Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Setia Alam and Nueva Ecija

For one person, living is cheaper in Nueva Ecija: $529 a month against $913 in Setia Alam, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Setia Alam
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Setia Alam Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Nueva Ecija
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Nueva Ecija Living Index

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Setia Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Nueva Ecija

🇵🇭 Philippines

$529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Setia Alam and in Nueva Ecija

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 Nueva Ecija actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $913 per month in Setia Alam vs $529 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

Setia Alam $913
Nueva Ecija $529

A couple spends around $1,358 per month in Setia Alam vs $935 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

Setia Alam $1,358
Nueva Ecija $935

A family of three spends $1,803 per month in Setia Alam vs $1,340 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

Setia Alam $1,803
Nueva Ecija $1,340

Setia Alam costs about 72% more than Nueva Ecija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Setia Alam and Nueva Ecija are more affordable than the global median – Setia Alam 32% lower, Nueva Ecija 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 MYR 19.61

$3.90 ₱246

23.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.57 MYR 100

$16.99 ₱1,070

44.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 MYR 20.22

$2.74 ₱173

81.02%

Cappuccino

$2.76 MYR 11.27

$1.42 ₱89.2

94.37%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.23

$0.56 ₱35.40

41.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$0.30 ₱19.18

56.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.32 MYR 17.63

$0.97 ₱61.2

345.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 MYR 24.50

$1.56 ₱98.5

285.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MYR 6.09

$1.67 ₱105

-10.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 MYR 2.92

$0.96 ₱60.5

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.59 MYR 2.42

$0.89 ₱56.0

-33.71%

Eggs

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$1.54 ₱96.7

-22.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.82 MYR 56.4

$5.22 ₱329

164.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.41 MYR 9.83

$3.31 ₱208

-27.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.41 MYR 9.83

$5.65 ₱356

-57.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.04

$2.20 ₱139

-43.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.47

$0.73 ₱46.06

150.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.11

$1.76 ₱111

-28.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$1.08 ₱67.8

11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$1.66 ₱105

-57.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 MYR 3.03

$1.72 ₱109

-56.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$0.62 ₱38.73

12.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MYR 2.95

$0.43 ₱26.97

67.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MYR 17.64

$2.26 ₱142

91.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.60 MYR 80.0

$4.36 ₱275

349.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.59 MYR 14.64

$0.96 ₱60.3

273.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MYR 19.84

$2.00 ₱126

143.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.08

$0.27 ₱16.99

181.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.31 MYR 50.2

$5.51 ₱347

123.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$0.70 ₱44.14

77.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MYR 4.88

$0.14 ₱9.01

757.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 MYR 19.49

$1.01 ₱63.9

373.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 MYR 1.95

$0.92 ₱58.1

-47.83%

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

$39.2K MYR 159.9K

$16.1K ₱1.0M

144.02%

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

$33.0K MYR 134.7K

$19.2K ₱1.2M

72.39%

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

$61.2 MYR 250

$78.7 ₱4,954

-22.26%

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

$8.52 MYR 34.77

$17.23 ₱1,085

-50.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 MYR 106

$18.30 ₱1,152

42.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.73 MYR 203

$36.48 ₱2,297

36.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.97 MYR 28.44

$4.38 ₱276

59.13%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MYR 20.82

$4.48 ₱282

13.84%

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

$135 MYR 551

$134 ₱8,440

0.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,885 MYR 32.2K

$10.6K ₱669.6K

-25.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 MYR 296

$29.15 ₱1,835

149.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.31 MYR 111

$19.55 ₱1,231

39.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.8 MYR 220

$70.6 ₱4,442

-23.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.56 MYR 149

$54.7 ₱3,445

-33.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 MYR 2,160

$114 ₱7,197

363.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 MYR 1,319

$68.6 ₱4,321

371.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 MYR 3,562

$173 ₱10.9K

406.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 MYR 2,238

$357 ₱22.5K

53.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,992 MYR 8,128

$2,452 ₱154.4K

-18.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,102 MYR 4,498

$883 ₱55.6K

24.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,143 MYR 4,663

$189 ₱11.9K

504.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

-40.74%

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

Last update for Setia Alam: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nueva Ecija: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Setia Alam

$323 35.4%

Nueva Ecija

$69 13% 78.8% $255

Groceries & Markets

Setia Alam

$200 21.9%

Nueva Ecija

$147 27.7% 26.8% $54

Eating Out

Setia Alam

$125 13.7%

Nueva Ecija

$68 12.8% 45.8% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Setia Alam

$96 10.5%

Nueva Ecija

$114 21.6% 19.3% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Setia Alam

$86 9.4%

Nueva Ecija

$78 14.8% 8.6% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Setia Alam

$60 6.6%

Nueva Ecija

$45 8.6% 24.2% $15

Getting Around

Setia Alam

$23 2.5%

Nueva Ecija

$8 1.5% 64.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $529 in Setia Alam versus $114 in Nueva Ecija. 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 505% higher in Setia Alam, 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 $25.00 in Setia Alam versus $17.00 in Nueva Ecija. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $147 – making Nueva Ecija the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Setia Alam

🇵🇭 Nueva Ecija

🕒 Local time

10:47 10:47 AM

Same time as Setia Alam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,000

64,610

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, 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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Setia Alam Nueva Ecija 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Setia Alam
Nueva Ecija

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 Nueva Ecija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Setia Alam costs about 72% more than Nueva Ecija, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,369 per month in Setia Alam and $794 in Nueva Ecija. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Setia Alam and $17.00 in Nueva Ecija. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $913 in Setia Alam and $529 in Nueva Ecija. That's a gap of about 72%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nueva Ecija, where all-in costs run around $529, than in Setia Alam at $913. In Nueva Ecija it covers expenses comfortably, while in Setia Alam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nueva Ecija – 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 Nueva Ecija. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Setia Alam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.