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Bengaluru vs Penang cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐ณ Bengaluru
๐ฒ๐พ Penang
At a glance
- Where Bengaluru is clearly cheaper: Bottled water (66%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (60%โ), Street food (49%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Penang is easier to travel (2.0 vs 2.4). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Bengaluru 3 vs Penang 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bengaluru | Penang | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โน 250$2.98 | RM 12$2.79 | Penang โ6% |
| Street food1 item | โน 80$0.95 | RM 8$1.86 | Bengaluru โ49% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โน 900$10.7 | RM 45$10.5 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | โน 250$2.98 | RM 12$2.79 | Penang โ6% |
| Beerone bottle | โน 350$4.17 | RM 17$3.95 | Penang โ5% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โน 650$7.74 | RM 35$8.14 | Bengaluru โ5% |
| Bottled water | โน 10$0.12 | RM 1.5$0.35 | Bengaluru โ66% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โน 30$0.36 | RM 3$0.7 | Bengaluru โ49% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โน 180$2.14 | RM 12$2.79 | Bengaluru โ23% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โน 55$0.65 | RM 7$1.63 | Bengaluru โ60% |
| Transitone ride | โน 25$0.3 | RM 2$0.47 | Bengaluru โ36% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โน 450$5.36 | RM 40$9.3 | Bengaluru โ42% |
| Hotel night3-star | โน 3,500$41.7 | RM 170$39.5 | Penang โ5% |
| Studio rent (month) | โน 22,000$262 | RM 1,500$349 | Bengaluru โ25% |
| Laundry | โน 90$1.07 | RM 6$1.4 | Bengaluru โ23% |
| SIM card1 week data | โน 350$4.17 | RM 25$5.81 | Bengaluru โ28% |
| Haircutcut | โน 250$2.98 | RM 18$4.19 | Bengaluru โ29% |
| Massage1 hour | โน 1,500$17.9 | RM 70$16.3 | Penang โ9% |
| Half-day tourper person | โน 1,500$17.9 | RM 120$27.9 | Bengaluru โ36% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โน 300$3.57 | RM 30$6.98 | Bengaluru โ49% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bengaluru or Penang?
Bengaluru is 7% cheaper than Penang. Daily budget $73.7 vs $72.2; a month $1,122 vs $1,320.
Which is easier to travel, Bengaluru or Penang?
Penang is easier: Penang 2.0/5 vs Bengaluru 2.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bengaluru and Penang?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bengaluru is about $1,122 and Penang about $1,320 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.