Thinking of moving to or retiring in Penang? This is how much it costs to live here.
It’s really no wonder why International Living ranked Penang as #6 in their roundup of the “10 Best Places to Retire Around the World in 2017.” Our friends keep asking me if they should retire here, so this is going to be the first in a series of stories about what it’s like to live in Penang and considerations to make before moving here – be sure to subscribe if you’d like to see more of these articles (scroll down and look for the “follow this blog via email” section on the right side of the page).
This fabulous urban island routinely ends up in retirement top 10 lists because of the vibrant multicultural festivals that happen just about every month, world-class food, modern amenities, natural beauty, ample nearby adventures, tropical climate, high quality health care and safety. And monkeys – yay! One of the most attractive things of all: you get all this with a very low cost of living, making it possible for many westerners to retire early and live like rock stars here. You get great value for your money in Penang. Yes, there are cheaper places to live, like Thailand, but there aren’t any skeezy sex tourists here – bonus!
So what’s the actual cost of living like? It really depends on where you live and how fancy or frugal you want to be. To give you a feel for the range of what’s on offer, I’ve asked some of our expat friends with different budgets and lifestyles to summarize their monthly expenses and share photos of where they live. So let’s get to it:
Note: These expenses and exchange rates are as per the publication date of this story, which is February 2017)
Top-End: The Oprah Experience
Monthly cost of living for 2 people: 13,130 MYR ($2,955 USD; 2,789 EUR)
This couple could be on the cover of “I Want Your God Damn Life” magazine. They live like Oprah. Their gorgeous, gigantic condo is right on the beach in Tanjung Bungah, which is a great little community with lots of expats and locals, and it’s close to town but far enough away to have peace and quiet. The home has 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms (not including the separate bedroom and bathroom for the maid) (yes, seriously), and three spectacular balconies. It even has its own private elevator lobby, because, c’mon, who can live without that?! This exclusive condo complex has everything you’d find in a high-end resort: a fabulous pool, an ocean-view gym, multiple waterfront decks, and a large staff of full-time landscapers and security guards. The jetsetting couple who lives here eat outs several times per week, they drink imported wine/beer, shop at a high-end grocery store, they’ve got maid service twice per week and they own their own car. They live it up. Here are a few shots of their beautiful, stylish home:
This is the view from one of their three incredible balconies. Not bad, huh?
| Total monthly expenses for two people for the Top-End / Oprah Experience: | 13,130 ringgit (at today’s exchange rate, that’s about $2,955 USD; 2,789 EUR) |
| Cost of living breakdown: | |
| Condo size | 4,800 square feet |
| Rent | 8000 MYR (Malaysian ringgit)/month (1,790 US dollars; 1,689 Euro) |
| Electricity | 400 MYR/ month ($89 USD; 84 EUR) |
| Water | 10 MYR/month ($2.25 USD; 2 EUR) |
| Twice weekly maid service | 100 MYR/week ($22 USD; 21 EUR) |
| Health insurance | 22,290 MYR per person/year ($5,000 USD per person; 4706 EUR) |
| Broadband internet and TV | 250 MYR/month ($56 USD; 53 EUR) |
| Mobile phone plan for two phones | 38 MYR/month ($8.52 USD; 8.07 EUR) |
| Car insurance and registration | 1,500 MYR/year ($336 USD; 317 EUR) |
| Food, beverages and entertainment | 2000 MYR/month ($449 USD; 423 EUR) |
Budget Living: Affordable Comfort
Monthly cost of living for 2 people: 4,026 MYR (906 USD; 855 EUR)
This lovely couple lives in a fairly high-density apartment complex among locals, and they’re about a 3-minute drive from Tanjung Bungah beach. Their top-floor unit has 3 bedrooms/2 bathrooms, it’s comfortable and cute, and has a lovely balcony with a view of the hills and the sea. Note: they don’t pay for TV or health insurance.
