Travel costs / Asia / George Town, Penang
Cost of living in George Town, Penang for digital nomads
What a month in George Town, Penang, Malaysia really costs: rent, coworking, food and getting around, from sources you can check.
A comfortable week, staying by the night: about $502.
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Prices in George Town, Penang
| What | Price | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, furnished 1-bedFurnished studio or 1-bedroom condo in George Town or the Gurney area (about RM1,500 to 3,500 a month); older walk-up flats can be cheaper on longer leases | $370 to $865per month | digitalnomads.world propcashflow.my |
| Short stayPrivate room in a heritage guesthouse up to a mid-range boutique hotel in George Town (RM70 to 350), per night | $17 to $87per night | travelguidestip.com |
| CoworkingMonthly hot desk at Scoopoint (RM299) or Settlements (RM320) up to Common Ground at Gurney Paragon (from RM499) | $74 to $123per month | exabytes.my digitalnomads.world |
| Local restaurant mealHawker dish such as char koay teow or nasi kandar (RM6 to 12) | $1 to $3per meal | penang-traveltips.com |
| Mid-range dinnerWestern-style meal at a mid-range cafe, per person (RM30 to 50) | $7 to $12per person | penang-traveltips.com |
| CoffeeCafe latte at a specialty cafe (RM12 to 18); kopitiam coffee is much cheaper | $3 to $4.50per cup | penang-traveltips.com |
| Getting aroundRapid Penang bus commuting (under RM100 a month; the cheap Mutiara pass is for Malaysians only) up to a budget of about RM250 a month mixing buses and Grab rides (RM8 to 15 across George Town) | $25 to $62per month | penang-traveltips.com penang-traveltips.com digitalnomads.world |
| Phone dataPrepaid mobile plan with a monthly data pass (RM30 to 50) | $7 to $12per month | penang-traveltips.com |
In US dollars, converted at $1 = 4.05 MYR on 6 November 2026. How the monthly totals are worked out is below.
Where nomads stay
Good to know
Hawker food keeps daily costs very low, while cafe culture and condos around Gurney push budgets up. Standard leases want 3 to 4 months of rent up front, so short stays usually go through serviced apartments or Airbnb at a premium.
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Questions
How much does it cost to live in George Town, Penang as a digital nomad?
About $626 a month on a lean budget, $1,230 comfortable and $1,920 upscale, including a furnished 1-bed, eating out, coworking, transport and a SIM. Prices checked November 2026.
How much is rent in George Town, Penang for a month?
A furnished 1-bed in the areas nomads stay costs $370 to $865 a month for a 1 to 3 month stay.
How much is coworking in George Town, Penang?
A monthly hot desk costs $74 to $123.
How much is a week in George Town, Penang?
About $502 for a comfortable week, staying by the night and eating out, without coworking or flights.
How we price a month
Every number on these pages comes from a source we opened and link to: rental platforms and market reports for rent, coworking spaces' own price pages, transport fare pages, carriers' prepaid plans, and real menus. Prices are converted to US dollars on the date checked. We don't copy other cost of living sites.
A month is a furnished 1-bed rental, two meals out a day and one coffee, a monthly transport pass or typical ride spend, a local SIM, and a coworking desk. Lean uses the low end of each range, comfortable the middle, upscale the top. Stays under 28 nights are priced by the night. Groceries, flights, insurance and visas aren't included.
Prices last checked November 2026. Spot something out of date? Email brad@neworbit.app.