Moving to Nigeria from Malaysia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Malaysia to Nigeria — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Malaysia to Nigeria, you would find that Nigeria is 19.1% cheaper than Malaysia overall. A MYR310,000 salary in Malaysia would need to be roughly NGN81,800,000 in Nigeria to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Nigeria cheaper than Malaysia?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 23.9% less
Groceries
pay 22.5% less
Transportation
pay 18.4% less
Housing
pay 8.3% more
Childcare
pay 30.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 49.6% less
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 Nigeria?
What does your salary buy?
MYR310,000 → NGN81,800,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Nigeria
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to Nigeria
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Malaysia and Nigeria 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
Malaysia performs better than Nigeria across all safety metrics.
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
Nigeria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malaysia 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 Nigeria leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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 performs better than Nigeria across all infrastructure metrics.
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 Nigeria 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Malaysia performs better than Nigeria 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 Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Nigeria vs Malaysia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Kuala Lumpur | Lagos |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 91°/74°F (33°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 83°/71°F (28°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 88°/72°F (31°/22°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kuala Lumpur | Lagos |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) | 90°/72°F (32.2°/22.3°C) |
| Feb | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) | 92°/74°F (33.1°/23.5°C) |
| Mar | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) | 91°/75°F (32.7°/23.8°C) |
| Apr | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.6°C) |
| May | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) | 88°/74°F (30.9°/23.1°C) |
| Jun | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) | 85°/73°F (29.2°/22.6°C) |
| Jul | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) | 83°/72°F (28.1°/22.1°C) |
| Aug | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) | 83°/71°F (28.1°/21.7°C) |
| Sep | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 84°/71°F (28.9°/21.9°C) |
| Oct | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.3°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) | 88°/73°F (31.0°/22.6°C) |
| Dec | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) | 89°/72°F (31.9°/22.4°C) |
Data:
Malaysian Meteorological Department,
Nigerian Meteorological Agency
Can you move from Malaysia to Nigeria?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malaysia and Nigeria. To live, work, or study long-term in Nigeria, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Nigeria's immigration authority.
Malaysia passport holder visiting Nigeria
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Nigeria passport holder visiting Malaysia
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Nigeria than Malaysia?
Generally yes: Nigeria runs about 19% cheaper than Malaysia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Nigeria?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a MYR310,000 comparable salary, that's around NGN20,450,000 in Nigeria for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Nigeria?
With 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Nigeria 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 Nigeria.
Is Nigeria safe for expats?
Malaysia performs better than Nigeria across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Nigeria is 15.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Malaysia. About 79% of people in Nigeria feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Nigeria compared to Malaysia?
Nigeria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malaysia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Nigeria, compared to 23.4 in Malaysia. Nigeria scores 38 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malaysia: 76).
What's the weather like in Nigeria compared to Malaysia?
The average high temperature in Lagos is 87°F, compared to 90°F in Kuala Lumpur. Lagos receives around 60.6 in of rainfall per year, while Kuala Lumpur gets 95.6 in.
What language do they speak in Nigeria?
The official language in Nigeria is English. In Malaysia, the official languages are English and Malay.
