Moving to Malaysia from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to Malaysia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to Malaysia, you would find that Malaysia is 64.8% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,402,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly MYR104,798 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 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iceland to Malaysia.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,402,000 → MYR104,798
To maintain the same standard of living in Malaysia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 82.3% less
Groceries
pay 46.0% less
Transportation
pay 65.8% less
Housing
pay 72.5% less
Childcare
pay 64.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 63.1% 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.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Iceland and Malaysia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Iceland 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
Malaysia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland 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
Iceland generally does better on environment, though Malaysia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Iceland performs better than Malaysia across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Iceland generally does better on employment & economy, though Malaysia leads in top income tax rate.
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
Iceland performs better than Malaysia across all family life metrics.
Data: Directorate of Internal Revenue, 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 | Reykjavik | Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Malaysian Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland 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.
Iceland passport holder visiting Malaysia
Visa Free
Malaysia passport holder visiting Iceland
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 Iceland?
Generally yes: Malaysia runs about 66% cheaper than Iceland 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 ISK9,402,000 comparable salary, that's around MYR26,200 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 Iceland and Malaysia.
Is Malaysia safe for expats?
Iceland 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 Iceland. About 90% of people in Malaysia feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Malaysia compared to Iceland?
Malaysia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 23.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Malaysia, compared to 45.2 in Iceland. Malaysia scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Malaysia compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Kuala Lumpur is 90°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Kuala Lumpur receives around 95.6 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Malaysia?
The official languages in Malaysia are English and Malay. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