Beautiful views abound from their balcony
| Total monthly expenses for two people for Budget Living / Affordable Comfort : | 4,026 MYR (906 USD; 855 EUR) |
| Cost of living breakdown: | |
| Condo size | 1,300 square feet |
| Rent | 1,700 MYR/month (383 USD; 361 EUR) |
| Electricity | 200 MYR/month (45 USD; 43 EUR) |
| Water | 5 MYR/month (1 USD; 1 EUR) |
| Broadband internet | 134 MYR/month (30 USD; 29 EUR) |
| Mobile phone plan for two phones | 40 MYR/month (9 USD; 8.50 EUR) |
| Car insurance and registration | 565 MYR/year (127 USD; 120 EUR) |
| Food, beverages and entertainment | 1,900 MYR/month (428 USD; 403 EUR) |
Mid-Range: The Goldilocks
Monthly cost of living for 2 people: 5,500 MYR (1,238 USD; 1,168 EUR)
Have you ever dreamt of jumping onto your desk and loudly proclaiming: “Screw you guys, I’ve had enough of this crap – I quit!” (Okay, perhaps a better question is: who hasn’t had this fantasy?) Well, in Penang, you can retire on a heck of a lot less money than you can in almost any western country, so Malaysia might just make early retirement a real possibility for you.
Two of our friends retired in their mid-40s. Since they want their money to stretch for another 40+ years, they live on a budget, but they’ve found ways to still live pretty lavishly by making some compromises. It’s a Goldilocks scenario: not too extravagant, not too frugal. One of their biggest concessions is to live in Batu Ferringhi, which is a resort town that’s quite a bit further out than where most expats live, so they sometimes feel a bit isolated. The town has upsides, like way cheaper rent and gorgeous views. And it has downsides, like crappy broadband internet, and a lot of tourists and tourist traps. They also save money by not having health insurance (opting to pay as they go instead, which is quite affordable here), cleaning their own apartment, forgoing car ownership and using the bus and Uber instead. Here are a few shots of their apartment and pretty views:
| Total monthly expenses for two people for the Mid-range / Goldilocks: | 5,500 MYR (1,238 USD; 1,168 EUR) |
| Cost of living breakdown: | |
| Condo size | 1,777 square feet |
| Rent | 3,200 MYR/month (720 USD; 680 EUR) |
| Electricity | 250 MYR/month (56 USD; 53 EUR) |
| Water | 5 MYR/month (1 USD; 1 EUR) |
| Broadband internet | 170 MYR/month (38 USD; 36 EUR) |
| Mobile phone plan for two phones | 125 MYR/month (28 USD; 26 EUR) |
| Transportation for two people | 250 MYR/month (56 USD; 53 EUR) |
| Food, beverages and entertainment | 1,500 MYR/month (337 USD; 319 EUR) |
Something to think about when choosing a condo, apartment or house here: who will your neighbors be? Neighbors are a great source of friends for most people, and living in a community of people whose company you really enjoy can contribute a lot to your quality of life. Residents of top-end complexes tend to be a diverse international blend of highly educated, successful, interesting people from fascinating backgrounds. The ages range from young families on expat work assignments to older retirees. Places at the lower end of the rent spectrum tend to have a higher concentration of locals of all ages who are still working. And mid-range complexes often attract blue-collar retirees.
If you’re thinking of retiring here, you’ll also need to look into the cost of the Malaysia My Second Home program, also known as MM2H. The costs differ for various age ranges, and whether you choose to use an agent or fill in the paperwork yourself. My friend Rob has a great blog called Experimental Expats, and he wrote a comprehensive story about the MM2H process here, which I highly recommend you to check out if you’re considering retiring in Malaysia.
There are also other considerations to factor into the cost of living, like the fact that there’s no capital gains tax in Malaysia, and if you’re moving here from certain European countries, avoiding those taxes can be very attractive.
