Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Malaysia instead of South Carolina, you would:

Health

live 1.3 years longer

In South Carolina, the average life expectancy is 75 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020. In Malaysia, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 21.2% less likely to be unemployed

In South Carolina, 4.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.9% as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 51.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In South Carolina, 12.9% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Malaysia, however, that number is 6.2% as of 2021.

View global rankings →

make 32.7% less money

South Carolina has a GDP per capita of $49,914 as of 2024, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $33,600 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 11.5% more likely to have internet access

In South Carolina, approximately 87.0% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Malaysia, about 97.0% do as of 2021.

View global rankings →

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Compare further: South Carolina vs. Malaysia
Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Malaysia is 50.0% cheaper than South Carolina
→
Size Comparison · See true size
South Carolina is about 4.2 times smaller than Malaysia.
→

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.
Read more

How big is Malaysia compared to South Carolina? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Malaysia or United States. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.