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Delhi 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 Delhi
๐ฒ๐พ Penang
At a glance
- Where Penang is clearly cheaper: Local meal (22%โ)
- Where Delhi is clearly cheaper: Bottled water (66%โ), Convenience store (62%โ), Street food (49%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Penang is easier to travel (2.0 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Delhi 5 vs Penang 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Delhi | Penang | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โน 300$3.57 | RM 12$2.79 | Penang โ22% |
| Street food1 item | โน 80$0.95 | RM 8$1.86 | Delhi โ49% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โน 1,000$11.9 | RM 45$10.5 | Penang โ12% |
| Coffeeone cup | โน 250$2.98 | RM 12$2.79 | Penang โ6% |
| Beerone bottle | โน 300$3.57 | RM 17$3.95 | Delhi โ10% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โน 650$7.74 | RM 35$8.14 | Delhi โ5% |
| Bottled water | โน 10$0.12 | RM 1.5$0.35 | Delhi โ66% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โน 22$0.27 | RM 3$0.7 | Delhi โ62% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โน 150$1.79 | RM 12$2.79 | Delhi โ36% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โน 70$0.83 | RM 7$1.63 | Delhi โ49% |
| Transitone ride | โน 30$0.36 | RM 2$0.47 | Delhi โ23% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โน 600$7.14 | RM 40$9.3 | Delhi โ23% |
| Hotel night3-star | โน 3,500$41.7 | RM 170$39.5 | Penang โ5% |
| Studio rent (month) | โน 20,000$238 | RM 1,500$349 | Delhi โ32% |
| Laundry | โน 80$0.95 | RM 6$1.4 | Delhi โ32% |
| SIM card1 week data | โน 350$4.17 | RM 25$5.81 | Delhi โ28% |
| Haircutcut | โน 200$2.38 | RM 18$4.19 | Delhi โ43% |
| 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 | Delhi โ36% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โน 600$7.14 | RM 30$6.98 | similar |
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, Delhi or Penang?
Delhi is 7% cheaper than Penang. Daily budget $75.9 vs $72.2; a month $1,097 vs $1,320.
Which is easier to travel, Delhi or Penang?
Penang is easier: Penang 2.0/5 vs Delhi 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Delhi and Penang?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Delhi is about $1,097 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.