Moving to Malaysia from India
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from India to Malaysia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from India to Malaysia, you would find that Malaysia is 2.2 times more expensive than India overall. A ₹7,160,385 salary in India would need to be roughly MYR700,085 in Malaysia to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from India to Malaysia.
What does your salary buy?
₹7,160,385 → MYR700,085
To maintain the same standard of living in Malaysia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 71.8% more
Groceries
pay 2.5 times more
Transportation
pay 73.2% more
Housing
pay 2.7 times more
Childcare
pay 3.5 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 73.6% 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.
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 97% more than cities in India.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from India to Malaysia, based on official data.
Who's moving to Malaysia?
Top countries of origin for Malaysia's foreign-born residents.
- 1,241,634
- 585,864
- 415,717
- 350,605
-
5.148,096
India
- 117,990
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from India to Malaysia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malaysia performs significantly better than India 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
Malaysia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though India 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
India generally does better on environment, though Malaysia leads in air pollution deaths.
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 performs significantly better than India 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
Malaysia performs significantly better than India across all employment & economy metrics.
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 generally does better on family life, though India leads in education spending.
Data: Ministry of Finance, Government of India, 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 | Delhi | Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 76°/52°F (25°/11°C) | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/78°F (38°/25°C) | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 93°/79°F (34°/26°C) | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 82°/56°F (28°/14°C) | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Delhi | Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) |
| Feb | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.3°C) | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) |
| Mar | 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.4°C) | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) |
| Apr | 97°/71°F (36.0°/21.5°C) | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) |
| May | 104°/79°F (39.8°/26.2°C) | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) |
| Jun | 103°/83°F (39.4°/28.3°C) | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) |
| Jul | 95°/81°F (35.2°/27.0°C) | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) |
| Aug | 92°/79°F (33.6°/26.2°C) | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) |
| Sep | 93°/76°F (34.0°/24.7°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) |
| Oct | 91°/67°F (32.9°/19.4°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) |
| Nov | 82°/55°F (28.0°/12.8°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 73°/47°F (22.7°/8.4°C) | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) |
Data:
India Meteorological Department,
Malaysian Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between India 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.
India passport holder visiting Malaysia
Visa Free
Malaysia passport holder visiting India
Visa Online (e-Visa)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 India?
No — Malaysia is on average about 129% more expensive than India. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Malaysia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly MYR175,021 in Malaysia on a ₹7,160,385 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 12.4 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 India across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malaysia is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.8 in India.
How is healthcare in Malaysia compared to India?
Malaysia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though India leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 23.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Malaysia, compared to 7.3 in India. Malaysia scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (India: 63).
What's the weather like in Malaysia compared to India?
The average high temperature in Kuala Lumpur is 90°F, compared to 88°F in Delhi. Kuala Lumpur receives around 95.6 in of rainfall per year, while Delhi gets 28.2 in.
What language do they speak in Malaysia?
The official languages in Malaysia are English and Malay. In India, the official languages are English, Hindi and Tamil.
