Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sentul and Petaling Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Sentul: $869 a month against $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Sentul
Learn more

Sentul Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
Learn more

Petaling Jaya Living Index

Jump to prices

Sentul

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$869

/mo nomad

Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $869 per month in Sentul vs $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Sentul $869
Petaling Jaya $1,056

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Sentul vs $1,569 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Sentul $1,351
Petaling Jaya $1,569

A family of three spends $1,833 per month in Sentul vs $2,082 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Sentul $1,833
Petaling Jaya $2,082

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

Both Sentul and Petaling Jaya are more affordable than the global median – Sentul 36% lower, Petaling Jaya 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.59

$3.57 MYR 14.54

0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.02 MYR 89.7

$24.39 MYR 99.4

-9.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 MYR 19.34

$4.85 MYR 19.75

-2.06%

Cappuccino

$2.93 MYR 11.94

$3.08 MYR 12.53

-4.87%

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

$0.82 MYR 3.35

$0.85 MYR 3.46

-3.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$0.41 MYR 1.67

24.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 MYR 13.33

$3.28 MYR 13.38

-0.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 MYR 23.71

$5.69 MYR 23.19

2.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MYR 7.03

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-10.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.15

$1.03 MYR 4.21

-0.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.87

Eggs

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$1.77 MYR 7.21

-2.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 MYR 39.80

$9.71 MYR 39.56

0.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 MYR 13.66

$3.28 MYR 13.36

2.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 MYR 39.47

$9.73 MYR 39.65

-0.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 MYR 13.46

$3.51 MYR 14.29

-5.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.82

$1.86 MYR 7.57

-10.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 MYR 11.15

$2.73 MYR 11.13

0.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MYR 6.52

$1.83 MYR 7.44

-12.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 MYR 5.78

$2.15 MYR 8.75

-33.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.83

$2.02 MYR 8.23

-16.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MYR 5.43

$1.45 MYR 5.90

-8.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.20

$0.52 MYR 2.14

3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 MYR 17.66

$4.56 MYR 18.59

-5.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 MYR 56.9

$19.38 MYR 79.0

-27.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 MYR 10.89

$2.64 MYR 10.75

1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 MYR 12.38

$4.48 MYR 18.24

-32.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 MYR 3.42

$1.25 MYR 5.10

-32.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.36 MYR 50.4

$12.45 MYR 50.7

-0.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 MYR 4.15

$1.19 MYR 4.85

-14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.56

$0.35 MYR 1.44

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.91 MYR 36.30

$8.75 MYR 35.65

1.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 MYR 3.25

$0.87 MYR 3.55

-8.05%

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

$43.9K MYR 178.9K

$45.9K MYR 186.9K

-4.27%

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

$35.2K MYR 143.5K

$35.3K MYR 143.9K

-0.26%

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

$48.67 MYR 198

$49.61 MYR 202

-1.89%

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

$8.10 MYR 32.99

$8.18 MYR 33.33

-0.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.45 MYR 108

$27.36 MYR 111

-3.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.55 MYR 157

$40.42 MYR 165

-4.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.36 MYR 30.00

$3.03 MYR 12.34

142.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MYR 19.79

$5.00 MYR 20.38

-2.80%

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

$234 MYR 953

$273 MYR 1,112

-14.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,527 MYR 18.4K

$10.5K MYR 42.9K

-56.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 MYR 212

$51.6 MYR 210

0.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.61 MYR 67.7

$29.45 MYR 120

-43.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 MYR 320

$78.0 MYR 318

0.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 MYR 349

$87.2 MYR 355

-1.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 MYR 1,736

$511 MYR 2,084

-16.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 MYR 1,122

$426 MYR 1,738

-35.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 MYR 3,362

$961 MYR 3,914

-14.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$528 MYR 2,152

$699 MYR 2,849

-24.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,029 MYR 8,269

$3,144 MYR 12.8K

-35.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,176 MYR 4,792

$976 MYR 3,978

20.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$872 MYR 3,552

$1,746 MYR 7,115

-50.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

4.51

-9.98%

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

Last update for Sentul: October 24, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sentul

$275 31.7%

Petaling Jaya

$426 40.4% 54.9% $151

Groceries & Markets

Sentul

$228 26.2%

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.6% 9.6% $22

Eating Out

Sentul

$111 12.8%

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.7% 1.3% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Sentul

$105 12.1%

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.5% 5.9% $6.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sentul

$83 9.6%

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1% 2.3% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Sentul

$48 5.6%

Petaling Jaya

$50 4.8% 4.5% $2.1

Getting Around

Sentul

$19 2.2%

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9% 9.5% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $426 in Sentul versus $511 in Petaling Jaya. 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 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Sentul versus $24 in Petaling Jaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $249 – making Sentul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sentul

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🕒 Local time

01:59 1:59 AM

Same time as Sentul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000

771,687

💱 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 Petaling Jaya 10 km

From you

Sentul
Petaling 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

Sentul vs Petaling Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Petaling Jaya costs about 21% more than Sentul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,304 per month in Sentul and $1,583 in Petaling Jaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sentul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $426 there versus $511 in Petaling Jaya.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $869 in Sentul and $1,056 in Petaling Jaya. That’s a gap of about 21%.

Kindergarten costs $234 per month in Sentul and $273 in Petaling Jaya. 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 $869 in Sentul and $1,056 in Petaling Jaya. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Sentul – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Sentul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Petaling Jaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.