🇲🇾Cost of Living in Penang

Malaysia · Population: 790,000 · Cost Index: 30/100

Cost of Living in Penang

Malaysia · Asia

Penang is a Malaysian island state known for its UNESCO-listed George Town, vibrant street art, and legendary hawker food culture. It offers a slightly lower cost of living than Kuala Lumpur with excellent food and a relaxed tropical lifestyle.

790,000

Population

Cost Index

Safety Index

Quality of Life

Average Monthly Cost: $1,200 (single person, excluding rent)

Estimated monthly budget in Penang

Typical total monthly cost by household type.

Single person

$1,200

per month

Couple

$1,800

per month

Family of 4

$2,520

per month

Student

$900

per month

Estimates based on the average cost of living in Penang, scaled by household size. Actual costs vary with lifestyle, neighbourhood and housing.

Cost Breakdown

Housing

Avg: $492.50

1-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$400.00

1-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$240.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$850.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$480.00

Food & Groceries

Avg: $3.35

Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant(per meal)

$2.00

Meal for 2 at Mid-Range Restaurant(per meal)

$15.00

McMeal at McDonald's(per meal)

$4.20

Milk (1 liter)(per liter)

$1.70

Bread (500g loaf)(per loaf)

$1.00

Rice (1 kg)(per kg)

$0.85

Eggs (12)(per dozen)

$1.40

Chicken Breast (1 kg)(per kg)

$3.00

Apples (1 kg)(per kg)

$3.30

Banana (1 kg)(per kg)

$1.10

Transportation

Avg: $4.79

Monthly Public Transit Pass(per month)

$22.00

One-Way Ticket (Local Transport)(per trip)

$0.45

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)(base fare)

$0.70

Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff)(per km)

$0.30

Gasoline (1 liter)(per liter)

$0.50

Utilities

Avg: $27.00

Basic Utilities (85m² Apt)(per month)

$50.00

Mobile Phone Plan(per month)

$11.00

Internet (60 Mbps+)(per month)

$20.00

Healthcare

Avg: $10.83

Doctor Visit(per visit)

$12.00

Dentist Visit(per visit)

$16.00

Prescription Medicine (avg)(per prescription)

$4.50

Entertainment

Avg: $8.68

Fitness Club Monthly(per month)

$25.00

Cinema Ticket(per ticket)

$4.00

Cappuccino(per cup)

$2.50

Beer (0.5l) at Restaurant(per glass)

$3.20

Clothing

Avg: $41.00

Pair of Jeans (Levi's)(per pair)

$38.00

Summer Dress (Chain Store)(per item)

$20.00

Running Shoes (Nike, Adidas)(per pair)

$65.00

Popular Penang comparisons

Penang vs Kuala Lumpur Penang vs Johor Bahru Penang vs New York Penang vs London Penang vs Tokyo Penang vs Singapore Penang vs Dubai Penang vs Paris

Frequently asked questions about Penang

Is Penang expensive to live in?

Penang has a cost of living index of 30 out of 100, where New York City scores 100. This makes it one of the more affordable cities we track.

How much money do you need to live in Penang?

A single person needs an estimated $1,200 per month to live in Penang, covering rent, food, transport and other essentials. A family or a more comfortable lifestyle will cost more.

What is the cost of living index in Penang?

Penang's cost of living index is 30 out of 100. The index is relative to New York City (100), so a score of 50 means overall costs are roughly half those of New York.

What is quality of life like in Penang?

Penang scores 64 out of 100 for quality of life and 65 out of 100 for safety in our index.

Data & sources

As an independent cross-check, the World Bank puts the overall price level in Malaysia at 31 relative to the United States (=100) in 2024. View source

Cost figures on this site are independent estimates, cross-referenced with public data sources including World Bank, Numbeo, Eurostat, OECD.