Pre-retirement Scouting Report: Penang, Malaysia
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“Baba-Nyonya” describes the Perankan culture that settled into Penang island over 200 years ago. A mix of Chinese, Malay, Javanese and other ethnicities, it's a distinctive hybrid culture that the Penang people are rightfully proud of.
Sitting just off the coast of mainland Malaysia, Penang and its primary city George Town are steeped in a rich history that blends old east and west into something completely new and unexpected.
Typical George Town footpath with tiles and arched eaves.
I spent some time trying to get a feel for what everyday life would be like for a foreigner living in Penang, and I have to say the results were pretty baik! (good).
The cost of living in Penang is generally low by Australian standards, with a quality that matches or exceeds an Australian lifestyle in many ways.
I’m just going to get this out of the way first — Penang is about food, glorious food. I have never eaten such a variety of delicious dishes mixed and re-mixed from different world cuisines. If you like to eat well, and affordably, put Penang high on your list.
With all the amazing eats, I would have gained 10kgs during my stay here if it wasn’t for all the walking. By Asian standards, George Town, Penang is a very walkable city. Sure there are scooters dodging in and out of footpaths and cars honking, but generally they give way to pedestrians and have very little of the frenetic energy and chaos of some other Asian locations (Bangkok, I’m looking at you).
People are laid back here, and that may have something to do with the heat. It hits you like a humid brick wall when you step out of the air conditioning and has you walking from shady eave to eave on footpaths, avoiding the oppressive rays. Don’t worry about the heat too much as rain is never far away, and cools the cobble stone streets at least once a day.
But back to the food. Like Singapore and other southeast asian destinations, hawker food courts rule. Some are open early and some are open late - but you’re guaranteed to get an amazing feed at an unbelievable price. Hawkers and street food blanket the city, but I found myself going back to the same spots that I love, again and again to try new things from different stalls. Here are a few of my favourite hawker halls with the dishes I ate.
George Town is a colonial city with the typical white-washed brick and stucco architecture that European powers deposited across Asia. What’s great is how that architecture has morphed with Chinese, Malay and Indian elements to make something completely different. Don’t miss the Peranakan Mansion museum. The house and office of a Chinese mafia boss from the 1800s that has been converted into a stunning collection of local art and antiquities.
Entry hall at the Peranakan Museum. Entry is AUD $7 with free guided tour in English.
Living expenses
Food is cheap, plentiful and delicious - so that’s covered unless you have a hankering for western imports. I saw a dairy section in a supermarket that seemed to be lifted straight out of an Australian Woolies, but expect to pay about double for imported goods from back home.
Yikes - that 250g of Westgold butter will run you about AUD $5.
You may find yourself drawn to the large shopping centres as a way to get out of the heat. It’s OK to take a western culture break if you can afford it.
Accommodation
If you’re planning to make a serious move to Penang, the best bet would be to sort out short term accommodation first. You can hate AirBnB for their business model, but it does make it easy to find something other than a hotel and get more of a local experience. A good strategy is to find a cheap place for a week (Expect to pay around $25 AUD per night minimum for two people) and then use that week to scout out locations and a slightly longer stay either through AirBnB or another service. Repeat and lengthen your stays until you find just the right place in just the right location.
Internet
Mobile Internet in Malaysia is fast and widespread. Having a local sim card is invaluable and I made sure to get one as soon as I walk out of the International terminal. For this trip, I landed in Kuala Lumpur and made my way to the MAXIS booth and bought a pre-paid SIM with unlimited data and hotspotting. It’s been all I need for this trip, and I haven’t even relied on the wi-fi in the places I’ve stayed. The price? $24 AUD per month. Note: There is a fair use policy that says if you go over 50 GB downloaded in a month you will be restricted to slower speeds - it happened to me but the reduced speed is 512kbps, which is still OK.
Transport
There’s no Uber in Malaysia, but there is Grab. It’s a cheap way to get somewhere fast via car or motorcycle (fun). It’s also a good way to order food on those days when you just don’t want to go out of the air conditioning. (Maybe you’re writing a travel article — don’t judge me)
Grab will get you around and bring you tasty food
Public transport is very cheap by Australian standards, local trains and buses are usually under $2 for any location. I’m taking an inter-city bus to Ipoh - a 3.5 hour trip and it’s costing me $7.50.
Would I retire in Penang?
Maybe. I’m a foodie, and it’s got that going on for sure. I’ve loved just walking around the colonial streets sampling food like a moving Smorgasbord and taking in the street art and vibes.
Murals cover many of the old buildings in George Town
Malaysia is still recovering from covid and tourism is low, even with that, George Town feels a little touristy. I can imagine when the big cruise ships come back it could be overwhelming. Even with this caveat, It’s a retirement possibility for sure. Let me break it down through a list:
Pros:
Amazing, affordable multi-ethnic food culture
Beautiful art and architecture
English widely spoken
Western foods and mall culture available if you want an escape
Friendly laid back people
Cats!*
Cons:
Beaches are a little disappointing
Very hot and humid
A little touristy
Cats!*
*How do you feel about cats? Penang is covered with them. They are revered in Islamic culture and the prophet forbade the killing of all felines. One of Muhammad’s companions was known as the “father of kittens”. Unlike dogs, cats are clean according to islamic scripture and are therefore very popular pets in muslim cultures.
Probably not a stray. There are little food bowls set out for cats almost everywhere.
I hope you liked my scouting report. I’m still a few years away from retirement but I’m definitely putting this place on my short list. Have you been to Penang? Would you consider retiring here? Do you have any questions that I can answer? Please feel free to drop a comment below. I’m off to catch a bus to Ipoh!
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