Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarawak and Penang

For one person, living costs are similar in Sarawak and in Penang: $954 and $913 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Sarawak
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Sarawak Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

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Sarawak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$954

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarawak 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 Sarawak and in Penang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $954 in Sarawak versus $913 in Penang.

Sarawak $954
Penang $913

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,408 in Sarawak versus $1,403 in Penang.

Sarawak $1,408
Penang $1,403

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,862 in Sarawak versus $1,894 in Penang.

Sarawak $1,862
Penang $1,894

Living in Sarawak is roughly 4% more expensive than in Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarawak 30% lower, Penang 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.64

$3.73 MYR 15.23

-4.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.96 MYR 81.6

$19.91 MYR 81.4

0.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.70 MYR 19.22

$4.78 MYR 19.53

-1.67%

Cappuccino

$2.96 MYR 12.10

$2.98 MYR 12.18

-0.67%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.14

$0.75 MYR 3.08

2.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.60

$0.37 MYR 1.50

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.95 MYR 16.13

$4.06 MYR 16.60

-2.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 MYR 18.69

$4.38 MYR 17.88

4.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 MYR 7.15

$1.86 MYR 7.62

-5.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 MYR 4.99

$1.08 MYR 4.42

12.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.55

$1.76 MYR 7.21

-22.73%

Eggs

$2.26 MYR 9.22

$2.22 MYR 9.07

1.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.46 MYR 59.1

$13.46 MYR 55.0

7.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 MYR 16.63

$4.45 MYR 18.19

-8.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.85 MYR 40.26

$8.70 MYR 35.56

13.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MYR 11.85

$2.92 MYR 11.93

-0.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.91

$1.65 MYR 6.74

-12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 MYR 9.75

$2.61 MYR 10.67

-8.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.35

$1.40 MYR 5.72

-6.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 5.04

$1.05 MYR 4.29

17.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.08

$1.12 MYR 4.56

10.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 MYR 4.52

$1.10 MYR 4.48

0.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 MYR 1.90

$0.59 MYR 2.40

-22.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MYR 17.46

$4.69 MYR 19.15

-8.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MYR 68.9

$19.31 MYR 78.9

-12.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 MYR 11.97

$3.00 MYR 12.28

-2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 MYR 16.45

$5.41 MYR 22.10

-25.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MYR 3.06

$0.50 MYR 2.05

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.56 MYR 43.17

$12.03 MYR 49.15

-12.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MYR 4.57

$1.66 MYR 6.80

-32.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$0.38 MYR 1.55

34.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 MYR 28.30

$7.47 MYR 30.53

-7.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 MYR 3.16

$0.95 MYR 3.86

-18.95%

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

$50.4K MYR 205.9K

$44.2K MYR 180.6K

13.98%

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

$39.9K MYR 163.0K

$35.8K MYR 146.2K

11.51%

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

$52.9 MYR 216

$36.68 MYR 150

44.30%

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

$10.66 MYR 43.56

$9.56 MYR 39.06

11.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.13 MYR 119

$29.49 MYR 121

-1.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 MYR 164

$39.20 MYR 160

2.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.22 MYR 29.52

$4.85 MYR 19.84

48.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 MYR 22.90

$4.78 MYR 19.53

17.15%

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

$241 MYR 984

$398 MYR 1,625

-39.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,956 MYR 28.4K

$10.6K MYR 43.3K

-34.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 MYR 237

$60.9 MYR 249

-4.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.97 MYR 122

$35.45 MYR 145

-15.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 MYR 356

$83.6 MYR 342

4.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 MYR 310

$70.2 MYR 287

8.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 MYR 1,674

$408 MYR 1,667

0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 MYR 1,301

$287 MYR 1,174

10.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 MYR 2,879

$698 MYR 2,851

0.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 MYR 2,006

$534 MYR 2,183

-8.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,170 MYR 8,868

$2,117 MYR 8,650

2.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,323 MYR 5,409

$1,261 MYR 5,153

4.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$349 MYR 1,425

$931 MYR 3,807

-62.57%

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 Sarawak: October 24, 2026

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarawak

$318 33.4%

Penang

$287 31.5% 9.8% $31

Groceries & Markets

Sarawak

$249 26.1%

Penang

$257 28.2% 3.2% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Sarawak

$113 11.8%

Penang

$113 12.3% 0.3% $0.4

Eating Out

Sarawak

$112 11.7%

Penang

$113 12.4% 1.5% $1.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarawak

$93 9.7%

Penang

$76 8.3% 18.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Sarawak

$51 5.4%

Penang

$49 5.3% 4.9% $2.5

Getting Around

Sarawak

$17 1.8%

Penang

$18 1.9% 2.1% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $410 in Sarawak and $408 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays about 2.7 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20 in Sarawak vs $20 in Penang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $257 per month, with Sarawak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sarawak

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

01:43 1:43 AM

Same time as Sarawak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,336

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sarawak Penang 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Sarawak
Penang

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

Sarawak vs Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang is cheaper overall, especially in leisure. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 63% lower in Sarawak. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $410 in Sarawak versus $408 in Penang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

A monthly transit pass in Sarawak runs roughly 12% less than in Penang. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

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, Sarawak and Penang are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.