Hong Kong vs Penang Cost of Living
Hong Kong (Hong Kong) · Overall index 75.4 — Penang (Malaysia) · Overall index 26.7
Summary
- Overall, Penang is 65% cheaper than Hong Kong.
- Rent in Penang is 83% cheaper than in Hong Kong.
- Transport in Penang is 64% cheaper than in Hong Kong.
| Item | Hong Kong | Penang | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -83% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,572 | $483 | -81% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,975 | $300 | -85% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $5,236 | $900 | -83% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $3,501 | $631 | -82% |
| Groceries | -58% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.19 | $0.43 | -64% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.67 | $1.46 | -60% |
| Rice (1kg) | $4.36 | $1.75 | -60% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.93 | $1.79 | -54% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $11.9 | $5.05 | -58% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $11.5 | $4.84 | -58% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $15 | $6.87 | -54% |
| Apples (1kg) | $4.97 | $2.09 | -58% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.74 | $0.77 | -56% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.99 | $1.57 | -61% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.29 | $2 | -62% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.49 | $1.16 | -53% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.2 | $1.14 | -48% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.49 | $0.95 | -62% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.3 | $0.89 | -61% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $13.7 | $5.95 | -57% |
| Transport | -64% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.38 | $0.85 | -64% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $104 | $36.7 | -65% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.97 | $1.13 | -62% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.71 | $0.57 | -67% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.76 | $0.27 | -64% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $21,733 | $8,576 | -61% |
| Dining out | -62% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $20.9 | $7.46 | -64% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $99.9 | $33.2 | -67% |
| Fast food combo meal | $10.2 | $4 | -61% |
| Cappuccino | $4.36 | $1.84 | -58% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.41 | $0.81 | -66% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.48 | $2.51 | -54% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $7.05 | $2.65 | -62% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.74 | $0.69 | -60% |
| Telecom | -46% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $48.9 | $25.2 | -48% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $59.2 | $32.1 | -46% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.3 | $0.16 | -47% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13 | $7.13 | -45% |
| Utilities & household | -59% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $136 | $61.1 | -55% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.18 | $0.08 | -56% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.39 | $1.73 | -61% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.39 | $0.59 | -58% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $21.8 | $7.9 | -64% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $78.7 | $34.1 | -57% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $13.3 | $5.59 | -58% |
| Men's haircut | $30.2 | $10.5 | -65% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $24.4 | $9.49 | -61% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,684 | $720 | -57% |
3,340 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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