Moving to Australia from Malaysia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Malaysia to Australia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Malaysia to Australia, you would find that Australia is 3.1 times more expensive than Malaysia overall. A MYR305,250 salary in Malaysia would need to be roughly A$183,537 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Canberra averages 67°F vs 90°F in Kuala Lumpur, making it significantly cooler.
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 Australia.
What does your salary buy?
MYR305,250 → A$183,537
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 4.1 times more
Groceries
pay 67.3% more
Transportation
pay 2.9 times more
Housing
pay 3.3 times more
Childcare
pay 5.4 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.8 times 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 Australia cost about 60% more than cities in Malaysia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Malaysia to Australia, based on official data.
people moved from Malaysia to Australia · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to Australia?
Top countries of origin for Australia's foreign-born residents.
- 1,285,149
- 653,232
- 611,266
- 579,264
- 286,303
- 269,812
- · · ·
-
9.177,286
Malaysia
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Malaysia to Australia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malaysia generally does better on safety, though Australia leads in road traffic deaths.
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 Australia 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
Malaysia generally does better on environment, though Australia 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 generally does better on infrastructure, though Australia 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 Australia leads in unemployment 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
Australia performs significantly better than Malaysia across all family life metrics.
Data: Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia, 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 | Kuala Lumpur | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kuala Lumpur | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) |
| Feb | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) |
| May | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) |
| Jun | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Jul | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) |
| Aug | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) |
| Sep | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) |
| Oct | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) |
Data:
Malaysian Meteorological Department,
Bureau of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malaysia and Australia. To live, work, or study long-term in Australia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Australia's immigration authority.
Malaysia passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Australia 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 Australia than Malaysia?
No — Australia is on average about 70% more expensive than Malaysia. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Australia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly A$45,884 in Australia on a MYR305,250 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Australia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Australia has 35.1 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 Australia safe for expats?
Malaysia generally does better on safety, though Australia leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Malaysia.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to Malaysia?
Malaysia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 39.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 23.2 in Malaysia. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malaysia: 76).
What's the weather like in Australia compared to Malaysia?
The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 90°F in Kuala Lumpur. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Kuala Lumpur gets 95.6 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
The official language in Australia is English. In Malaysia, the official languages are English and Malay.
