Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulu Tiram and Petaling Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulu Tiram: $938 a month against $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Ulu Tiram
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Ulu Tiram Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index

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Ulu Tiram

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$938

/mo nomad

Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Ulu Tiram vs $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Ulu Tiram $938
Petaling Jaya $1,056

A couple spends around $1,412 per month in Ulu Tiram vs $1,569 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Ulu Tiram $1,412
Petaling Jaya $1,569

A family of three spends $1,885 per month in Ulu Tiram vs $2,082 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Ulu Tiram $1,885
Petaling Jaya $2,082

Ulu Tiram is about 11% cheaper than Petaling Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ulu Tiram and Petaling Jaya are more affordable than the global median – Ulu Tiram 31% lower, Petaling Jaya 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.59

$3.57 MYR 14.53

0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.21 MYR 78.2

$24.39 MYR 99.3

-21.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 MYR 20.24

$4.85 MYR 19.74

2.47%

Cappuccino

$2.92 MYR 11.90

$3.08 MYR 12.52

-5.19%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.44

$0.85 MYR 3.46

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 MYR 1.67

$0.41 MYR 1.66

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.50 MYR 18.30

$3.28 MYR 13.37

37.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 MYR 26.03

$5.69 MYR 23.17

12.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MYR 7.02

$1.93 MYR 7.86

-10.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.23

$1.03 MYR 4.21

0.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.03

$1.44 MYR 5.86

2.78%

Eggs

$1.80 MYR 7.33

$1.77 MYR 7.20

1.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 MYR 39.17

$9.71 MYR 39.52

-0.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.23 MYR 17.21

$3.28 MYR 13.35

28.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 MYR 38.95

$9.73 MYR 39.62

-1.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 MYR 13.44

$3.51 MYR 14.28

-5.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.90

$1.86 MYR 7.56

-9.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 MYR 11.25

$2.73 MYR 11.12

1.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MYR 6.68

$1.83 MYR 7.43

-10.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.92

$2.15 MYR 8.74

-32.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.78

$2.02 MYR 8.22

-17.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MYR 5.65

$1.45 MYR 5.90

-4.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.29

$0.52 MYR 2.13

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MYR 17.48

$4.56 MYR 18.58

-5.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.28 MYR 70.3

$19.38 MYR 78.9

-10.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 MYR 12.04

$2.64 MYR 10.74

12.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MYR 12.65

$4.48 MYR 18.22

-30.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MYR 3.25

$1.25 MYR 5.10

-36.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.32 MYR 54.2

$12.45 MYR 50.7

6.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 MYR 3.84

$1.19 MYR 4.84

-21.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.55

$0.35 MYR 1.44

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.77 MYR 35.71

$8.75 MYR 35.62

0.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 MYR 3.51

$0.87 MYR 3.54

-1.15%

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

$43.8K MYR 178.3K

$45.9K MYR 186.7K

-4.50%

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

$35.5K MYR 144.5K

$35.3K MYR 143.8K

0.51%

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

$53.5 MYR 218

$49.61 MYR 202

7.80%

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

$8.46 MYR 34.42

$8.18 MYR 33.30

3.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.46 MYR 116

$27.36 MYR 111

4.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.15 MYR 151

$40.42 MYR 165

-8.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.93 MYR 28.19

$3.03 MYR 12.33

128.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.80 MYR 19.53

$5.00 MYR 20.36

-4.00%

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

$241 MYR 980

$273 MYR 1,110

-11.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,550 MYR 18.5K

$10.5K MYR 42.8K

-56.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 MYR 224

$51.6 MYR 210

6.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.99 MYR 69.2

$29.45 MYR 120

-42.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 MYR 320

$78.0 MYR 318

0.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.0 MYR 354

$87.2 MYR 355

-0.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$453 MYR 1,844

$511 MYR 2,082

-11.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 MYR 1,282

$426 MYR 1,736

-26.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 MYR 2,887

$961 MYR 3,910

-26.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$547 MYR 2,227

$699 MYR 2,846

-21.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,005 MYR 8,161

$3,144 MYR 12.8K

-36.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,196 MYR 4,867

$976 MYR 3,974

22.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$869 MYR 3,535

$1,746 MYR 7,108

-50.26%

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 Ulu Tiram: October 25, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulu Tiram

$315 33.6%

Petaling Jaya

$426 40.4% 35.4% $112

Groceries & Markets

Ulu Tiram

$241 25.7%

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.6% 3.5% $8.4

Eating Out

Ulu Tiram

$119 12.7%

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.7% 5.2% $6.1

Clothing & Footwear

Ulu Tiram

$107 11.4%

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.5% 3.6% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulu Tiram

$90 9.6%

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1% 5.8% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Ulu Tiram

$47 5%

Petaling Jaya

$50 4.8% 7.9% $3.7

Getting Around

Ulu Tiram

$19 2.1%

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9% 5.5% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $453 in Ulu Tiram 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.

Salaries in Petaling Jaya are about 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Ulu Tiram versus $24 in Petaling Jaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $249 – making Ulu Tiram the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Ulu Tiram

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🕒 Local time

02:51 2:51 AM

Same time as Ulu Tiram

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,350

771,687

💱 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

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Between locations

Ulu Tiram Petaling Jaya 290 km

From you

Ulu Tiram
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

Ulu Tiram vs Petaling Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Petaling Jaya costs about 12% more than Ulu Tiram, 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 $1,408 per month in Ulu Tiram 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 Ulu Tiram, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $453 there versus $511 in Petaling Jaya.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Petaling Jaya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $241 per month in Ulu Tiram and $273 in Petaling Jaya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $938 in Ulu Tiram and $1,056 in Petaling Jaya. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Ulu Tiram – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Ulu Tiram. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Petaling Jaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.