Beyond cost of living considerations, it comes down to this simple question: will you be happy in Penang? My husband and I absolutely love living here, as do the majority of our friends, but we know a few who aren’t so enchanted. There are so many things to love about Penang, like its people, who are some of the happiest, friendliest and most welcoming in the world, not to mention the insanely good food, and all the fascinating festivals. It isn’t perfect though – there are some downsides, like the haze when Indonesia sets their forests on fire, traumatizing bathrooms, the heat, and omnipresent litter. It’s kind of like seeing a Ferrari with a dent in the door: do you focus on the dent or on the rest of the car? If you’re a dent-gazer, Penang might drive you nuts. But if you’re the kind of person who is able to focus on the good instead of the bad, you may just find yourself falling in love with Penang like I have.
To everyone considering moving here, I’d recommend coming and spending a few weeks to see if it’s right for you. To give you a good feel for the island, here’s a great way to experience its highlights in 3 perfect days, or come for some festivals. And be sure to visit the famous wet markets while you’re here, which is where you can find me every morning shoving large quantities of tomyum noodles into my face. Hope to see you here! 🙂
This is just one of the new friends you might make if you move to Penang. 🙂
Oh MY Expat Life 
Impeccable article as usual. To any readers, I’m Rob, the guy with the blog she talked about and we live out in the boonies. I’ll personally vouch that what she says is very accurate. For my wife and me it’s time to move on but a lot of our decisions come from the compromises we made to live without work at young ages. Thailand will cut our rent by about 20 to 30% and we’ve always wanted to try liivng there. And we’re the type that usually doesn’t repeat festivals unless they’re exceptional in our eyes. And to be blunt, it’s too hot for us to enjoy a lot of what we enjoy doing. It’s difficult with no transportation but we needed to try two years and see how our budgeting went. Chiang Mai is in the mountains and mornings and evenings are as much as 10 Celsius degrees cooler than Penang so if you’re even half half on high humidity and a temperature range that never settles in at less than mid 80s farenheit you might think twice. Anyway, Cimeron and John rock and are by far our favorite North American friends. We will miss them
Cheers
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Great article. My husband and I are hoping to make the move early next year. Please put me on your mailing list. Thanks.
Lana Bogart
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Thanks Lana! We really love living here. There’s a lot to enjoy about it! If you’d like to get each new article that comes out, you’ll need to sign up for that yourself by going to the site (www.OhMYExpatLife.com) scroll down and look for the button on the right side of the page that says “Follow” and enter your info. (Sorry – I can’t sign you up for the email list myself – that’s to ensure your privacy). 🙂
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We have no mailing list. Simply click to follow
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Thanks for a very informative article… 🙂
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Very informative. As a Professional Photographer and a semi retired single gentleman, I’m always looking for the next awesome shot (think Pulitzer Prize) and of course how to make my menial retirement income go further. I look forward to more and am interested in how single people are managing there.
albc
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Thank you for the article on cost of living. We are on our first exploratory visit the first week in November. We are in search of a good real estate agent or Company that can help us understand our options for rentals. Specifically since I need a pet friendly apartment that will accept two cats. I think you have 3 cats so you know that finding pet friendly can sometimes be challenging. Do you have any recommendations or who you used when you were searching?
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Hi Jana,
There are quite a few places around the island that will accept pets, and most real estate agents know the condos and landed homes that do. My friend Marrean is an agent and I’m sure she can help you out. Here’s the Facebook page for her company – just tell her I sent you and she’ll treat you like an old friend. 🙂 http://www.facebook.com/PenangRealEstate7/?hc_ref=ARRZCdWb7Dezju7Ix-G_FSbLpgYt9FnWI9VGiMoRz3FL0pcB0xQVyr4O-AyKJc0E1Rc&pnref=story.unseen-section
Best of luck on your home-hunt!
