Moving to Malaysia from Bangladesh

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Bangladesh to Malaysia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Bangladesh to Malaysia, you would find that Malaysia is 2.4 times more expensive than Bangladesh overall. A BDT9,200,000 salary in Bangladesh would need to be roughly MYR730,000 in Malaysia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and Malay.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

Is Malaysia cheaper than Bangladesh?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 71.6% more

Groceries

pay 2.0 times more

Transportation

pay 2.2% more

Housing

pay 3.9 times more

Childcare

pay 7.6 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 61.3% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 BDT = 0.0331 MYR (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in Malaysia?

What does your salary buy?

BDT9,200,000 → MYR730,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Malaysia

Calculate with your salary →

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Malaysia cost about 69% more than cities in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh

Dhaka ★ 24%
Sylhet 23%
Rajshahi 21%

Malaysia

Ipoh 43%
Selangor 40%
Seremban 38%
Shah Alam 38%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Malaysia

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Bangladesh to Malaysia, based on official data.

Living there in 2020
415,717 ↑ 6% vs 2015

people born in Bangladesh live in Malaysia · UN DESA

Who's moving to Malaysia?

Top countries of origin for Malaysia's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Bangladesh to Malaysia.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

BD
2.3
MY
0.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BD
18.6
MY
13.9

Malaysia performs significantly better than Bangladesh across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

BD
$199
MY
$1,441
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

BD
7.2
MY
23.4

Bangladesh generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malaysia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BD
66.0
MY
63.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BD
0.7t
MY
8.3t

Bangladesh generally does better on environment, though Malaysia leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

BD
8.1
MY
13.6
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BD
5.7%
MY
3.4%

Malaysia performs significantly better than Bangladesh across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

BD
3.8%
MY
3.8%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

BD
$2,597
MY
$13,125

Malaysia performs significantly better than Bangladesh across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

BD
74.9 yrs
MY
76.8 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BD
24.4
MY
7.0

Malaysia performs significantly better than Bangladesh across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), National Board of Revenue (NBR), Bangladesh (2016), Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Malaysia vs Bangladesh

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Dhaka Rain: 84.8 in/yr (2154 mm)
87° / 71°F

Avg. annual high / low

Kuala Lumpur Rain: 95.6 in/yr (2427 mm)
90° / 74°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Dhaka Kuala Lumpur
Jan–Mar 84°/61°F (29°/16°C) 91°/73°F (33°/23°C)
Apr–Jun 91°/76°F (33°/25°C) 91°/75°F (33°/24°C)
Jul–Sep 89°/79°F (32°/26°C) 90°/74°F (32°/23°C)
Oct–Dec 85°/67°F (29°/19°C) 89°/74°F (32°/23°C)
View all months
Month Dhaka Kuala Lumpur
Jan 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.7°C) 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C)
Feb 83°/60°F (28.1°/15.5°C) 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C)
Mar 90°/69°F (32.4°/20.3°C) 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C)
Apr 93°/74°F (33.8°/23.6°C) 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C)
May 91°/76°F (32.9°/24.5°C) 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C)
Jun 90°/79°F (32.2°/26.1°C) 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C)
Jul 89°/79°F (31.4°/26.2°C) 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C)
Aug 89°/79°F (31.6°/26.3°C) 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C)
Sep 89°/79°F (31.8°/25.9°C) 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C)
Oct 89°/75°F (31.6°/23.8°C) 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C)
Nov 85°/67°F (29.6°/19.2°C) 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C)
Dec 80°/58°F (26.4°/14.3°C) 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C)

Data: Malaysian Meteorological Department Malaysian Meteorological Department

Can you move from Bangladesh to Malaysia?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bangladesh and Malaysia. To live, work, or study long-term in Malaysia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Malaysia's immigration authority.

Bangladesh passport

Bangladesh passport holder visiting Malaysia

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Bangladesh passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Malaysia.
Malaysia passport

Malaysia passport holder visiting Bangladesh

Visa on Arrival
Malaysia passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Bangladesh.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Malaysia than Bangladesh?

No — Malaysia is on average about 139% more expensive than Bangladesh. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Malaysia?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly MYR182,500 in Malaysia on a BDT9,200,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Malaysia?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is Malaysia safe for expats?

Malaysia performs significantly better than Bangladesh across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malaysia is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.3 in Bangladesh.

How is healthcare in Malaysia compared to Bangladesh?

Bangladesh generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malaysia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Malaysia, compared to 7.2 in Bangladesh. Malaysia scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bangladesh: 52).

What's the weather like in Malaysia compared to Bangladesh?

The average high temperature in Kuala Lumpur is 90°F, compared to 87°F in Dhaka. Kuala Lumpur receives around 95.6 in of rainfall per year, while Dhaka gets 84.8 in.

What language do they speak in Malaysia?

The official languages in Malaysia are English and Malay. In Bangladesh, the official language is Bengali.

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At a Glance

BD MY
Population 175,686,899 35,977,838
Currency Bangladeshi Taka (BDT) Malaysian Ringgit (MYR)
Languages Bengali English, Malay
Driving side Left Left
Calling code +880 +60
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 999 999