Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Setia Alam and Manaus

For one person, living costs are similar in Setia Alam and in Manaus: $913 and $918 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Setia Alam
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Setia Alam Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Manaus
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Manaus Living Index

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Setia Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Manaus

🇧🇷 Brazil

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Setia Alam and in Manaus

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $913 in Setia Alam versus $918 in Manaus.

Setia Alam $913
Manaus $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,358 in Setia Alam versus $1,421 in Manaus.

Setia Alam $1,358
Manaus $1,421

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,803 in Setia Alam versus $1,923 in Manaus.

Setia Alam $1,803
Manaus $1,923

Living in Setia Alam costs roughly 1% less than in Manaus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Setia Alam 32% lower, Manaus 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 MYR 19.61

$6.14 R$31.12

-21.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.57 MYR 100

$28.46 R$144

-13.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 MYR 20.22

$7.21 R$36.55

-31.21%

Cappuccino

$2.76 MYR 11.27

$2.31 R$11.73

19.48%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.23

$1.08 R$5.46

-26.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$0.79 R$4.03

-40.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.32 MYR 17.63

$2.73 R$13.83

58.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 MYR 24.50

$5.48 R$27.78

9.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MYR 6.09

$1.48 R$7.51

0.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 MYR 2.92

$1.59 R$8.07

-54.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.59 MYR 2.42

$1.23 R$6.21

-52.03%

Eggs

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$2.71 R$13.75

-55.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.82 MYR 56.4

$10.24 R$51.9

34.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.41 MYR 9.83

$3.91 R$19.81

-38.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.41 MYR 9.83

$7.45 R$37.75

-67.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.04

$2.45 R$12.43

-49.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.47

$1.66 R$8.41

10.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.11

$1.40 R$7.08

-10.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$1.98 R$10.02

-39.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$1.21 R$6.14

-41.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 MYR 3.03

$1.17 R$5.95

-36.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$0.76 R$3.84

-7.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MYR 2.95

$0.72 R$3.65

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MYR 17.64

$3.73 R$18.93

15.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.60 MYR 80.0

$8.87 R$44.97

120.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.59 MYR 14.64

$1.52 R$7.69

136.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MYR 19.84

$1.72 R$8.72

182.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.08

$0.95 R$4.82

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.31 MYR 50.2

$39.24 R$199

-68.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$1.02 R$5.19

21.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MYR 4.88

$0.87 R$4.39

37.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 MYR 19.49

$9.72 R$49.25

-50.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 MYR 1.95

$1.37 R$6.92

-64.96%

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

$39.2K MYR 159.9K

$23.5K R$119.3K

66.44%

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

$33.0K MYR 134.7K

$34.0K R$172.2K

-2.77%

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

$61.2 MYR 250

$121 R$611

-49.28%

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

$8.52 MYR 34.77

$16.11 R$81.7

-47.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 MYR 106

$25.16 R$128

3.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.73 MYR 203

$25.69 R$130

93.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.97 MYR 28.44

$25.15 R$127

-72.29%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MYR 20.82

$6.47 R$32.80

-21.17%

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

$135 MYR 551

$231 R$1,170

-41.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,885 MYR 32.2K

$5,161 R$26.2K

52.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 MYR 296

$50.5 R$256

43.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.31 MYR 111

$32.12 R$163

-14.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.8 MYR 220

$61.7 R$313

-12.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.56 MYR 149

$69.7 R$353

-47.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 MYR 2,160

$625 R$3,167

-15.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 MYR 1,319

$239 R$1,213

35.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 MYR 3,562

$1,102 R$5,587

-20.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 MYR 2,238

$463 R$2,348

18.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,992 MYR 8,128

$1,788 R$9,064

11.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,102 MYR 4,498

$1,347 R$6,830

-18.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,143 MYR 4,663

$515 R$2,609

122.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.33

-61.28%

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

Last update for Setia Alam: October 10, 2026

Last update for Manaus: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Setia Alam

$323 35.4%

Manaus

$239 26.1% 26% $84

Groceries & Markets

Setia Alam

$200 21.9%

Manaus

$203 22.1% 1.5% $3

Eating Out

Setia Alam

$125 13.7%

Manaus

$131 14.2% 4.3% $5.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Setia Alam

$96 10.5%

Manaus

$162 17.6% 69.1% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Setia Alam

$86 9.4%

Manaus

$96 10.5% 12.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Setia Alam

$60 6.6%

Manaus

$39 4.2% 35.5% $21

Getting Around

Setia Alam

$23 2.5%

Manaus

$48 5.3% 115% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $529 in Setia Alam and $625 in Manaus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setia Alam pays 122% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Setia Alam vs $28.00 in Manaus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $203 per month, with Setia Alam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Setia Alam

🇧🇷 Manaus

🕒 Local time

22:47 10:47 PM

10:47 10:47 AM

12 h behind Setia Alam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,000

2,063,689

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Setia Alam Manaus 17,950 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Setia Alam
Manaus

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

Setia Alam vs Manaus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Setia Alam is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 122% higher in Setia Alam, 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: $529 in Setia Alam versus $625 in Manaus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Manaus. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Setia Alam – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $28.00 in Manaus. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $913 in Setia Alam versus $918 in Manaus, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Setia Alam but tight or insufficient in Manaus. The gap between the two cities makes Setia Alam the clear choice for anyone on this 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, Setia Alam and Manaus are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Setia Alam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Manaus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.