Cimeron
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Hi Cimeron! Thank you so much for this article. Really gives me a lot of information to think about in terms of housing. Serious questions time. How bad is the heat and humidity? I’m from foggy San Francisco, and I know it can be hot there, but just how hot are we talking?
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Hi Gordon! We’re from SF too, so I understand your fear of the heat and humidity. Last year, the temperatures were quite pleasant here for much of the year, but the year before, there were long stretches of very hot months…like Burning Man hot. With global climate change, the normal seasonal patterns and temperatures have been a bit disrupted here, just like everywhere else. So long story short: the heat and humidity can really vary. Personally speaking, my husband and I have gotten quite used to it and we only notice the super crazy-hot days, which are not all that common. But I have friends who really feel the heat and humidity, so they stay in air-conditioned places during the peak-heat hours. A doctor friend told me that overweight people tend to struggle with the heat more than thinner people, too.
Since heat tolerance is a totally personal thing, I can’t tell you if you’ll get used to it or hate it – you’re just going to have to come and see for yourself. I hope that helps!
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Hi! Just to add on to the comment from Gordon. We too are from SF, but from the SF Coast (pacifica, half moon bay) which can be even more foggy and cool depending on where you are in comparison in SF. We visited Penang in November and it was humid and quite warm. I did not feel like we had to be in the AC the entire time, but I will say if you don’t like humidity, then it will be warm for you. We lived in South Florida (Miami/Ft Lauderdale) several years back and the weather reminds me of these areas. In fact, you can find some sites on the internet that compare the weather between Florida and Penang (which is what I did before we visited as I had the same concern Gordon did). I agree with Cimeron that you do get used to the heat and humidity. However, you will have to judge your tolerance for this type of weather if you have never lived in a humid environment previously. Regardless of humidity, we enjoyed Penang!
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When you’re all here, maybe we should get together and form the Bay Area In Penang Club! 🙂
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Hi Cimeron,
First I must commend you for all the great first hand information which is invaluable for those who plans to relocate to Penang, especially on the cost of living and pet relocation procedures. I m writing a book on early retirement in Malaysia. May I use some of the information and links to your blog so that the readers could have access to your stories? Thank you.
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Hi Lawrence, Thanks for the kind words! You’re more than welcome to include links to my blog in your book. Whenever you use info from the blog, if you could please reference it as your source, that would be great. Good luck writing your book! 🙂
Cimeron
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Thank you very much Cimeron. Yes, credit will be given for source of content used from you.
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Hi Cimeron….
We are looking to have a one month stay in Penang to establish if we could rent long term….
Having no idea of where to start …..what areas would you recommend …and are there any estate agents who deal with monthly rentals….???
As we are from the UK we are completely in the dark….are you able to shed any light…..?
Kind regards
Peter & Hui Hui
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Hi Peter and Hui Hui! Nice to meet you. My friend Sharon has a special connection with the rental manager at a really beautiful and brand new high-rise condo that’s pretty close to everything. I’m pretty sure she can arrange a one-month rental for you at a very affordable rate – I know she just did something recently for some other friends of mine who are also here to decide if Penang is right for them. She’s on vacation at the moment, but if you’d like, I can pass your email address onto her and have her contact you directly. Does that like a good plan? Sharon is wonderful and loves helping people, so I think you’ll really like her. Plus, she can give you a great idea for all the different areas to live in Penang and all the pros/cons. 🙂
Cimeron
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Awww thanks Cimeron! You are pretty awesome yourself! Thanks to you have been visiting some pretty special places!
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Hi Cimeron, I love your website! We as a family of four are planning to come to Penang, we are looking for a place to stay for one month before we agreed to a long term rent. Can you please recommend us any estate agents? You have mentioned your friend Sharon above in a comment, it would be great to connect with her 🙂
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Hi Sadaqat, nice to meet you! My friend Sharon can definitely help you with that – she’s got some special relationships with really nice condos around Penang to secure rentals of various lengths at a discount rate. Here’s her email address: Giraudcan@gmail.com She’s a very close friend of mine and she’s a wonderful person. I’m sure she’ll be able to help you out. Let me know how it goes!
