Moving to Malaysia from Japan
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Japan to Malaysia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Japan to Malaysia, you would find that Malaysia is 27.7% cheaper than Japan overall. A ¥12,124,875 salary in Japan would need to be roughly MYR264,338 in Malaysia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and Malay. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Kuala Lumpur averages 90°F vs 69°F in Tokyo, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Japan to Malaysia.
What does your salary buy?
¥12,124,875 → MYR264,338
To maintain the same standard of living in Malaysia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 36.1% less
Groceries
pay 25.0% less
Transportation
pay 36.9% less
Housing
pay 39.1% less
Childcare
pay 47.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.9% 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 10% less than cities in Japan.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Japan 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
- · · ·
-
10.19,078
Japan
Key Indicator Comparison
How Japan 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
Japan generally does better on safety, though Malaysia leads in feel safe walking at night.
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
Japan 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
Japan 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
Japan generally does better on infrastructure, though Malaysia 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
Japan 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
Japan generally does better on family life, though Malaysia leads in education spending.
Data: National Tax Agency Japan, 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 | Tokyo | Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tokyo | Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) |
| Feb | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) |
| Mar | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) |
| Apr | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) |
| May | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) |
| Jun | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) |
| Aug | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) |
| Sep | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) |
| Oct | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) |
| Nov | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) |
Data:
Japan Meteorological Agency,
Malaysian Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Japan 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.
Japan passport holder visiting Malaysia
Visa Free
Malaysia passport holder visiting Japan
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 Japan?
Generally yes: Malaysia runs about 13% cheaper than Japan 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 ¥12,124,875 comparable salary, that's around MYR66,084 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 Japan and Malaysia.
Is Malaysia safe for expats?
Japan generally does better on safety, though Malaysia leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Malaysia is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Japan. About 90% of people in Malaysia feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Malaysia compared to Japan?
Japan 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 26.1 in Japan. Malaysia scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Japan: 83).
What's the weather like in Malaysia compared to Japan?
The average high temperature in Kuala Lumpur is 90°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Kuala Lumpur receives around 95.6 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.
What language do they speak in Malaysia?
The official languages in Malaysia are English and Malay. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.
