Singapore vs Penang Cost of Living
Singapore (Singapore) · Overall index 78.2 — Penang (Malaysia) · Overall index 26.7
Summary
- Overall, Penang is 66% cheaper than Singapore.
- Rent in Penang is 84% cheaper than in Singapore.
- Transport in Penang is 65% cheaper than in Singapore.
| Item | Singapore | Penang | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -84% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,802 | $483 | -83% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,887 | $300 | -84% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $6,049 | $900 | -85% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $3,490 | $631 | -82% |
| Groceries | -60% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.1 | $0.43 | -61% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.89 | $1.46 | -62% |
| Rice (1kg) | $4.33 | $1.75 | -60% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.94 | $1.79 | -55% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $12.9 | $5.05 | -61% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12.2 | $4.84 | -60% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $19.3 | $6.87 | -64% |
| Apples (1kg) | $4.93 | $2.09 | -58% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.96 | $0.77 | -61% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.02 | $1.57 | -61% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.53 | $2 | -64% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.84 | $1.16 | -59% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.66 | $1.14 | -57% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.3 | $0.95 | -59% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.14 | $0.89 | -58% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $14.8 | $5.95 | -60% |
| Transport | -65% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.23 | $0.85 | -62% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $99.1 | $36.7 | -63% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.23 | $1.13 | -65% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.75 | $0.57 | -67% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.78 | $0.27 | -65% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $24,838 | $8,576 | -65% |
| Dining out | -63% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $21.6 | $7.46 | -65% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $105 | $33.2 | -68% |
| Fast food combo meal | $9.73 | $4 | -59% |
| Cappuccino | $4.28 | $1.84 | -57% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.2 | $0.81 | -63% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $6.69 | $2.51 | -62% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $7.94 | $2.65 | -67% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.82 | $0.69 | -62% |
| Telecom | -47% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $53.2 | $25.2 | -53% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $55.4 | $32.1 | -42% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.32 | $0.16 | -50% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $12.9 | $7.13 | -45% |
| Utilities & household | -60% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $158 | $61.1 | -61% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.22 | $0.08 | -64% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.04 | $1.73 | -57% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.24 | $0.59 | -52% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $19.2 | $7.9 | -59% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $80.6 | $34.1 | -58% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $14.4 | $5.59 | -61% |
| Men's haircut | $28.1 | $10.5 | -63% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $24.6 | $9.49 | -61% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,858 | $720 | -61% |
3,060 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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