Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Tawau

For one person, living is cheaper in Tawau: $920 a month against $1,094 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Petaling Jaya outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

52

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

Cost of Living Index in Tawau
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Tawau Living Index

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Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,094

/mo nomad

Tawau

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$920

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,094 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $920 in Tawau, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,094
Tawau $920

A couple spends around $1,589 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,420 in Tawau, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,589
Tawau $1,420

A family of three spends $2,083 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,921 in Tawau, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $2,083
Tawau $1,921

Petaling Jaya costs about 19% more than Tawau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Petaling Jaya and Tawau are more affordable than the global median – Petaling Jaya 19% lower, Tawau 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 MYR 14.77

$3.26 MYR 13.24

11.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.78 MYR 101

$20.02 MYR 81.2

23.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 MYR 20.27

$4.20 MYR 17.02

19.05%

Cappuccino

$3.02 MYR 12.26

$3.19 MYR 12.95

-5.33%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.45

$0.97 MYR 3.93

-12.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.81

$0.35 MYR 1.43

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.29

$2.63 MYR 10.68

24.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 MYR 23.18

$4.64 MYR 18.81

23.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 MYR 7.92

$1.76 MYR 7.16

10.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.36

$1.13 MYR 4.58

-5.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.79

$1.49 MYR 6.05

-4.03%

Eggs

$1.85 MYR 7.50

$2.16 MYR 8.77

-14.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 MYR 40.02

$15.38 MYR 62.4

-35.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 MYR 13.51

$4.49 MYR 18.21

-25.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.80 MYR 39.77

$9.43 MYR 38.26

3.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 MYR 14.56

$2.87 MYR 11.63

25.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 MYR 7.76

$1.60 MYR 6.51

19.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 MYR 10.68

$2.23 MYR 9.06

17.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 MYR 7.06

$1.73 MYR 7.02

0.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 MYR 8.69

$1.40 MYR 5.69

52.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 MYR 8.29

$1.22 MYR 4.94

67.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MYR 5.84

$1.19 MYR 4.83

21.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.14

$0.51 MYR 2.09

3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 MYR 18.26

$4.51 MYR 18.30

-0.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 MYR 81.2

$19.08 MYR 77.4

4.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 MYR 10.83

$2.89 MYR 11.73

-7.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 MYR 18.22

$4.92 MYR 19.96

-8.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 MYR 4.93

$0.77 MYR 3.13

58.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.31 MYR 49.94

$11.72 MYR 47.53

5.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 MYR 4.15

$1.25 MYR 5.07

-18.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.44

$0.56 MYR 2.27

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.04 MYR 36.66

$5.37 MYR 21.80

68.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.34

$0.81 MYR 3.30

1.23%

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

$45.1K MYR 183.0K

$45.3K MYR 183.6K

-0.32%

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

$35.0K MYR 142.1K

$35.9K MYR 145.4K

-2.29%

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

$50.3 MYR 204

$50.6 MYR 205

-0.65%

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

$7.57 MYR 30.72

$10.23 MYR 41.51

-26.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.54 MYR 108

$28.43 MYR 115

-6.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.38 MYR 192

$42.70 MYR 173

10.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.12 MYR 12.66

$6.07 MYR 24.64

-48.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.84 MYR 19.62

$3.63 MYR 14.73

33.33%

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

$280 MYR 1,135

$240 MYR 974

16.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K MYR 83.6K

$10.5K MYR 42.6K

96.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 MYR 213

$54.3 MYR 220

-3.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.69 MYR 120

$40.23 MYR 163

-26.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 MYR 311

$90.8 MYR 368

-15.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.3 MYR 354

$79.9 MYR 324

9.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 MYR 2,105

$433 MYR 1,757

19.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 MYR 1,848

$275 MYR 1,117

65.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 MYR 3,778

$783 MYR 3,175

18.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 MYR 2,759

$526 MYR 2,135

29.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,129 MYR 12.7K

$1,980 MYR 8,031

58.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$972 MYR 3,944

$1,030 MYR 4,178

-5.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 MYR 7,082

$412 MYR 1,671

323.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.17

8.15%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: November 1, 2026

Last update for Tawau: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Petaling Jaya

$456 41.7%

Tawau

$275 30% 39.6% $180

Groceries & Markets

Petaling Jaya

$253 23.1%

Tawau

$262 28.5% 3.7% $9.4

Eating Out

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.4%

Tawau

$105 11.4% 7.6% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.1%

Tawau

$119 13% 7.8% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petaling Jaya

$84 7.7%

Tawau

$89 9.7% 5.8% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Petaling Jaya

$57 5.2%

Tawau

$50 5.4% 12.4% $7.1

Getting Around

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.8%

Tawau

$19 2.1% 5.6% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $519 in Petaling Jaya versus $433 in Tawau. 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 4.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Petaling Jaya versus $20 in Tawau. Groceries tell a different story – $253 in Petaling Jaya vs $262 in Tawau – so Petaling Jaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Tawau

🕒 Local time

05:33 5:33 AM

Same time as Petaling Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

771,687

420,806

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Petaling Jaya Tawau 1,810 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Petaling Jaya
Tawau

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 Tawau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Petaling Jaya costs about 19% more than Tawau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,641 per month in Petaling Jaya and $1,379 in Tawau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tawau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $433 there versus $519 in Petaling Jaya.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Tawau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $280 per month in Petaling Jaya and $240 in Tawau. 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 $1,094 in Petaling Jaya and $920 in Tawau. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Tawau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Tawau. 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.