Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skudai and Petaling Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Skudai: $900 a month against $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Skudai
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Skudai Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index

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Skudai

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$900

/mo nomad

Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $900 per month in Skudai vs $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Skudai $900
Petaling Jaya $1,056

A couple spends around $1,370 per month in Skudai vs $1,569 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Skudai $1,370
Petaling Jaya $1,569

A family of three spends $1,840 per month in Skudai vs $2,082 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Skudai $1,840
Petaling Jaya $2,082

Skudai is about 15% cheaper than Petaling Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Skudai and Petaling Jaya are more affordable than the global median – Skudai 34% lower, Petaling Jaya 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 MYR 14.71

$3.57 MYR 14.47

1.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.25 MYR 74.0

$24.39 MYR 98.9

-25.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 MYR 19.88

$4.85 MYR 19.66

1.03%

Cappuccino

$2.87 MYR 11.63

$3.08 MYR 12.47

-6.82%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.37

$0.85 MYR 3.44

-2.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.81

$0.41 MYR 1.66

9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MYR 13.50

$3.28 MYR 13.31

1.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 MYR 22.78

$5.69 MYR 23.07

-1.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MYR 7.05

$1.93 MYR 7.83

-9.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.15

$1.03 MYR 4.19

-0.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.01

$1.44 MYR 5.84

2.78%

Eggs

$1.66 MYR 6.72

$1.77 MYR 7.17

-6.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.64 MYR 39.10

$9.71 MYR 39.36

-0.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.20 MYR 12.97

$3.28 MYR 13.30

-2.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.61 MYR 38.95

$9.73 MYR 39.45

-1.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 MYR 13.86

$3.51 MYR 14.22

-2.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.88

$1.86 MYR 7.53

-8.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.59

$2.73 MYR 11.08

-4.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MYR 6.63

$1.83 MYR 7.40

-10.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.70

$2.15 MYR 8.70

-34.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 MYR 7.02

$2.02 MYR 8.19

-14.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MYR 5.55

$1.45 MYR 5.87

-5.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.08

$0.52 MYR 2.13

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MYR 17.35

$4.56 MYR 18.50

-6.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 MYR 56.1

$19.38 MYR 78.6

-28.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 MYR 11.09

$2.64 MYR 10.69

3.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MYR 12.12

$4.48 MYR 18.14

-33.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 MYR 3.37

$1.25 MYR 5.07

-33.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.95 MYR 44.40

$12.45 MYR 50.5

-12.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 MYR 4.09

$1.19 MYR 4.82

-15.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.45

$0.35 MYR 1.44

2.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.03 MYR 36.61

$8.75 MYR 35.47

3.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 MYR 3.48

$0.87 MYR 3.53

-1.15%

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

$44.3K MYR 179.5K

$45.9K MYR 186.0K

-3.50%

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

$36.0K MYR 146.0K

$35.3K MYR 143.2K

1.94%

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

$48.79 MYR 198

$49.61 MYR 201

-1.65%

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

$8.16 MYR 33.10

$8.18 MYR 33.16

-0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.88 MYR 109

$27.36 MYR 111

-1.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.95 MYR 150

$40.42 MYR 164

-8.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.55 MYR 30.60

$3.03 MYR 12.28

149.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MYR 20.00

$5.00 MYR 20.28

-1.40%

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

$235 MYR 954

$273 MYR 1,106

-13.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,393 MYR 17.8K

$10.5K MYR 42.6K

-58.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 MYR 205

$51.6 MYR 209

-2.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 MYR 67.4

$29.45 MYR 119

-43.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 MYR 313

$78.0 MYR 316

-1.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.4 MYR 346

$87.2 MYR 353

-2.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 MYR 1,449

$511 MYR 2,073

-30.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 MYR 1,260

$426 MYR 1,729

-27.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 MYR 2,636

$961 MYR 3,894

-32.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 MYR 2,291

$699 MYR 2,835

-19.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,956 MYR 7,929

$3,144 MYR 12.7K

-37.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,161 MYR 4,706

$976 MYR 3,958

18.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 MYR 7,079

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 Skudai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skudai

$311 34.5%

Petaling Jaya

$426 40.4% 37.2% $116

Groceries & Markets

Skudai

$226 25.2%

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.6% 10.1% $23

Eating Out

Skudai

$111 12.4%

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.7% 1.5% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Skudai

$103 11.5%

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.5% 7.2% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skudai

$84 9.3%

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1% 1.6% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Skudai

$47 5.2%

Petaling Jaya

$50 4.8% 7.7% $3.6

Getting Around

Skudai

$17 1.9%

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9% 19.6% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $357 in Skudai 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Skudai versus $24 in Petaling Jaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $249 – making Skudai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Skudai

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🕒 Local time

10:58 10:58 AM

Same time as Skudai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,733

771,687

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Skudai Petaling Jaya 280 km

From you

Skudai
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

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

Petaling Jaya costs about 17% more than Skudai, 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 $1,349 per month in Skudai 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 Skudai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $357 there versus $511 in Petaling Jaya.

Public transport costs about 12% less in Skudai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $235 per month in Skudai and $273 in Petaling Jaya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $900 in Skudai and $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Skudai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Skudai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 15% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.