Moving to Austria from Malaysia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Malaysia to Austria? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Malaysia to Austria, you would find that Austria is 2.4 times more expensive than Malaysia overall. A MYR310,000 salary in Malaysia would need to be roughly €159,000 in Austria to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in German. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Vienna averages 58°F vs 90°F in Kuala Lumpur, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Malaysia and Austria.
What does your salary buy?
MYR310,000 → €159,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Austria
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 4.2 times more
Groceries
pay 61.0% more
Transportation
pay 2.0 times more
Housing
pay 3.1 times more
Childcare
pay 2.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 71.4% 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 Austria cost about 46% more than cities in Malaysia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Malaysia to Austria.
people moved from Malaysia to Austria · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Austria compared to Malaysia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malaysia generally does better on safety, though Austria 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
Austria 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
Austria performs significantly 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
Malaysia generally does better on infrastructure, though Austria 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 Austria leads in gdp per capita.
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
Austria performs significantly better than Malaysia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (2016), Federal Ministry of Finance (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Kuala Lumpur | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kuala Lumpur | Vienna |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) | 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) | 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) |
| Mar | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) | 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) |
| Apr | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) | 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) |
| May | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) |
| Jun | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) | 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) |
| Jul | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) | 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) | 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) |
| Sep | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) | 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) | 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) |
Data:
Malaysian Meteorological Department,
GeoSphere Austria
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malaysia and Austria. To live, work, or study long-term in Austria, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Austria's immigration authority.
Malaysia passport holder visiting Austria
Visa Free
Austria 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 Austria than Malaysia?
On average Austria is around 135% pricier than Malaysia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Austria?
Budget about €39,750 for 3 months in Austria (based on a MYR310,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Austria?
Connectivity is usually fine (Austria: 30.1 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Austria offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Austria safe for expats?
Malaysia generally does better on safety, though Austria leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Austria is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Malaysia.
How is healthcare in Austria compared to Malaysia?
Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malaysia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 55.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Austria, compared to 23.4 in Malaysia. Austria scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malaysia: 76).
What's the weather like in Austria compared to Malaysia?
The average high temperature in Vienna is 58°F, compared to 90°F in Kuala Lumpur. Vienna receives around 24.4 in of rainfall per year, while Kuala Lumpur gets 95.6 in.
What language do they speak in Austria?
The official language in Austria is German. In Malaysia, the official languages are English and Malay.
