Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulu Tiram and Penang

For one person, living is cheaper in Penang: $913 a month against $938 in Ulu Tiram, rent and utilities included – about $300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ulu Tiram outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Ulu Tiram
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Ulu Tiram Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

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Ulu Tiram

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$938

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ulu Tiram 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 Ulu Tiram and in Penang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Ulu Tiram versus $913 in Penang.

Ulu Tiram $938
Penang $913

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,412 in Ulu Tiram versus $1,403 in Penang.

Ulu Tiram $1,412
Penang $1,403

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,885 in Ulu Tiram versus $1,894 in Penang.

Ulu Tiram $1,885
Penang $1,894

Living in Ulu Tiram is roughly 3% more expensive than in Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ulu Tiram 31% lower, Penang 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.59

$3.73 MYR 15.17

-4.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.21 MYR 78.2

$19.91 MYR 81.1

-3.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 MYR 20.24

$4.78 MYR 19.45

3.97%

Cappuccino

$2.92 MYR 11.90

$2.98 MYR 12.13

-2.01%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.44

$0.75 MYR 3.06

13.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 MYR 1.67

$0.37 MYR 1.50

10.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.50 MYR 18.30

$4.06 MYR 16.53

10.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 MYR 26.03

$4.38 MYR 17.81

46.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MYR 7.02

$1.86 MYR 7.59

-6.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.23

$1.08 MYR 4.40

-3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.03

$1.76 MYR 7.18

-15.91%

Eggs

$1.80 MYR 7.33

$2.22 MYR 9.03

-18.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 MYR 39.17

$13.46 MYR 54.8

-28.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.23 MYR 17.21

$4.45 MYR 18.12

-4.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 MYR 38.95

$8.70 MYR 35.42

10.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 MYR 13.44

$2.92 MYR 11.88

13.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.90

$1.65 MYR 6.71

2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 MYR 11.25

$2.61 MYR 10.62

5.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MYR 6.68

$1.40 MYR 5.69

17.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.92

$1.05 MYR 4.28

38.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.78

$1.12 MYR 4.55

49.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MYR 5.65

$1.10 MYR 4.47

26.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.29

$0.59 MYR 2.39

-5.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MYR 17.48

$4.69 MYR 19.07

-8.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.28 MYR 70.3

$19.31 MYR 78.6

-10.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 MYR 12.04

$3.00 MYR 12.23

-1.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MYR 12.65

$5.41 MYR 22.01

-42.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MYR 3.25

$0.50 MYR 2.04

60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.32 MYR 54.2

$12.03 MYR 48.96

10.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 MYR 3.84

$1.66 MYR 6.77

-43.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.55

$0.38 MYR 1.54

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.77 MYR 35.71

$7.47 MYR 30.41

17.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 MYR 3.51

$0.95 MYR 3.85

-9.47%

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

$43.8K MYR 178.3K

$44.2K MYR 179.9K

-0.86%

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

$35.5K MYR 144.5K

$35.8K MYR 145.6K

-0.72%

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

$53.5 MYR 218

$36.68 MYR 149

45.80%

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

$8.46 MYR 34.42

$9.56 MYR 38.90

-11.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.46 MYR 116

$29.49 MYR 120

-3.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.15 MYR 151

$39.20 MYR 160

-5.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.93 MYR 28.19

$4.85 MYR 19.76

42.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.80 MYR 19.53

$4.78 MYR 19.45

0.42%

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

$241 MYR 980

$398 MYR 1,619

-39.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,550 MYR 18.5K

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

-57.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 MYR 224

$60.9 MYR 248

-9.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.99 MYR 69.2

$35.45 MYR 144

-52.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 MYR 320

$83.6 MYR 340

-5.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.0 MYR 354

$70.2 MYR 286

24.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$453 MYR 1,844

$408 MYR 1,661

11.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 MYR 1,282

$287 MYR 1,169

9.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 MYR 2,887

$698 MYR 2,839

1.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$547 MYR 2,227

$534 MYR 2,174

2.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,005 MYR 8,161

$2,117 MYR 8,615

-5.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,196 MYR 4,867

$1,261 MYR 5,132

-5.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$869 MYR 3,535

$931 MYR 3,791

-6.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

4.04

0.50%

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

Last update for Ulu Tiram: October 25, 2026

Last update for Penang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulu Tiram

$315 33.6%

Penang

$287 31.5% 8.8% $28

Groceries & Markets

Ulu Tiram

$241 25.7%

Penang

$257 28.2% 6.8% $16

Eating Out

Ulu Tiram

$119 12.7%

Penang

$113 12.4% 4.6% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Ulu Tiram

$107 11.4%

Penang

$113 12.3% 5.2% $5.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulu Tiram

$90 9.6%

Penang

$76 8.3% 16.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Ulu Tiram

$47 5%

Penang

$49 5.3% 4.3% $2

Getting Around

Ulu Tiram

$19 2.1%

Penang

$18 1.9% 9.1% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $453 in Ulu Tiram and $408 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19 in Ulu Tiram vs $20 in Penang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $257 per month, with Ulu Tiram cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Ulu Tiram

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

02:12 2:12 AM

Same time as Ulu Tiram

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,350

158,336

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ulu Tiram Penang 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ulu Tiram
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

Ulu Tiram vs Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang is about 3% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Ulu Tiram. 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: $453 in Ulu Tiram versus $408 in Penang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulu Tiram – a meal for two runs $19 versus $20 in Penang. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $938 per month in Ulu Tiram versus $913 in Penang – Penang is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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, Ulu Tiram and Penang are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.