Cimeron
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Thank you thats amazing! Can’t wait to get there now 🙂
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Hi Cimeron,
Nice blog for expat looking forward to live in Penang. We are a couple from Bay Area too. Thinking to apply for MM2H for our early retirement. Love your idea of Bay Area Club in Penang. Can you kindly refer us to a reliable MM2H agent for our consideration. Thanks!
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Nice to meet you, and looking forward to seeing another Bay Area couple in Penang! Most of our friends have used Alter Domus for their MM2H and they strongly recommend them. Here’s their website: https://www.penangmyhome.com/
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Hi Cimeron,
Thanks for this article. Entertaining and informative! I am glad I have found your blog. We are thinking about bringing our young family over to Penang in a few years from Florida. it is not totally random as I have a lot of family in Penang and both my parents were born there…however no one has much insight into expat living with young kids. Do you know anyone or can share any thoughts? I exchanged emails with the MM2H office but would appreciate more insight into the schooling options and other family-focused topics.
Many thanks!
Max
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Hi I don’t know if I am double posting as I submitted a comment about 4 days ago and haven’t seen it appear yet. Either it didn’t go through or it is still in the approval phase?
Anyway, I wanted to say thank you for this informative and entertaining article, as well as for your site in general! I am sure you enjoy sharing, but it is very helpful and fun for me as well. My family is considering relocating to Penang for a few years (I know it fairly well as I have a lot of family living there) however I haven’t been able to find much information for young expat families. Is the MM2H program and other resources geared towards a family such as ours (late 30s with two young kids). I did receive some info from the MM2H folks regarding public schools but they didn’t entirely answer my questions.
Do you know any expats in a similar situation or have any thoughts to share yourself?
Thank you!!
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Hi Maxwell! Thanks so much for your kind words! I really appreciate it. Sorry for the delay – we were out of the country on a remote island without internet (one of the perks of living here is the travel!) MM2H is available for people of all ages, however, there are different financial requirements for younger people. Check the Alter Domus website – they’ll have all the details you need on that. If you’ve got kids who will be attending a school in Malaysia, I believe you can bypass the MM2H program and get a special pass as the parents of dependent children in school. I don’t know much about that program since we don’t have kids, so you’ll need to check with Alter Domus or the government about that. Of the people I know who are participating in that program, all their kids go to private international schools, and there are lots of great ones here: Uplands, Prince of Wales, Tenby, just to name a few. I’d suggest that you join a Facebook group for expats here, such as Expats in Penang, to ask expat parents of school-aged kids about their visas and how it all works. Hope that helps!
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Thank you Cimeron! No worries I just wasn’t sure if I had made a mistake.
Anyway I really appreciate your advice especially joining an expat facebook group. We are planning for a move in 2-3 years so still in the early stages of recon and info gathering.
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Hi Cimeron,
I am a recently retired American woman, residing in New Zealand, who is (almost) ready to make a final decision about moving to Malaysia. After a year’s research – including your wonderful, informative blog- I am keen to visit Penang for a few months to test the waters, but understand that short term rentals are very difficult to find.
Does your oft mentioned friend Sharon still assist with this, or has she moved on ? I am open to any other suggestions on how to find a small flat for this time period. Am SO appreciative of all the info I have gleaned from your site.
Kind Regards,
Julia G.
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Hi Julia! Glad to hear that my blog has helped you. Great idea to visit Penang and stay for a while to test the waters and see if it’s right for you. My friend Sharon is hooked up with lots of really nice short-term rental units and I’m sure she’d be happy to help you. You can reach her at: giraudcan@gmail.com
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Many thanks for your prompt response, Cimeron. I have whisked off an email to Sharon and eagerly await her feedback. You provide a great service and pragmatic information for those of us that are out of the usual expat loop. Well done !
