Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Malaysia instead of New Mexico, you would:

Health

be 27.5% less likely to be obese

In New Mexico, 32.2% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 10.5% less likely to be unemployed

In New Mexico, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.

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be 71.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In New Mexico, 17.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.

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make 76.6% less money

New Mexico has a GDP per capita of $56,008 as of 2024, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.

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Basic Needs

be 16.0% more likely to have internet access

In New Mexico, approximately 84.5% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2023–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: New Mexico vs. Malaysia

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Malaysia is 59.6% cheaper than New Mexico
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Size Comparison · See true size
New Mexico is around the same size as Malaysia.
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Moving from New Mexico to Malaysia · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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City Size Comparison · See true size
Compare the size of Albuquerque vs Kuala Lumpur
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Malaysia: At a glance

Malaysia is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 328,657 sq km. During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula except Singapore formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore, as well as Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo, joined the Federation. The first several years of the country's independence were marred by a communist insurgency, Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's withdrawal in 1965. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to the development of manufacturing, services, and tourism. Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak (in office since April 2009) has continued these pro-business policies and has introduced some civil reforms.
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How big is Malaysia compared to New Mexico? See an in-depth size comparison.

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