Moving to Italy from Malaysia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Malaysia to Italy — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Malaysia to Italy, you would find that Italy is 95.6% more expensive than Malaysia overall. A MYR310,000 salary in Malaysia would need to be roughly €132,000 in Italy to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Catalan and Italian. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Rome averages 69°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 ↓Is Italy cheaper than Malaysia?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.8 times more
Groceries
pay 43.6% more
Transportation
pay 98.8% more
Housing
pay 2.2 times more
Childcare
pay 75.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 41.8% 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.
What salary do you need in Italy?
What does your salary buy?
MYR310,000 → €132,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Italy
Calculate with your salary →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 Italy cost about 47% more than cities in Malaysia.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Italy
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Malaysia to Italy, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Malaysia and Italy stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Italy generally does better on safety, though Malaysia leads in feel safe walking at night.
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
Italy 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
Italy 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 Italy 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 Italy 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
Italy performs significantly better than Malaysia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2016–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (2016), Italian Revenue Agency (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Italy vs Malaysia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Kuala Lumpur | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 56°/39°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kuala Lumpur | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C) |
| Feb | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) | 55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C) |
| Mar | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) | 59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C) |
| Apr | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) | 64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C) |
| May | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) | 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C) |
| Jun | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C) |
| Aug | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) | 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C) |
| Oct | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) | 61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C) |
| Dec | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) | 55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C) |
Data:
Malaysian Meteorological Department,
Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology
Can you move from Malaysia to Italy?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malaysia and Italy. To live, work, or study long-term in Italy, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Italy's immigration authority.
Malaysia passport holder visiting Italy
Visa Free
Italy 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 Italy than Malaysia?
Day-to-day costs in Italy run about 96% higher than Malaysia on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Italy?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a MYR310,000 comparable salary, that's around €33,000 in Italy for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Italy?
With 31.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Italy can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Malaysia and Italy.
Is Italy safe for expats?
Italy generally does better on safety, though Malaysia leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Italy is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Malaysia. About 61% of people in Italy feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Italy compared to Malaysia?
Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malaysia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 41.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Italy, compared to 23.4 in Malaysia. Italy scores 84 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malaysia: 76).
What's the weather like in Italy compared to Malaysia?
The average high temperature in Rome is 69°F, compared to 90°F in Kuala Lumpur. Rome receives around 31.7 in of rainfall per year, while Kuala Lumpur gets 95.6 in.
What language do they speak in Italy?
The official languages in Italy are Catalan and Italian. In Malaysia, the official languages are English and Malay.
