Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Petaling Jaya: $1,062 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 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
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,062

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,062 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,822 in Seoul, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,062
Seoul $1,822

A couple spends around $1,529 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $2,847 in Seoul, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,529
Seoul $2,847

A family of three spends $1,997 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $3,872 in Seoul, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,997
Seoul $3,872

Petaling Jaya is about 42% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Petaling Jaya sits 21% below the global median, while Seoul is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.71 MYR 15.17

$9.10 ₩12.2K

-59.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.45 MYR 100.0

$67.0 ₩90.0K

-63.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.87 MYR 19.90

$7.42 ₩9,964

-34.37%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.23

$4.08 ₩5,482

-26.72%

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

$0.88 MYR 3.59

$1.60 ₩2,146

-45.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MYR 1.81

$0.80 ₩1,081

-45.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MYR 13.62

$3.65 ₩4,898

-8.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 MYR 23.24

$5.94 ₩7,974

-4.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.91

$2.05 ₩2,748

-5.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.20

$3.08 ₩4,139

-66.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.90

$4.21 ₩5,659

-65.80%

Eggs

$1.76 MYR 7.19

$3.57 ₩4,795

-50.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.66 MYR 39.49

$17.95 ₩24.1K

-46.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 MYR 13.56

$10.64 ₩14.3K

-68.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.54 MYR 38.99

$26.44 ₩35.5K

-63.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 MYR 14.07

$7.42 ₩9,969

-53.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.90

$3.53 ₩4,743

-45.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 MYR 11.32

$5.87 ₩7,884

-52.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.48

$6.37 ₩8,554

-71.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MYR 8.81

$3.75 ₩5,040

-42.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MYR 8.24

$2.49 ₩3,345

-19.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 MYR 5.86

$2.92 ₩3,920

-51.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.26

$1.15 ₩1,545

-52.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 MYR 18.68

$3.29 ₩4,418

38.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.30 MYR 78.9

$18.49 ₩24.8K

4.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 MYR 11.09

$2.28 ₩3,064

18.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MYR 18.22

$3.28 ₩4,408

35.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 MYR 4.92

$1.14 ₩1,529

5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.40 MYR 50.7

$45.47 ₩61.1K

-72.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MYR 5.09

$3.48 ₩4,674

-64.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

$0.60 ₩805

-41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.73 MYR 35.69

$8.70 ₩11.7K

0.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.59

$1.50 ₩2,008

-41.33%

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

$41.1K MYR 168.0K

$29.1K ₩39.1M

41.13%

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

$32.6K MYR 133.3K

$28.2K ₩37.9M

15.69%

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

$48.53 MYR 198

$209 ₩280.5K

-76.77%

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

$8.08 MYR 33.04

$35.13 ₩47.2K

-77.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.83 MYR 110

$21.18 ₩28.4K

26.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 MYR 212

$57.3 ₩77.0K

-9.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.16 MYR 12.91

$15.89 ₩21.3K

-80.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MYR 20.11

$11.33 ₩15.2K

-56.58%

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

$279 MYR 1,139

$1,902 ₩2.6M

-85.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MYR 42.5K

$22.5K ₩30.2M

-53.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 MYR 214

$58.9 ₩79.1K

-11.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.65 MYR 121

$32.12 ₩43.1K

-7.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 MYR 312

$70.1 ₩94.2K

8.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 MYR 347

$82.5 ₩110.8K

2.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 MYR 1,972

$885 ₩1.2M

-45.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 MYR 1,653

$624 ₩837.5K

-35.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 MYR 3,395

$2,494 ₩3.3M

-66.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 MYR 2,263

$1,275 ₩1.7M

-56.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,121 MYR 12.8K

$29.8K ₩40.1M

-89.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$952 MYR 3,893

$11.8K ₩15.9M

-91.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,744 MYR 7,128

$3,649 ₩4.9M

-52.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.08

10.54%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 4, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Petaling Jaya

$404 38.8%

Seoul

$624 34.7% 54.2% $219

Groceries & Markets

Petaling Jaya

$250 24%

Seoul

$479 26.7% 92% $230

Eating Out

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.9%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 61.9% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Petaling Jaya

$109 10.5%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 0.2% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petaling Jaya

$83 8%

Seoul

$265 14.8% 218% $182

Sport & Entertainment

Petaling Jaya

$62 5.9%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 29.8% $18

Getting Around

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 179% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Petaling Jaya versus $885 in Seoul. 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 109% higher in Seoul, 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 $67.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $479 – making Petaling Jaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

14:43 2:43 PM

15:43 3:43 PM

1 h ahead of Petaling Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

771,687

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Petaling Jaya Seoul 4,620 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Petaling Jaya
Seoul

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 Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 71% more than Petaling Jaya, 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 $1,593 per month in Petaling Jaya and $2,733 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 267% less in Petaling Jaya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $279 per month in Petaling Jaya and $1,902 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Petaling Jaya, where all-in costs run around $1,062, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Petaling Jaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Petaling Jaya costs $1,062 versus $1,822 in Seoul. 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 Petaling Jaya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.