Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Setia Alam

For one person, living is cheaper in Setia Alam: $904 a month against $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Setia Alam
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Setia Alam Living Index

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Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Setia Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$904

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Petaling Jaya and in Setia Alam

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

A single person spends $1,056 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $904 in Setia Alam, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,056
Setia Alam $904

A couple spends around $1,569 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,353 in Setia Alam, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,569
Setia Alam $1,353

A family of three spends $2,082 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,801 in Setia Alam, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $2,082
Setia Alam $1,801

Petaling Jaya costs about 17% more than Setia Alam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Petaling Jaya and Setia Alam are more affordable than the global median – Petaling Jaya 22% lower, Setia Alam 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 MYR 14.47

$4.75 MYR 19.28

-24.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.39 MYR 98.9

$24.61 MYR 99.8

-0.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 MYR 19.66

$4.98 MYR 20.18

-2.61%

Cappuccino

$3.08 MYR 12.47

$2.79 MYR 11.32

10.39%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.44

$0.77 MYR 3.10

10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 MYR 1.66

$0.45 MYR 1.84

-8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.31

$4.40 MYR 17.83

-25.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 MYR 23.07

$6.03 MYR 24.46

-5.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.83

$1.48 MYR 6.02

30.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.19

$0.72 MYR 2.91

43.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.84

$0.59 MYR 2.40

144.07%

Eggs

$1.77 MYR 7.17

$1.15 MYR 4.67

53.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 MYR 39.36

$13.91 MYR 56.4

-30.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 MYR 13.30

$2.51 MYR 10.18

30.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.73 MYR 39.45

$2.51 MYR 10.18

287.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 MYR 14.22

$1.19 MYR 4.83

194.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 MYR 7.53

$1.85 MYR 7.51

0.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 MYR 11.08

$1.24 MYR 5.04

120.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.40

$1.21 MYR 4.89

51.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MYR 8.70

$0.69 MYR 2.81

211.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.19

$0.70 MYR 2.83

188.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MYR 5.87

$0.70 MYR 2.85

107.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.13

$0.72 MYR 2.91

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 MYR 18.50

$4.18 MYR 16.93

9.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 MYR 78.6

$19.78 MYR 80.2

-2.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MYR 10.69

$3.49 MYR 14.15

-24.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MYR 18.14

$4.99 MYR 20.23

-10.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 MYR 5.07

$0.75 MYR 3.03

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 MYR 50.5

$12.39 MYR 50.2

0.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.82

$1.21 MYR 4.89

-1.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

$1.21 MYR 4.90

-71.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 MYR 35.47

$4.77 MYR 19.32

83.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.53

$0.49 MYR 1.98

77.55%

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

$45.9K MYR 186.0K

$39.5K MYR 159.9K

16.27%

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

$35.3K MYR 143.2K

$33.4K MYR 135.2K

5.90%

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

$49.61 MYR 201

$61.0 MYR 247

-18.67%

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

$8.18 MYR 33.16

$8.67 MYR 35.14

-5.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.36 MYR 111

$25.85 MYR 105

5.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 MYR 164

$51.1 MYR 207

-20.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.03 MYR 12.28

$6.74 MYR 27.33

-55.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MYR 20.28

$5.00 MYR 20.26

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

$273 MYR 1,106

$235 MYR 951

16.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MYR 42.6K

$7,890 MYR 32.0K

33.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 MYR 209

$72.5 MYR 294

-28.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.45 MYR 119

$26.70 MYR 108

10.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.0 MYR 316

$53.5 MYR 217

45.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 MYR 353

$36.15 MYR 147

141.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MYR 2,073

$522 MYR 2,116

-2.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 MYR 1,729

$313 MYR 1,269

36.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 MYR 3,894

$843 MYR 3,418

13.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 MYR 2,835

$544 MYR 2,207

28.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,144 MYR 12.7K

$2,033 MYR 8,242

54.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$976 MYR 3,958

$1,188 MYR 4,816

-17.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 MYR 7,079

$1,152 MYR 4,670

51.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

12.75%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 25, 2026

Last update for Setia Alam: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Petaling Jaya

$426 40.4%

Setia Alam

$313 34.7% 26.6% $113

Groceries & Markets

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.6%

Setia Alam

$201 22.2% 19.5% $49

Eating Out

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.7%

Setia Alam

$125 13.9% 11.1% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.5%

Setia Alam

$85 9.4% 23.3% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1%

Setia Alam

$96 10.6% 12.2% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Petaling Jaya

$50 4.8%

Setia Alam

$61 6.8% 21.2% $11

Getting Around

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9%

Setia Alam

$23 2.5% 10.9% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $511 in Petaling Jaya versus $522 in Setia Alam. 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 52% higher in Petaling Jaya. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Petaling Jaya versus $25 in Setia Alam. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Petaling Jaya vs $201 in Setia Alam – so Setia Alam wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Setia Alam

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

Same time as Petaling Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

771,687

150,000

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Petaling Jaya Setia Alam 20 km

From you

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 Setia Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Petaling Jaya costs about 17% more than Setia Alam, 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 $1,355 in Setia Alam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $511 in Petaling Jaya and $522 in Setia Alam. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,056 in Petaling Jaya and $904 in Setia Alam. That makes Setia Alam about 14% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $273 per month in Petaling Jaya and $235 in Setia Alam. 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 $904 in Setia Alam. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Petaling Jaya has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $904 in Setia Alam to $1,056 in Petaling Jaya. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Setia Alam. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Petaling Jaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.