Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Sentul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sentul: $869 a month against $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Sentul
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Sentul Living Index

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Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Sentul

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$869

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,056 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $869 in Sentul, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,056
Sentul $869

A couple spends around $1,569 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,351 in Sentul, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,569
Sentul $1,351

A family of three spends $2,082 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,833 in Sentul, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $2,082
Sentul $1,833

Petaling Jaya costs about 21% more than Sentul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Petaling Jaya and Sentul are more affordable than the global median – Petaling Jaya 22% lower, Sentul 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 MYR 14.54

$3.58 MYR 14.59

-0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.39 MYR 99.4

$22.02 MYR 89.7

10.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 MYR 19.75

$4.75 MYR 19.34

2.11%

Cappuccino

$3.08 MYR 12.53

$2.93 MYR 11.94

5.12%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.46

$0.82 MYR 3.35

3.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 MYR 1.67

$0.51 MYR 2.09

-19.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.38

$3.27 MYR 13.33

0.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 MYR 23.19

$5.82 MYR 23.71

-2.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

$1.72 MYR 7.03

12.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.21

$1.02 MYR 4.15

0.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.87

Eggs

$1.77 MYR 7.21

$1.73 MYR 7.05

2.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 MYR 39.56

$9.77 MYR 39.80

-0.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 MYR 13.36

$3.35 MYR 13.66

-2.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.73 MYR 39.65

$9.69 MYR 39.47

0.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 MYR 14.29

$3.30 MYR 13.46

6.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 MYR 7.57

$1.67 MYR 6.82

11.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 MYR 11.13

$2.74 MYR 11.15

-0.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.44

$1.60 MYR 6.52

14.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MYR 8.75

$1.42 MYR 5.78

51.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.23

$1.68 MYR 6.83

20.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MYR 5.90

$1.33 MYR 5.43

9.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.14

$0.54 MYR 2.20

-3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 MYR 18.59

$4.33 MYR 17.66

5.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 MYR 79.0

$13.96 MYR 56.9

38.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MYR 10.75

$2.67 MYR 10.89

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MYR 18.24

$3.04 MYR 12.38

47.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 MYR 5.10

$0.84 MYR 3.42

48.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 MYR 50.7

$12.36 MYR 50.4

0.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$1.02 MYR 4.15

16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

$0.38 MYR 1.56

-7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 MYR 35.65

$8.91 MYR 36.30

-1.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.55

$0.80 MYR 3.25

8.75%

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

$45.9K MYR 186.9K

$43.9K MYR 178.9K

4.46%

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

$35.3K MYR 143.9K

$35.2K MYR 143.5K

0.26%

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

$49.61 MYR 202

$48.67 MYR 198

1.93%

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

$8.18 MYR 33.33

$8.10 MYR 32.99

0.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.36 MYR 111

$26.45 MYR 108

3.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 MYR 165

$38.55 MYR 157

4.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.03 MYR 12.34

$7.36 MYR 30.00

-58.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MYR 20.38

$4.86 MYR 19.79

2.88%

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

$273 MYR 1,112

$234 MYR 953

16.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MYR 42.9K

$4,527 MYR 18.4K

132.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 MYR 210

$52.0 MYR 212

-0.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.45 MYR 120

$16.61 MYR 67.7

77.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.0 MYR 318

$78.4 MYR 320

-0.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 MYR 355

$85.6 MYR 349

1.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MYR 2,084

$426 MYR 1,736

20.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 MYR 1,738

$275 MYR 1,122

54.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 MYR 3,914

$825 MYR 3,362

16.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 MYR 2,849

$528 MYR 2,152

32.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,144 MYR 12.8K

$2,029 MYR 8,269

54.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$976 MYR 3,978

$1,176 MYR 4,792

-16.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 MYR 7,115

$872 MYR 3,552

100.32%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Sentul: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Petaling Jaya

$426 40.4%

Sentul

$275 31.7% 35.4% $151

Groceries & Markets

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.6%

Sentul

$228 26.2% 8.8% $22

Eating Out

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.7%

Sentul

$111 12.8% 1.3% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.5%

Sentul

$105 12.1% 5.5% $6.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1%

Sentul

$83 9.6% 2.3% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Petaling Jaya

$50 4.8%

Sentul

$48 5.6% 4.3% $2.1

Getting Around

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9%

Sentul

$19 2.2% 8.7% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $511 in Petaling Jaya versus $426 in Sentul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Petaling Jaya are about 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Petaling Jaya versus $22 in Sentul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $228 – making Sentul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Sentul

🕒 Local time

02:49 2:49 AM

Same time as Petaling Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

771,687

100,000

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Petaling Jaya Sentul 10 km

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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 Sentul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Petaling Jaya costs about 21% more than Sentul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,583 per month in Petaling Jaya and $1,304 in Sentul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sentul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $426 there versus $511 in Petaling Jaya.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,056 in Petaling Jaya and $869 in Sentul. That’s a gap of about 21%.

Kindergarten costs $273 per month in Petaling Jaya and $234 in Sentul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,056 in Petaling Jaya and $869 in Sentul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Sentul – 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 Sentul. 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.