Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Sarawak

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarawak: $933 a month against $1,041 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Sarawak
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Sarawak Living Index

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Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,041

/mo nomad

Sarawak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$933

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,041 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $933 in Sarawak, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,041
Sarawak $933

A couple spends around $1,503 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,391 in Sarawak, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,503
Sarawak $1,391

A family of three spends $1,966 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,849 in Sarawak, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,966
Sarawak $1,849

Petaling Jaya costs about 12% more than Sarawak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Petaling Jaya and Sarawak are more affordable than the global median – Petaling Jaya 23% lower, Sarawak 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.71 MYR 15.12

$3.65 MYR 14.88

1.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.12 MYR 98.4

$19.77 MYR 80.6

22.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 MYR 20.45

$4.75 MYR 19.38

5.47%

Cappuccino

$3.02 MYR 12.31

$2.88 MYR 11.74

4.86%

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

$0.93 MYR 3.78

$0.81 MYR 3.29

14.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.71

$0.39 MYR 1.61

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MYR 13.26

$3.60 MYR 14.68

-9.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MYR 23.99

$4.61 MYR 18.81

27.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.58

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 MYR 4.32

$1.04 MYR 4.24

1.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.84

$1.48 MYR 6.04

-3.38%

Eggs

$1.77 MYR 7.24

$2.04 MYR 8.32

-13.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.89 MYR 40.34

$13.84 MYR 56.5

-28.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.94

$4.30 MYR 17.54

-26.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.75 MYR 39.76

$9.43 MYR 38.47

3.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 MYR 14.07

$3.14 MYR 12.83

9.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 MYR 7.55

$1.71 MYR 6.97

8.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 MYR 10.82

$2.51 MYR 10.22

5.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.20

$1.61 MYR 6.55

9.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MYR 8.71

$1.27 MYR 5.18

67.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 MYR 8.32

$1.15 MYR 4.68

77.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MYR 6.06

$1.17 MYR 4.79

27.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.29

$0.53 MYR 2.18

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 MYR 18.59

$4.54 MYR 18.52

0.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.30 MYR 78.7

$19.12 MYR 78.0

0.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MYR 10.77

$2.94 MYR 12.01

-10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MYR 18.99

$4.51 MYR 18.38

3.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 MYR 5.05

$0.71 MYR 2.89

74.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.20 MYR 49.75

$12.15 MYR 49.57

0.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$1.25 MYR 5.10

-4.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 MYR 1.57

$0.51 MYR 2.07

-23.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.00 MYR 36.73

$7.21 MYR 29.41

24.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.54

$0.82 MYR 3.34

6.10%

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

$45.0K MYR 183.4K

$42.2K MYR 172.1K

6.55%

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

$35.8K MYR 146.2K

$34.8K MYR 141.8K

3.08%

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

$49.02 MYR 200

$48.56 MYR 198

0.95%

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

$8.43 MYR 34.38

$9.65 MYR 39.38

-12.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.13 MYR 111

$27.71 MYR 113

-2.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 MYR 210

$40.76 MYR 166

26.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.08 MYR 12.57

$7.10 MYR 28.98

-56.62%

Cinema Ticket

$5.02 MYR 20.46

$4.92 MYR 20.05

2.03%

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

$276 MYR 1,126

$190 MYR 775

45.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MYR 42.9K

$7,067 MYR 28.8K

48.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 MYR 213

$56.8 MYR 232

-8.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.86 MYR 122

$34.52 MYR 141

-13.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 MYR 312

$79.8 MYR 325

-3.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.4 MYR 348

$75.9 MYR 310

12.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 MYR 1,999

$410 MYR 1,674

19.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$402 MYR 1,638

$299 MYR 1,219

34.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$854 MYR 3,484

$672 MYR 2,742

27.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 MYR 2,306

$477 MYR 1,946

18.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,125 MYR 12.7K

$2,042 MYR 8,329

53.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$950 MYR 3,876

$1,074 MYR 4,381

-11.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,767 MYR 7,210

$339 MYR 1,381

422.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.06

11.08%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sarawak: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Petaling Jaya

$401 38.6%

Sarawak

$299 32% 25.6% $103

Groceries & Markets

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.9%

Sarawak

$258 27.6% 3.5% $8.8

Eating Out

Petaling Jaya

$114 11%

Sarawak

$110 11.8% 3.8% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

Petaling Jaya

$110 10.6%

Sarawak

$111 11.9% 1.2% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1%

Sarawak

$86 9.2% 1.6% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Petaling Jaya

$61 5.9%

Sarawak

$51 5.4% 17.6% $11

Getting Around

Petaling Jaya

$20 2%

Sarawak

$19 2% 7.5% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Petaling Jaya versus $410 in Sarawak. 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 422% 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 $20.00 in Sarawak. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Petaling Jaya vs $258 in Sarawak – so Petaling Jaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Sarawak

🕒 Local time

20:43 8:43 PM

Same time as Petaling Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

771,687

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Petaling Jaya Sarawak 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Petaling Jaya
Sarawak

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 Sarawak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Petaling Jaya costs about 12% more than Sarawak, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,561 per month in Petaling Jaya and $1,399 in Sarawak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 0% less in Sarawak. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $276 per month in Petaling Jaya and $190 in Sarawak. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sarawak, where all-in costs run around $933, than in Petaling Jaya at $1,041. In Sarawak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Petaling Jaya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sarawak costs $933 versus $1,041 in Petaling Jaya. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Sarawak. 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.