Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tashkent and Penang

For one person, living is cheaper in Penang: $839 a month against $1,025 in Tashkent, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tashkent outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

51

Cost of Living Index in Tashkent
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Tashkent Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

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Tashkent

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$1,025

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tashkent and in Penang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,025 in Tashkent versus $839 in Penang.

Tashkent $1,025
Penang $839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,630 in Tashkent versus $1,314 in Penang.

Tashkent $1,630
Penang $1,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,234 in Tashkent versus $1,790 in Penang.

Tashkent $2,234
Penang $1,790

Living in Tashkent is roughly 22% more expensive than in Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tashkent 24% lower, Penang 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.91 UZS 82.0K

$3.58 MYR 14.63

93.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.76 UZS 400.7K

$19.84 MYR 81.0

70.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 UZS 59.5K

$4.58 MYR 18.69

9.39%

Cappuccino

$2.56 UZS 30.4K

$3.04 MYR 12.40

-15.79%

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

$0.76 UZS 9,070

$0.73 MYR 2.98

4.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 UZS 4,022

$0.39 MYR 1.59

-12.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 UZS 25.7K

$4.18 MYR 17.05

-48.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 UZS 45.6K

$4.32 MYR 17.63

-11.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 UZS 16.0K

$1.89 MYR 7.71

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 UZS 9,811

$1.08 MYR 4.42

-23.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UZS 20.8K

$1.77 MYR 7.23

-1.13%

Eggs

$1.82 UZS 21.6K

$2.23 MYR 9.10

-18.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.03 UZS 95.3K

$13.69 MYR 55.9

-41.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.13 UZS 49.0K

$4.29 MYR 17.51

-3.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.77 UZS 151.6K

$8.60 MYR 35.12

48.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 UZS 18.5K

$3.04 MYR 12.42

-48.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 UZS 21.2K

$1.71 MYR 6.96

4.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 UZS 27.9K

$2.67 MYR 10.90

-11.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 UZS 20.5K

$1.47 MYR 6.00

17.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 UZS 6,715

$1.09 MYR 4.47

-47.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 UZS 4,967

$1.07 MYR 4.39

-60.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 UZS 12.5K

$1.14 MYR 4.67

-7.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 UZS 5,411

$0.57 MYR 2.31

-19.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 UZS 23.7K

$4.62 MYR 18.87

-56.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.58 UZS 90.0K

$19.29 MYR 78.8

-60.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 UZS 15.8K

$2.93 MYR 11.95

-54.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 UZS 42.1K

$5.37 MYR 21.92

-34.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 UZS 1,828

$0.51 MYR 2.08

-70.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 UZS 150.0K

$12.30 MYR 50.2

2.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 UZS 9,946

$1.75 MYR 7.17

-52.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 UZS 4,311

$0.37 MYR 1.51

-2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 UZS 40.7K

$7.27 MYR 29.68

-52.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 UZS 13.9K

$0.94 MYR 3.85

24.47%

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

$16.7K UZS 198.0M

$41.0K MYR 167.2K

-59.28%

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

$24.7K UZS 292.8M

$34.9K MYR 142.4K

-29.27%

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

$67.5 UZS 800.8K

$36.55 MYR 149

84.60%

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

$4.46 UZS 52.9K

$9.97 MYR 40.70

-55.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.75 UZS 163.2K

$29.32 MYR 120

-53.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.7 UZS 756.0K

$38.81 MYR 158

64.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.97 UZS 225.2K

$4.98 MYR 20.33

280.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.02 UZS 71.5K

$4.87 MYR 19.89

23.61%

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

$333 UZS 3.9M

$430 MYR 1,755

-22.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,395 UZS 111.5M

$10.8K MYR 44.1K

-13.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 UZS 602.3K

$60.3 MYR 246

-15.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 UZS 704.4K

$35.26 MYR 144

68.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 UZS 1.3M

$83.5 MYR 341

33.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 UZS 1.6M

$69.8 MYR 285

96.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 UZS 7.1M

$402 MYR 1,641

48.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 UZS 4.5M

$232 MYR 949

61.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 UZS 14.0M

$621 MYR 2,534

89.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 UZS 8.6M

$410 MYR 1,676

77.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,653 UZS 19.6M

$2,212 MYR 9,034

-25.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$941 UZS 11.2M

$1,057 MYR 4,317

-11.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$712 UZS 8.5M

$943 MYR 3,851

-24.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.31

4.04

476.98%

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

Last update for Tashkent: October 6, 2026

Last update for Penang: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tashkent

$376 36.3%

Penang

$232 27.1% 38.3% $144

Groceries & Markets

Tashkent

$197 19%

Penang

$258 30.1% 31.3% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Tashkent

$161 15.6%

Penang

$112 13.1% 30.6% $49

Eating Out

Tashkent

$124 12%

Penang

$113 13.2% 9% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tashkent

$86 8.3%

Penang

$76 8.8% 11.5% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Tashkent

$76 7.3%

Penang

$49 5.7% 35.9% $27

Getting Around

Tashkent

$16 1.5%

Penang

$18 2.1% 12.8% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $595 in Tashkent and $402 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Tashkent vs $20.00 in Penang. Groceries flip the comparison at $197 vs $258, with Tashkent cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇿 Tashkent

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

10:09 10:09 AM

13:09 1:09 PM

3 h ahead of Tashkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,956,384 Capital

158,336

💱 Currency

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 UZS = 8.42 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.51 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to UZS – Uzbekistani Som Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇿 Uzbekistani Som (soʻm)

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11,870 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.42 USD). 1 EUR = 13,313 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.51 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to UZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tashkent Penang 5,040 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tashkent
Penang

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

Tashkent vs Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Penang. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $595 in Tashkent versus $402 in Penang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Penang – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $34.00 in Tashkent. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,025 per month in Tashkent versus $839 in Penang – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $839 in Penang versus $1,025 in Tashkent, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Penang but tight or insufficient in Tashkent. The gap between the two cities makes Penang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Penang is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tashkent, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tashkent and Penang 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 Penang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Tashkent. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.