Seoul vs Penang Cost of Living
Seoul (South Korea) · Overall index 53.3 — Penang (Malaysia) · Overall index 26.7
Summary
- Overall, Penang is 50% cheaper than Seoul.
- Rent in Penang is 63% cheaper than in Seoul.
- Transport in Penang is 53% cheaper than in Seoul.
| Item | Seoul | Penang | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -63% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,128 | $483 | -57% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $885 | $300 | -66% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,631 | $900 | -66% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,576 | $631 | -60% |
| Groceries | -48% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.97 | $0.43 | -56% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.03 | $1.46 | -52% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.33 | $1.75 | -47% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.32 | $1.79 | -46% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $9.47 | $5.05 | -47% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $8.39 | $4.84 | -42% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $14.8 | $6.87 | -54% |
| Apples (1kg) | $4.15 | $2.09 | -50% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.53 | $0.77 | -50% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.36 | $1.57 | -53% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $3.73 | $2 | -46% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.22 | $1.16 | -48% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.86 | $1.14 | -39% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.71 | $0.95 | -44% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.67 | $0.89 | -47% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $11.7 | $5.95 | -49% |
| Transport | -53% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.68 | $0.85 | -49% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $68.9 | $36.7 | -47% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.76 | $1.13 | -59% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.34 | $0.57 | -57% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.53 | $0.27 | -49% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $18,844 | $8,576 | -54% |
| Dining out | -51% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $14.8 | $7.46 | -50% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $84.8 | $33.2 | -61% |
| Fast food combo meal | $7.96 | $4 | -50% |
| Cappuccino | $3.11 | $1.84 | -41% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.89 | $0.81 | -57% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $4.53 | $2.51 | -45% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $5.53 | $2.65 | -52% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.43 | $0.69 | -52% |
| Telecom | -36% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $45.1 | $25.2 | -44% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $47.3 | $32.1 | -32% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.22 | $0.16 | -27% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $11.3 | $7.13 | -37% |
| Utilities & household | -48% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $130 | $61.1 | -53% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.16 | $0.08 | -50% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $3.13 | $1.73 | -45% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.03 | $0.59 | -43% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $15.9 | $7.9 | -50% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $60.9 | $34.1 | -44% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $9.46 | $5.59 | -41% |
| Men's haircut | $22.9 | $10.5 | -54% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $16.6 | $9.49 | -43% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,561 | $720 | -54% |
3,145 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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