Moving to Malaysia from Cambodia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Cambodia to Malaysia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Cambodia to Malaysia, you would find that Malaysia is 14.8% more expensive than Cambodia overall. A KHR303,140,952 salary in Cambodia would need to be roughly MYR278,108 in Malaysia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and Malay. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Cambodia to Malaysia.
What does your salary buy?
KHR303,140,952 → MYR278,108
To maintain the same standard of living in Malaysia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 20.9% less
Groceries
pay 5.2% less
Transportation
pay 13.3% less
Housing
pay 3.3% less
Childcare
pay 0.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 89.5% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Cambodia to Malaysia, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Malaysia?
Top countries of origin for Malaysia's foreign-born residents.
- 1,241,634
- 585,864
- 415,717
- 350,605
- 148,096
- 117,990
- · · ·
-
11.16,384
Cambodia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Cambodia and Malaysia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malaysia performs significantly better than Cambodia across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Cambodia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malaysia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Cambodia performs better than Malaysia across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Malaysia generally does better on infrastructure, though Cambodia leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Cambodia generally does better on employment & economy, though Malaysia leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Malaysia performs significantly better than Cambodia across all family life metrics.
Data: General Department of Taxation, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Phnom Penh | Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 94°/78°F (34°/25°C) | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/76°F (32°/25°C) | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/73°F (30°/23°C) | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Phnom Penh | Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88°/71°F (31.2°/21.5°C) | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) |
| Feb | 91°/72°F (32.7°/22.5°C) | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) |
| Mar | 94°/76°F (34.5°/24.2°C) | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) |
| Apr | 95°/78°F (34.9°/25.4°C) | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) |
| May | 94°/78°F (34.3°/25.4°C) | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) |
| Jun | 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.3°C) | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) |
| Jul | 90°/76°F (32.4°/24.7°C) | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) |
| Aug | 90°/77°F (32.2°/25.0°C) | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) |
| Sep | 89°/75°F (31.7°/24.1°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) |
| Oct | 87°/75°F (30.8°/23.9°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) |
| Nov | 87°/73°F (30.4°/22.8°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 86°/71°F (30.2°/21.4°C) | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) |
Data:
Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology,
Malaysian Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Cambodia 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.
Cambodia passport holder visiting Malaysia
Visa Free
Malaysia passport holder visiting Cambodia
Visa FreeData: 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 Cambodia?
Generally yes: Malaysia runs about 9% cheaper than Cambodia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Malaysia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a KHR303,140,952 comparable salary, that's around MYR69,527 in Malaysia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Malaysia?
With 12.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Malaysia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Cambodia and Malaysia.
Is Malaysia safe for expats?
Malaysia performs significantly better than Cambodia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malaysia is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.8 in Cambodia.
How is healthcare in Malaysia compared to Cambodia?
Cambodia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malaysia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 23.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Malaysia, compared to 2.1 in Cambodia. Malaysia scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Cambodia: 58).
What's the weather like in Malaysia compared to Cambodia?
The average high temperature in Kuala Lumpur is 90°F, compared to 90°F in Phnom Penh. Kuala Lumpur receives around 95.6 in of rainfall per year, while Phnom Penh gets 51.8 in.
What language do they speak in Malaysia?
The official languages in Malaysia are English and Malay. In Cambodia, the official language is Khmer.
