Moving to Greece from Malaysia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Malaysia to Greece — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Malaysia to Greece, you would find that Greece is 2.0 times more expensive than Malaysia overall. A MYR305,250 salary in Malaysia would need to be roughly €88,442 in Greece to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Greek. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Athens averages 72°F vs 90°F in Kuala Lumpur, making it significantly cooler.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Malaysia to Greece.
What does your salary buy?
MYR305,250 → €88,442
To maintain the same standard of living in Greece
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 3.0 times more
Groceries
pay 25.6% more
Transportation
pay 2.6 times more
Housing
pay 2.4 times more
Childcare
pay 82.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 52.2% 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 Greece cost about 23% 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 Greece, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Malaysia to Greece.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malaysia generally does better on safety, though Greece 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
Greece 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
Greece 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 Greece 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 Greece 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Greece 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 | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 57°/42°F (14°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 78°/57°F (26°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 90°/67°F (32°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kuala Lumpur | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) | 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C) |
| Feb | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) | 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C) |
| Mar | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) | 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) |
| May | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) | 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C) |
| Jun | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) | 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C) |
| Aug | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) | 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) |
| Sep | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C) |
| Oct | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) | 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C) |
| Dec | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) | 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C) |
Data:
Malaysian Meteorological Department,
Hellenic National Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malaysia and Greece. To live, work, or study long-term in Greece, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Greece's immigration authority.
Malaysia passport holder visiting Greece
Visa Free
Greece 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 Greece than Malaysia?
No — Greece is on average about 35% more expensive than Malaysia. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Greece?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €22,110 in Greece on a MYR305,250 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Greece?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Greece has 43.0 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 Greece safe for expats?
Malaysia generally does better on safety, though Greece leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Greece is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Malaysia.
How is healthcare in Greece compared to Malaysia?
Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malaysia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 63.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Greece, compared to 23.2 in Malaysia. Greece scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malaysia: 76).
What's the weather like in Greece compared to Malaysia?
The average high temperature in Athens is 72°F, compared to 90°F in Kuala Lumpur. Athens receives around 16.3 in of rainfall per year, while Kuala Lumpur gets 95.6 in.
What language do they speak in Greece?
The official language in Greece is Greek. In Malaysia, the official languages are English and Malay.