Julia G.
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Hello all…I am a recent relocator to Penang and I live in one of the areas Cimeron talks about…The Oprah Winfrey special. Our conso is even bigger than the one in this blog. It is 6,300 square feet. 5 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms and a small servants quarters.We are on the 25th floor with sweeping views of the Straits of Malacca. There are 2 main ocean view balconies ( you could almost play half court basketball on each of the main ones) and three smaller balconies. Our rent is RM 7,000 ($1,750/mo)
We relocated from the Charlotte, NC area. People here talk about how hot and humid it is….but honestly we think it isn’t bad at all. It feels like late spring/early summer in Charlotte.Our electricity bill runs about $65US a month as we only run the AC in our bedroom at night when we sleep. Opening all the windows and sliding glass doors lets the sea breeze flow through the condo and keeps it comfortable.
We eat breakfast in the condo 5-6 mornings a week. We eat lunch in the condo 4-5 days a week. And we eat dinner in the condo 3-4 nights a week. What you hear about the food here is true….it is cheap to eat out and the food is awesome!!!
We don’t own a car. We do Grab (the Asian version of Uber) on longer trips. A Grab to the major shopping malls from our Condo at The Cove runs about $5.00 round trip!
Our monthly budget is pretty close to what Cimeron says here. There are people who spend less and people who spend more.
Penang is a great place to live and retire early. We did it and so can you. Spend a few weeks here on a scouting mission and see if it is for you. I’d recommend Air BandB. You can do plenty of short term rentals for $60-$80/night. My wife and I stayed in 3 different areas to see which one suited us the best.
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Hello Kyle, I am 61 yrs of age, from Michigan and hoping to move to Penang for my retirement within next 2 years after I end my career at GM. You stated about your rental property, but that would be huge for our living. I like to live in less than 2000 sq ft house but with complete sea-view and close to sea! Any suggestion! I have visited Penang twice but for very short time and love it! We do not like seclusion, rather close to Gurney. In addition, I was wondering what would be a good health insurance to have (if possible the agents name & number). I would appreciate any help! Thanks…
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Malaysia is NO place to relocate, sorry…
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Well, tens of thousands of expats living here in Malaysia disagree with you, including me. But it’s certainly not for everyone and it sounds like it’s not for you. If you happened to have lived here, how about you share with my readers what you didn’t like so they can learn from your experiences and judge for themselves about whether or not those things would be untenable for them too?
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Stumbled across this site and glad I did. We have just submitted our MM2H application through Alter Domus in early March so we’re now waiting to see if we get approved. We are in no hurry as I reach pension age in Australia in Late 2020 but we’re going through the process now. We’ve been visiting Penang each year since 2014 and after each visit we would discuss…”could we live there?” and each time it’s been a resounding YES. Particularly like the breakdown of areas to live. At this stage we’re hoping to live in the Tanjung Tokong/Pulau Tikus area, although I do have a soft spot for Batu Ferringhi, but as we’re hoping to make the move and not have a car BF may be a bit too far out. Not sure if just relying on buses and taxi is the right way to go, but after 40 plus years of driving in traffic in Melbourne I’m just happy to sit back and relax and let someone else do the driving
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Nice to meet you, John! Congratulations on starting your MM2H process. I hope you enjoy living in Penang as much as my husband and I do! To help you decide where you want to live, perhaps consider renting a serviced apartment for a month or two and spend some time in various neighborhoods to learn the pros and cons of each. That way, it’ll be a lot easier for you to decide which neighborhood is right for you.
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Hi Cimeron
I’m Vietnamese person and i plan to move Penang to work as expat.can i have a comfortable living for whole family 3 person with salary about 6000 RM before taxable? I have to rent house and pay school fee for my son. Thank you
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Hi An, I wish I could answer that question for you, but it comes down to your personal decisions. There are so many factors and personal choices that go into cost of living, from rent to school fees – everything is variable and there’s a range of costs for each decision you make. So you’ll need to calculate out things for yourself based on your decisions about the size, location and rent of your home, transportation choices, school choice and fees, etc. Best of luck!
