Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sentul and Penang

For one person, living is cheaper in Sentul: $869 a month against $913 in Penang, rent and utilities included – about $530 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Sentul
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Sentul Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

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Sentul

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$869

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $869 in Sentul versus $913 in Penang.

Sentul $869
Penang $913

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Sentul versus $1,403 in Penang.

Sentul $1,351
Penang $1,403

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,833 in Sentul versus $1,894 in Penang.

Sentul $1,833
Penang $1,894

Living in Sentul costs roughly 5% less than in Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sentul 36% lower, Penang 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.59

$3.73 MYR 15.18

-4.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.02 MYR 89.7

$19.91 MYR 81.1

10.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 MYR 19.34

$4.78 MYR 19.47

-0.63%

Cappuccino

$2.93 MYR 11.94

$2.98 MYR 12.15

-1.68%

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

$0.82 MYR 3.35

$0.75 MYR 3.07

9.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$0.37 MYR 1.50

37.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 MYR 13.33

$4.06 MYR 16.55

-19.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 MYR 23.71

$4.38 MYR 17.83

32.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MYR 7.03

$1.86 MYR 7.60

-7.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.15

$1.08 MYR 4.41

-5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.87

$1.76 MYR 7.19

-18.18%

Eggs

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$2.22 MYR 9.04

-22.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 MYR 39.80

$13.46 MYR 54.9

-27.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 MYR 13.66

$4.45 MYR 18.13

-24.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 MYR 39.47

$8.70 MYR 35.45

11.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 MYR 13.46

$2.92 MYR 11.89

13.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.82

$1.65 MYR 6.72

1.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 MYR 11.15

$2.61 MYR 10.63

4.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MYR 6.52

$1.40 MYR 5.70

14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 MYR 5.78

$1.05 MYR 4.28

35.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.83

$1.12 MYR 4.55

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MYR 5.43

$1.10 MYR 4.47

20.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.20

$0.59 MYR 2.39

-8.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 MYR 17.66

$4.69 MYR 19.09

-7.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 MYR 56.9

$19.31 MYR 78.7

-27.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 MYR 10.89

$3.00 MYR 12.24

-11.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 MYR 12.38

$5.41 MYR 22.04

-43.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 MYR 3.42

$0.50 MYR 2.04

68.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.36 MYR 50.4

$12.03 MYR 49.00

2.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 MYR 4.15

$1.66 MYR 6.78

-38.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.56

$0.38 MYR 1.54

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.91 MYR 36.30

$7.47 MYR 30.44

19.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 MYR 3.25

$0.95 MYR 3.85

-15.79%

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

$43.9K MYR 178.9K

$44.2K MYR 180.1K

-0.62%

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

$35.2K MYR 143.5K

$35.8K MYR 145.7K

-1.49%

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

$48.67 MYR 198

$36.68 MYR 149

32.69%

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

$8.10 MYR 32.99

$9.56 MYR 38.94

-15.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.45 MYR 108

$29.49 MYR 120

-10.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.55 MYR 157

$39.20 MYR 160

-1.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.36 MYR 30.00

$4.85 MYR 19.78

51.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MYR 19.79

$4.78 MYR 19.47

1.67%

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

$234 MYR 953

$398 MYR 1,620

-41.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,527 MYR 18.4K

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

-57.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 MYR 212

$60.9 MYR 248

-14.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.61 MYR 67.7

$35.45 MYR 144

-53.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 MYR 320

$83.6 MYR 340

-6.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 MYR 349

$70.2 MYR 286

22.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 MYR 1,736

$408 MYR 1,662

4.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 MYR 1,122

$287 MYR 1,170

-4.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 MYR 3,362

$698 MYR 2,842

18.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$528 MYR 2,152

$534 MYR 2,176

-1.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,029 MYR 8,269

$2,117 MYR 8,624

-4.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,176 MYR 4,792

$1,261 MYR 5,137

-6.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$872 MYR 3,552

$931 MYR 3,795

-6.41%

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 Sentul: 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

Sentul

$275 31.7%

Penang

$287 31.5% 4.3% $12

Groceries & Markets

Sentul

$228 26.2%

Penang

$257 28.2% 13.1% $30

Eating Out

Sentul

$111 12.8%

Penang

$113 12.4% 1.9% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Sentul

$105 12.1%

Penang

$113 12.3% 7.5% $7.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sentul

$83 9.6%

Penang

$76 8.3% 9% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Sentul

$48 5.6%

Penang

$49 5.3% 1% $0.5

Getting Around

Sentul

$19 2.2%

Penang

$18 1.9% 5.7% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Sentul and $408 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays 7% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $22 in Sentul vs $20 in Penang. Groceries flip the comparison at $228 vs $257, with Sentul cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sentul

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

01:39 1:39 AM

Same time as Sentul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sentul Penang 290 km

From you

Sentul
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

Sentul vs Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sentul is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Sentul. 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: $426 in Sentul versus $408 in Penang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Penang – a meal for two runs $20 versus $22 in Sentul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $869 per month in Sentul versus $913 in Penang – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Sentul is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Sentul 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.

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