Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sungai Petani and Hikkaduwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Hikkaduwa: $505 a month against $804 in Sungai Petani, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Sungai Petani
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Sungai Petani Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Hikkaduwa
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Hikkaduwa Living Index

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Sungai Petani

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$804

/mo nomad

Hikkaduwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$505

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sungai Petani and in Hikkaduwa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Sungai Petani versus $505 in Hikkaduwa.

Sungai Petani $804
Hikkaduwa $505

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,203 in Sungai Petani versus $820 in Hikkaduwa.

Sungai Petani $1,203
Hikkaduwa $820

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,602 in Sungai Petani versus $1,134 in Hikkaduwa.

Sungai Petani $1,602
Hikkaduwa $1,134

Living in Sungai Petani is roughly 59% more expensive than in Hikkaduwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sungai Petani 41% lower, Hikkaduwa 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.51 MYR 10.19

$3.87 LKR 1,287

-35.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.12 MYR 69.5

$25.21 LKR 8,384

-32.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.49 MYR 18.23

$7.67 LKR 2,551

-41.46%

Cappuccino

$2.47 MYR 10.03

$2.48 LKR 826

-0.40%

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

$0.75 MYR 3.06

$0.67 LKR 223

11.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.56

$0.25 LKR 82.3

56.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 MYR 14.30

$2.21 LKR 736

59.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 MYR 18.03

$3.03 LKR 1,008

46.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MYR 7.28

$1.63 LKR 543

9.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 MYR 4.47

$0.53 LKR 177

107.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.85

$0.76 LKR 253

122.37%

Eggs

$2.26 MYR 9.18

$1.64 LKR 544

37.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 MYR 40.49

$13.51 LKR 4,493

-26.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.52 MYR 18.34

$4.95 LKR 1,648

-8.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 MYR 36.06

$7.25 LKR 2,410

22.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MYR 12.24

$6.58 LKR 2,188

-54.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 MYR 6.56

$0.86 LKR 287

88.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 MYR 11.01

$4.50 LKR 1,497

-39.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.68

$1.27 LKR 423

10.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.44

$1.00 LKR 334

9.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 MYR 4.35

$0.79 LKR 263

35.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.60

$0.87 LKR 289

29.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.38

$0.46 LKR 152

28.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 MYR 17.48

$10.16 LKR 3,378

-57.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.25 MYR 78.1

$12.67 LKR 4,212

51.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 MYR 11.61

$1.88 LKR 624

52.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 MYR 20.90

$3.06 LKR 1,019

68.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.26 MYR 49.74

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 MYR 7.08

$0.37 LKR 124

372.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.53

$0.38 LKR 125

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.49 MYR 30.38

$0.96 LKR 318

680.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 MYR 1.97

$1.39 LKR 463

-65.47%

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

$44.6K MYR 181.1K

$44.4K LKR 14.8M

0.60%

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

$35.0K MYR 141.9K

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

-12.76%

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

$36.69 MYR 149

$58.5 LKR 19.5K

-37.32%

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

$9.93 MYR 40.28

$4.30 LKR 1,428

130.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.96 MYR 81.0

$20.97 LKR 6,974

-4.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.41 MYR 99.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.42 MYR 58.5

Cinema Ticket

$2.86 MYR 11.62

$4.58 LKR 1,525

-37.55%

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

$397 MYR 1,609

$37.54 LKR 12.5K

956.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 42.8K

$1,195 LKR 397.5K

782.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 MYR 241

$17.81 LKR 5,924

233.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.60 MYR 140

$16.65 LKR 5,536

107.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 MYR 302

$79.4 LKR 26.4K

-6.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 MYR 283

$41.17 LKR 13.7K

69.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$180 MYR 731

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 MYR 976

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 MYR 1,947

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 MYR 1,481

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,202 MYR 4,877

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$480 MYR 1,948

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 MYR 1,986

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

12.69

-68.16%

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

Last update for Sungai Petani: October 27, 2026

Last update for Hikkaduwa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sungai Petani

$247 30.7%

Hikkaduwa

$235 46.6% 4.7% $12

Accommodation & Living

Sungai Petani

$241 29.9%

Hikkaduwa

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Sungai Petani

$107 13.3%

Hikkaduwa

$70 13.8% 34.9% $37

Eating Out

Sungai Petani

$94 11.7%

Hikkaduwa

$105 20.7% 10.9% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sungai Petani

$67 8.3%

Hikkaduwa

$84 16.6% 25.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Sungai Petani

$30 3.8%

Hikkaduwa

$9.2 * 1.8% 69.6% $21

Getting Around

Sungai Petani

$19 2.3%

Hikkaduwa

$2.3 * 0.5% 88% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $17 in Sungai Petani vs $25 in Hikkaduwa. Groceries flip the comparison at $247 vs $235, with Hikkaduwa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sungai Petani

🇱🇰 Hikkaduwa

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

21:22 9:22 PM

2 h 30 min behind Sungai Petani

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,053

101,342

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4.06 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sungai Petani Hikkaduwa 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sungai Petani
Hikkaduwa

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

Sungai Petani vs Hikkaduwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hikkaduwa is about 37% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,206 in Sungai Petani and $757 in Hikkaduwa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Sungai Petani. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $804 per month in Sungai Petani versus $505 in Hikkaduwa – Hikkaduwa is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Hikkaduwa gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.