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Hi Cimeron,
As per your suggestion, I have emailed your friend/colleague Sharon twice regarding short-term accommodation, but have received no response. Is she no longer providing this service, or should I just wait until I arrive ( in ~ six weeks ) to touch base with her ( Yikes !). Have also read that the Penang International Womens’ Association could be helpful with this ( after I arrive ). Have you heard of this as an option ?
Cheers
Your Anxious Blogger
Julia
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Hi Julia! I talked with Sharon this morning and she never received your emails – and she also checked her spam folders and they’re not in there either. To make sure that you two connect, I gave her your email address so she can contact you directly. So expect to see an email from her shortly. 🙂
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Hi Cimeron,
You mention that you and others here are from SF area. Is there a reason you chose Penang over Mexico/Central America? I am in Penang now for the next 11 days. What area would best replicate everyday living for someone from the US?
Thanks,
Larry from Salt Lake City
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Hi Cimeron,
You mention that you and others are from SF area. Is there a reason Penang was chosen over Mexico/Central Am? I have 8 more days in Penang. Is there a particular area I should explore that replicates an expat environment?
Thanks,
Larry from SLC
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Hi Larry, my husband and I chose Penang because we’re on an expat work assignment. We aren’t retired. But the vast majority of our friends here are, and they all love it. They’re from all over the globe, too. Penang has something for everyone. But it’s not for people who hate the heat and aren’t comfortable dealing with the inevitable frustrations of living in a developing country. Hope you enjoyed your time here!
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I found your blog while searching for Retirement in Penang. I moved to Ca. in 2005 and my American husband has agreed to move there to retire in the next few years. Penang has grown leaps and bounds during the period I was MIA. We look forward to make Penang our home. This will allow us the ability to stretch our dollar and to go for vocations.
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Nice blog! My wife and I are seriously considering relocating to Penang to retire, possibly next year. We have lived in Singapore (high cost of living!) for the past 22 years or so. I am British and my wife is Singaporean. We own a property in Singapore, which we will either sell or rent out; we have looked at apartments in Penang to rent (a pretty good local agent if anyone wants their contact details). The plan is to rent for a year and see if we like it, then to possibly buy something. Nothing ostentatious, just a roomy condo apartment with good views and amenities. Would be good to ‘speak’ to ‘retirees’ (not my favorite term) and gain some valuable insight into Penang day-to-day living – your blog is great way to start more dialogue in this respect.
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Hi Kenny, thanks for your kind words about my site. Very glad it’s helping you out! You may want to consider joining some of the Facebook groups for expats living in Penang so you can start a conversation and learn what life is like here, including the upsides and the downsides. There are lots of great groups – like Penang Expat Resident Community. 🙂
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Thank you for a great article! I’m a single woman, age 59 and have been to Penang several times, renting Airbnb apartments by the month. Now I’m planning to move there when I retire in late 2022. I think I have a good idea of the costs but am hoping I’ve covered everything. Any other local expenses I should include?
– Rent, modern furnished 1BR waterfront view (inc electric, water, high-speed internet): MYR3410, USD800
– Food: MYR1280, USD300
– Household supplies & personal care items: MYR210, USD50
– Transport (RapidPenang pass + Grab): MYR210, USD50
– Health insurance/medical care: MYR210, USD50
– Debt (credit card, student loan): MYR850, USD200
– Entertainment (video/music streaming, vpn): MYR90, USD20
– Mobile phone: MYR125, USD30
TOTAL – MYR6385, USD1500
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Hi Linda,
Good for you for being so meticulous in your planning! You may want to talk with a financial planner to hammer out your expenses and make sure that you’ve got everything covered. Best of luck with your move to Malaysia in 2022!
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