Moving to Indiana from Malaysia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Malaysia to Indiana? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Malaysia to Indiana, you would find that Indiana is 2.7 times more expensive than Malaysia overall. A MYR307,192 salary in Malaysia would need to be roughly $113,502 in Indiana to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Indianapolis averages 62°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 Indiana.
What does your salary buy?
MYR307,192 → $113,502
To maintain the same standard of living in Indiana
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 3.8 times more
Groceries
pay 68.9% more
Transportation
pay 90.2% more
Housing
pay 3.6 times more
Childcare
pay 5.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 71.9% 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 Indiana cost about 53% 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 Indiana.
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
The numbers behind daily life in Indiana compared to Malaysia.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Malaysia performs better than Indiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Malaysia performs better than Indiana 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
Indiana generally does better on employment & economy, though Malaysia leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Malaysia performs better than Indiana 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 | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 51°/35°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kuala Lumpur | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) | 35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C) |
| Feb | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) | 40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C) |
| Mar | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C) |
| Apr | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) | 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C) |
| May | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) | 72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C) |
| Jun | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) |
| Jul | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) | 84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C) |
| Aug | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C) |
| Oct | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) | 52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C) |
| Dec | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) | 38°/25°F (3.6°/-3.9°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 Indiana than Malaysia?
On average Indiana is around 51% pricier than Malaysia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Indiana?
Budget about $28,376 for 3 months in Indiana (based on a MYR307,192 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Indiana?
From major Indiana cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Malaysia and Indiana are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Indiana compared to Malaysia?
Malaysia performs better than Indiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Indiana compared to Malaysia?
The average high temperature in Indianapolis is 62°F, compared to 90°F in Kuala Lumpur. Indianapolis receives around 40.8 in of rainfall per year, while Kuala Lumpur gets 95.6 in.
What language do they speak in Indiana?
The official language in Indiana is English. In Malaysia, the official languages are English and Malay.
