Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Subang Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Petaling Jaya: $1,056 a month against $1,288 in Subang Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Subang Jaya
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Subang Jaya Living Index

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Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Subang Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,288

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,056 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,288 in Subang Jaya, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,056
Subang Jaya $1,288

A couple spends around $1,569 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,775 in Subang Jaya, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,569
Subang Jaya $1,775

A family of three spends $2,082 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $2,262 in Subang Jaya, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $2,082
Subang Jaya $2,262

Petaling Jaya is about 18% cheaper than Subang Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Petaling Jaya and Subang Jaya are more affordable than the global median – Petaling Jaya 22% lower, Subang Jaya 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 MYR 14.54

$3.63 MYR 14.81

-1.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.39 MYR 99.4

$19.42 MYR 79.2

25.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 MYR 19.75

$4.60 MYR 18.75

5.43%

Cappuccino

$3.08 MYR 12.53

$2.92 MYR 11.90

5.48%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.46

$0.72 MYR 2.94

18.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 MYR 1.67

$0.37 MYR 1.50

10.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.38

$4.06 MYR 16.56

-19.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 MYR 23.19

$4.43 MYR 18.05

28.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

$1.80 MYR 7.32

7.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.21

$1.06 MYR 4.32

-2.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.87

$1.77 MYR 7.19

-18.64%

Eggs

$1.77 MYR 7.21

$2.25 MYR 9.19

-21.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 MYR 39.56

$13.84 MYR 56.4

-29.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 MYR 13.36

$4.42 MYR 18.01

-25.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.73 MYR 39.65

$8.78 MYR 35.79

10.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 MYR 14.29

$3.08 MYR 12.53

13.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 MYR 7.57

$1.83 MYR 7.45

1.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 MYR 11.13

$2.21 MYR 9.02

23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.44

$1.45 MYR 5.93

26.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MYR 8.75

$1.07 MYR 4.35

100.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.23

$1.08 MYR 4.42

87.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MYR 5.90

$1.09 MYR 4.44

33.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.14

$0.54 MYR 2.18

-3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 MYR 18.59

$4.38 MYR 17.84

4.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 MYR 79.0

$18.79 MYR 76.6

3.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MYR 10.75

$2.99 MYR 12.16

-11.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MYR 18.24

$4.87 MYR 19.84

-8.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 MYR 5.10

$0.25 MYR 1.02

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 MYR 50.7

$24.29 MYR 99.0

-48.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$1.24 MYR 5.06

-4.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

$0.40 MYR 1.64

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 MYR 35.65

$4.93 MYR 20.10

77.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.55

$0.87 MYR 3.56

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

$45.9K MYR 186.9K

$44.0K MYR 179.5K

4.15%

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

$35.3K MYR 143.9K

$35.0K MYR 142.8K

0.78%

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

$49.61 MYR 202

$37.37 MYR 152

32.75%

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

$8.18 MYR 33.33

$10.06 MYR 40.99

-18.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.36 MYR 111

$28.58 MYR 116

-4.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 MYR 165

$31.43 MYR 128

28.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.03 MYR 12.34

$2.51 MYR 10.23

20.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MYR 20.38

$4.87 MYR 19.83

2.67%

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

$273 MYR 1,112

$396 MYR 1,615

-31.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MYR 42.9K

$10.8K MYR 44.1K

-2.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 MYR 210

$59.2 MYR 241

-12.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.45 MYR 120

$35.42 MYR 144

-16.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.0 MYR 318

$84.0 MYR 342

-7.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 MYR 355

$71.0 MYR 289

22.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MYR 2,084

$851 MYR 3,469

-39.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 MYR 1,738

$663 MYR 2,701

-35.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 MYR 3,914

$1,068 MYR 4,350

-10.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 MYR 2,849

$906 MYR 3,693

-22.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,144 MYR 12.8K

$2,344 MYR 9,551

34.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$976 MYR 3,978

$1,876 MYR 7,643

-47.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 MYR 7,115

$933 MYR 3,800

87.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.04

11.63%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 25, 2026

Last update for Subang Jaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Petaling Jaya

$426 40.4%

Subang Jaya

$663 51.5% 55.5% $236

Groceries & Markets

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.6%

Subang Jaya

$255 19.8% 2.4% $6.1

Eating Out

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.7%

Subang Jaya

$111 8.7% 1.2% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.5%

Subang Jaya

$112 8.7% 1.3% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1%

Subang Jaya

$76 5.9% 10.7% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Petaling Jaya

$50 4.8%

Subang Jaya

$41 3.2% 18.4% $9.3

Getting Around

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9%

Subang Jaya

$29 2.2% 39.8% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $511 in Petaling Jaya versus $851 in Subang Jaya. 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 87% higher in Petaling Jaya, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Petaling Jaya versus $19 in Subang Jaya. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Petaling Jaya vs $255 in Subang Jaya – so Petaling Jaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Subang Jaya

🕒 Local time

23:13 11:13 PM

Same time as Petaling Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

771,687

902,086

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Petaling Jaya Subang Jaya 9 km

From you

Petaling Jaya
Subang Jaya

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 Subang Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Subang Jaya costs about 22% more than Petaling Jaya, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,932 in Subang Jaya. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $511 there versus $851 in Subang Jaya.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,056 in Petaling Jaya and $1,288 in Subang Jaya. That’s a gap of about 22%.

Kindergarten costs $273 per month in Petaling Jaya and $396 in Subang Jaya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,056 in Petaling Jaya and $1,288 in Subang Jaya. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Petaling Jaya – 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.