Moving to Malaysia from Greece
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Greece to Malaysia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Greece to Malaysia, you would find that Malaysia is 36.6% cheaper than Greece overall. A €65,700 salary in Greece would need to be roughly MYR226,760 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. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Kuala Lumpur averages 90°F vs 72°F in Athens, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Greece to Malaysia.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → MYR226,760
To maintain the same standard of living in Malaysia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 61.4% less
Groceries
pay 4.3% less
Transportation
pay 45.4% less
Housing
pay 46.5% less
Childcare
pay 33.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 32.4% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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 19% less than cities in Greece.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Greece 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
Greece generally does better on safety, though Malaysia leads in homicide rate.
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
Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malaysia leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Greece 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 Greece leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
Malaysia generally does better on employment & economy, though Greece 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
Greece performs better than Malaysia across all family life metrics.
Data: GSIS, Greece, 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 | Athens | Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 57°/42°F (14°/6°C) | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/57°F (26°/14°C) | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/67°F (32°/20°C) | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Athens | Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C) | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) |
| Feb | 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C) | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) |
| Mar | 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C) | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) |
| Apr | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) |
| May | 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C) | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) |
| Jun | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C) | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) |
| Jul | 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C) | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) |
| Aug | 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) |
| Sep | 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) |
| Oct | 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) |
| Nov | 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C) | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) |
Data:
Hellenic National Meteorological Service,
Malaysian Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Greece 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.
Greece passport holder visiting Malaysia
Visa Free
Malaysia passport holder visiting Greece
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 Greece?
Generally yes: Malaysia runs about 26% cheaper than Greece 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 €65,700 comparable salary, that's around MYR56,690 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 Greece and Malaysia.
Is Malaysia safe for expats?
Greece generally does better on safety, though Malaysia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Malaysia is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Greece.
How is healthcare in Malaysia compared to Greece?
Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malaysia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 23.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Malaysia, compared to 63.7 in Greece. Malaysia scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Greece: 77).
What's the weather like in Malaysia compared to Greece?
The average high temperature in Kuala Lumpur is 90°F, compared to 72°F in Athens. Kuala Lumpur receives around 95.6 in of rainfall per year, while Athens gets 16.3 in.
What language do they speak in Malaysia?
The official languages in Malaysia are English and Malay. In Greece, the official language is Greek.
