Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Putra Heights and Penang

For one person, living costs are similar in Putra Heights and in Penang: $927 and $913 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Putra Heights
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Putra Heights Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

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Putra Heights

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$927

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Putra Heights and in Penang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Putra Heights and in Penang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $927 in Putra Heights versus $913 in Penang.

Putra Heights $927
Penang $913

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,421 in Putra Heights versus $1,403 in Penang.

Putra Heights $1,421
Penang $1,403

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,915 in Putra Heights versus $1,894 in Penang.

Putra Heights $1,915
Penang $1,894

Monthly costs are close between Putra Heights and Penang; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Putra Heights 32% lower, Penang 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 MYR 15.35

$3.73 MYR 15.17

1.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.15 MYR 73.9

$19.91 MYR 81.1

-8.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 MYR 19.95

$4.78 MYR 19.45

2.51%

Cappuccino

$2.83 MYR 11.51

$2.98 MYR 12.13

-5.03%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.18

$0.75 MYR 3.06

4.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.71

$0.37 MYR 1.50

13.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 MYR 18.34

$4.06 MYR 16.53

11.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.23 MYR 25.38

$4.38 MYR 17.81

42.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MYR 6.78

$1.86 MYR 7.59

-10.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.34

$1.08 MYR 4.40

-0.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.84

$1.76 MYR 7.18

-18.75%

Eggs

$1.75 MYR 7.12

$2.22 MYR 9.03

-21.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.08 MYR 57.3

$13.46 MYR 54.8

4.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MYR 18.56

$4.45 MYR 18.12

2.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.18 MYR 41.44

$8.70 MYR 35.42

17.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MYR 13.49

$2.92 MYR 11.88

13.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MYR 7.06

$1.65 MYR 6.71

4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 MYR 9.39

$2.61 MYR 10.62

-11.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.09

$1.40 MYR 5.69

7.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 5.00

$1.05 MYR 4.28

17.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.53

$1.12 MYR 4.55

21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.61

$1.10 MYR 4.47

2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.22

$0.59 MYR 2.39

-6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MYR 17.93

$4.69 MYR 19.07

-6.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 MYR 57.8

$19.31 MYR 78.6

-26.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 MYR 12.01

$3.00 MYR 12.23

-1.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 MYR 12.30

$5.41 MYR 22.01

-44.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MYR 3.02

$0.50 MYR 2.04

48.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.19 MYR 49.61

$12.03 MYR 48.96

1.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 MYR 3.86

$1.66 MYR 6.77

-42.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 MYR 2.87

$0.38 MYR 1.54

86.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 MYR 20.33

$7.47 MYR 30.41

-33.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.54

$0.95 MYR 3.85

-8.42%

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

$44.4K MYR 180.9K

$44.2K MYR 179.9K

0.57%

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

$34.7K MYR 141.1K

$35.8K MYR 145.6K

-3.08%

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

$62.9 MYR 256

$36.68 MYR 149

71.48%

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

$8.99 MYR 36.61

$9.56 MYR 38.90

-5.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.85 MYR 105

$29.49 MYR 120

-12.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.32 MYR 152

$39.20 MYR 160

-4.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.72 MYR 23.29

$4.85 MYR 19.76

17.94%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 MYR 20.37

$4.78 MYR 19.45

4.81%

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

$241 MYR 981

$398 MYR 1,619

-39.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,302 MYR 21.6K

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

-50.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 MYR 220

$60.9 MYR 248

-11.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.45 MYR 67.0

$35.45 MYR 144

-53.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MYR 325

$83.6 MYR 340

-4.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 MYR 399

$70.2 MYR 286

39.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 MYR 1,716

$408 MYR 1,661

3.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 MYR 1,164

$287 MYR 1,169

-0.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 MYR 2,878

$698 MYR 2,839

1.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 MYR 2,223

$534 MYR 2,174

2.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,818 MYR 7,400

$2,117 MYR 8,615

-14.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 MYR 5,031

$1,261 MYR 5,132

-1.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,102 MYR 4,486

$931 MYR 3,791

18.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

4.04

0.50%

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

Last update for Putra Heights: October 27, 2026

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Putra Heights

$286 30.8%

Penang

$287 31.5% 0.5% $1.3

Groceries & Markets

Putra Heights

$246 26.5%

Penang

$257 28.2% 4.6% $11

Eating Out

Putra Heights

$119 12.8%

Penang

$113 12.4% 4.4% $5.2

Clothing & Footwear

Putra Heights

$112 12.1%

Penang

$113 12.3% 0.7% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Putra Heights

$98 10.5%

Penang

$76 8.3% 22.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Putra Heights

$47 5.1%

Penang

$49 5.3% 3% $1.4

Getting Around

Putra Heights

$20 2.1%

Penang

$18 1.9% 10.4% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $422 in Putra Heights and $408 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Putra Heights pays 18% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $18 in Putra Heights vs $20 in Penang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $257 per month, with Putra Heights cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Putra Heights

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

22:15 10:15 PM

Same time as Putra Heights

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,000

158,336

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Putra Heights Penang 300 km

From you

Putra Heights
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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

Putra Heights vs Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 18% higher in Putra Heights, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $422 in Putra Heights versus $408 in Penang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Putra Heights – a meal for two runs $18 versus $20 in Penang. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $241 in Putra Heights versus $398 in Penang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Putra Heights and Penang are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Penang wins on affordability, Putra Heights on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.