Moving to Arizona from Malaysia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Malaysia to Arizona — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Malaysia to Arizona, you would find that Arizona is 3.0 times more expensive than Malaysia overall. A MYR307,192 salary in Malaysia would need to be roughly $126,209 in Arizona to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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 Malaysia to Arizona.
What does your salary buy?
MYR307,192 → $126,209
To maintain the same standard of living in Arizona
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 4.5 times more
Groceries
pay 84.5% more
Transportation
pay 2.2 times more
Housing
pay 4.7 times more
Childcare
pay 4.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 95.6% 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 Arizona cost about 81% more than cities in Malaysia.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Arizona
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Malaysia to Arizona, based on official data.
people moved from Malaysia to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
77.73,947
Malaysia
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Malaysia to Arizona.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Malaysia performs better than Arizona across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Malaysia performs better than Arizona across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Malaysia generally does better on employment & economy, though Arizona leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Arizona performs significantly better than Malaysia across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Kuala Lumpur | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kuala Lumpur | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) |
| Feb | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) |
| Apr | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) |
| May | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) |
| Jun | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) |
| Jul | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) |
| Aug | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) |
| Sep | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) |
| Dec | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) |
Data:
Malaysian Meteorological Department,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malaysia and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Malaysia passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States passport holder visiting Malaysia
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 Arizona than Malaysia?
No — Arizona is on average about 68% more expensive than Malaysia. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Arizona?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $31,552 in Arizona on a MYR307,192 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Arizona?
Usually fine from major cities in Arizona. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Arizona compared to Malaysia?
Malaysia performs better than Arizona across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Arizona compared to Malaysia?
The average high temperature in Phoenix is 87°F, compared to 90°F in Kuala Lumpur. Phoenix receives around 8.2 in of rainfall per year, while Kuala Lumpur gets 95.6 in.
What language do they speak in Arizona?
The official language in Arizona is English. In Malaysia, the official languages are English and Malay.
