Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Serdang and Petaling Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Serdang: $975 a month against $1,041 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $790 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Petaling Jaya outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

47

Cost of Living Index in Serdang
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Serdang Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index

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Serdang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$975

/mo nomad

Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,041

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Serdang 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 Serdang and in Petaling Jaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $975 per month in Serdang vs $1,041 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Serdang $975
Petaling Jaya $1,041

A couple spends around $1,441 per month in Serdang vs $1,503 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Serdang $1,441
Petaling Jaya $1,503

A family of three spends $1,906 per month in Serdang vs $1,966 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Serdang $1,906
Petaling Jaya $1,966

Serdang is about 6% cheaper than Petaling Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Serdang and Petaling Jaya are more affordable than the global median – Serdang 28% lower, Petaling Jaya 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.48 MYR 10.13

$3.71 MYR 15.12

-33.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.85 MYR 68.8

$24.12 MYR 98.4

-30.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.76 MYR 15.33

$5.01 MYR 20.45

-24.95%

Cappuccino

$1.94 MYR 7.92

$3.02 MYR 12.31

-35.76%

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

$0.84 MYR 3.43

$0.93 MYR 3.78

-9.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.94

$0.42 MYR 1.71

11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.39 MYR 17.92

$3.25 MYR 13.26

35.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 MYR 25.34

$5.88 MYR 23.99

5.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 MYR 8.33

$1.86 MYR 7.58

9.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 MYR 4.55

$1.06 MYR 4.32

5.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

$1.43 MYR 5.84

34.97%

Eggs

$2.54 MYR 10.37

$1.77 MYR 7.24

43.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.78 MYR 56.2

$9.89 MYR 40.34

39.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 MYR 18.50

$3.17 MYR 12.94

43.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.91 MYR 40.41

$9.75 MYR 39.76

1.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 MYR 13.57

$3.45 MYR 14.07

-3.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 MYR 7.60

$1.85 MYR 7.55

0.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 MYR 9.20

$2.65 MYR 10.82

-15.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MYR 6.58

$1.76 MYR 7.20

-8.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.24

$2.13 MYR 8.71

-39.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.46

$2.04 MYR 8.32

-34.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 MYR 4.57

$1.49 MYR 6.06

-24.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MYR 2.95

$0.56 MYR 2.29

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 MYR 17.59

$4.56 MYR 18.59

-5.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.36 MYR 79.0

$19.30 MYR 78.7

0.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 MYR 14.17

$2.64 MYR 10.77

31.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 MYR 19.89

$4.65 MYR 18.99

4.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.10

$1.24 MYR 5.05

-38.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.22 MYR 49.86

$12.20 MYR 49.75

0.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.88

$1.20 MYR 4.91

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MYR 5.07

$0.39 MYR 1.57

217.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 MYR 19.45

$9.00 MYR 36.73

-47.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.36

$0.87 MYR 3.54

-5.75%

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

$41.2K MYR 168.1K

$45.0K MYR 183.4K

-8.36%

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

$35.2K MYR 143.7K

$35.8K MYR 146.2K

-1.68%

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

$63.2 MYR 258

$49.02 MYR 200

28.95%

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

$8.89 MYR 36.28

$8.43 MYR 34.38

5.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.10 MYR 106

$27.13 MYR 111

-3.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.33 MYR 165

$51.4 MYR 210

-21.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.11 MYR 29.00

$3.08 MYR 12.57

130.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MYR 20.74

$5.02 MYR 20.46

1.39%

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

$297 MYR 1,210

$276 MYR 1,126

7.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MYR 54.0K

$10.5K MYR 42.9K

25.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 MYR 297

$52.1 MYR 213

39.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.98 MYR 171

$29.86 MYR 122

40.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 MYR 356

$76.6 MYR 312

14.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.0 MYR 392

$85.4 MYR 348

12.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 MYR 1,669

$490 MYR 1,999

-16.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 MYR 1,231

$402 MYR 1,638

-24.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$682 MYR 2,783

$854 MYR 3,484

-20.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 MYR 1,954

$565 MYR 2,306

-15.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,055 MYR 8,382

$3,125 MYR 12.7K

-34.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,069 MYR 4,360

$950 MYR 3,876

12.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$989 MYR 4,035

$1,767 MYR 7,210

-44.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

4.51

-7.32%

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

Last update for Serdang: October 19, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Serdang

$302 30.9%

Petaling Jaya

$401 38.6% 33.1% $100

Groceries & Markets

Serdang

$274 28.1%

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.9% 9.1% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Serdang

$134 13.8%

Petaling Jaya

$110 10.6% 18.1% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Serdang

$98 10.1%

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1% 13.9% $14

Eating Out

Serdang

$94 9.7%

Petaling Jaya

$114 11% 21.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Serdang

$51 5.2%

Petaling Jaya

$61 5.9% 21.6% $11

Getting Around

Serdang

$23 2.3%

Petaling Jaya

$20 2% 10.5% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $409 in Serdang versus $490 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 run about 79% higher in Petaling Jaya, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Serdang versus $24.00 in Petaling Jaya. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Serdang vs $249 in Petaling Jaya – so Petaling Jaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Serdang

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🕒 Local time

14:32 2:32 PM

Same time as Serdang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

130,252

771,687

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Serdang Petaling Jaya 10 km

From you

Serdang
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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

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

Petaling Jaya costs about 7% more than Serdang, 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 $1,462 per month in Serdang and $1,561 in Petaling Jaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Serdang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 0% less in Serdang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $297 per month in Serdang and $276 in Petaling Jaya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Serdang, where all-in costs run around $975, than in Petaling Jaya at $1,041. In Serdang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Petaling Jaya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Serdang costs $975 versus $1,041 in Petaling Jaya. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Serdang. 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.