus $1,235 in Miri.

Petaling Jaya $1,499
Miri $1,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,962 in Petaling Jaya versus $1,661 in Miri.

Petaling Jaya $1,962
Miri $1,661

Living in Petaling Jaya is roughly 28% more expensive than in Miri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Petaling Jaya 23% lower, Miri 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.62

$3.57 MYR 14.57

0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 MYR 98.8

$12.29 MYR 50.1

97.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 MYR 19.40

$4.58 MYR 18.66

3.93%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.21

$2.39 MYR 9.74

25.10%

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

$0.93 MYR 3.80

$0.83 MYR 3.40

12.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MYR 1.81

$0.30 MYR 1.23

46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MYR 13.54

$2.93 MYR 11.94

13.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 MYR 23.01

$3.83 MYR 15.63

47.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.53

$1.41 MYR 5.76

31.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.16

$1.87 MYR 7.62

-45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.02

$0.94 MYR 3.82

57.45%

Eggs

$1.83 MYR 7.48

$3.56 MYR 14.53

-48.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 MYR 40.53

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 MYR 13.42

$4.84 MYR 19.74

-32.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.51 MYR 38.81

$15.25 MYR 62.2

-37.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 MYR 14.29

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MYR 7.70

$1.98 MYR 8.09

-4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 MYR 11.07

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.44

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MYR 8.79

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 MYR 8.02

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MYR 6.08

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.27

$0.39 MYR 1.57

43.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MYR 18.86

$4.22 MYR 17.20

9.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.26 MYR 78.6

$19.34 MYR 78.9

-0.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MYR 10.69

$3.02 MYR 12.31

-13.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MYR 19.09

$2.39 MYR 9.77

95.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$0.50 MYR 2.04

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 MYR 50.3

$14.38 MYR 58.7

-14.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 MYR 5.02

$1.21 MYR 4.93

1.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.55

$0.58 MYR 2.36

-34.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 MYR 35.75

$6.22 MYR 25.38

40.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 MYR 3.26

$0.68 MYR 2.78

17.65%

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

$41.7K MYR 170.2K

$49.8K MYR 203.1K

-16.18%

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

$32.1K MYR 130.8K

$32.7K MYR 133.3K

-1.89%

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

$49.70 MYR 203

$49.34 MYR 201

0.73%

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

$7.99 MYR 32.61

$9.96 MYR 40.64

-19.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.77 MYR 109

$32.87 MYR 134

-18.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 MYR 214

$28.98 MYR 118

81.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.03 MYR 12.37

$6.10 MYR 24.88

-50.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MYR 20.12

$4.49 MYR 18.33

9.80%

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

$273 MYR 1,114

$98.5 MYR 402

177.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MYR 42.8K

$6,442 MYR 26.3K

63.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 MYR 211

$44.57 MYR 182

16.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.02 MYR 122

$23.03 MYR 93.9

30.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 MYR 320

$54.8 MYR 224

43.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 MYR 353

$42.84 MYR 175

101.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 MYR 1,966

$338 MYR 1,377

42.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 MYR 1,620

$290 MYR 1,183

37.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 MYR 3,394

$594 MYR 2,423

40.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 MYR 2,281

$587 MYR 2,393

-4.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,184 MYR 13.0K

$1,212 MYR 4,946

162.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$978 MYR 3,990

$683 MYR 2,785

43.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 MYR 6,964

$683 MYR 2,787

149.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.12

9.47%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 12, 2026

Last update for Miri: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Petaling Jaya

$397 38.3%

Miri

$290 35.9% 27% $107

Groceries & Markets

Petaling Jaya

$249 24.1%

Miri

$196 * 24.2% 21.5% $54

Eating Out

Petaling Jaya

$112 10.8%

Miri

$98 12.1% 12.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.7%

Miri

$74 9.2% 33% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petaling Jaya

$84 8.2%

Miri

$92 11.4% 9.1% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Petaling Jaya

$62 6%

Miri

$38 4.7% 39.1% $24

Getting Around

Petaling Jaya

$20 2%

Miri

$20 2.5% 1% $0.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Petaling Jaya and $338 in Miri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Petaling Jaya pays 150% 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: $24.00 in Petaling Jaya vs $12.00 in Miri for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $196 per month, with Miri cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Miri

🕒 Local time

12:20 12:20 PM

Same time as Petaling Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

771,687

248,877

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Petaling Jaya Miri 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Petaling Jaya
Miri

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 Miri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miri is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 150% 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: $482 in Petaling Jaya versus $338 in Miri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Miri – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $24.00 in Petaling Jaya. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,037 per month in Petaling Jaya versus $809 in Miri – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $809 in Miri versus $1,037 in Petaling Jaya, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Miri but tight or insufficient in Petaling Jaya. The gap between the two cities makes Miri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Miri 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 Miri 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 Miri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Petaling Jaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.