Moving to Pakistan from Malaysia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Malaysia to Pakistan — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Malaysia to Pakistan, you would find that Pakistan is 41.2% cheaper than Malaysia overall. A MYR305,250 salary in Malaysia would need to be roughly PKR10,301,055 in Pakistan to maintain the same lifestyle.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Malaysia to Pakistan.
What does your salary buy?
MYR305,250 → PKR10,301,055
To maintain the same standard of living in Pakistan
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 32.5% less
Groceries
pay 58.9% less
Transportation
pay 10.7% less
Housing
pay 24.8% less
Childcare
pay 80.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 43.7% 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.
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 Pakistan cost about 48% less than cities in Malaysia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Malaysia to Pakistan.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malaysia generally does better on safety, though Pakistan 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
Malaysia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Pakistan 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
Malaysia generally does better on environment, though Pakistan 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 Pakistan 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 Pakistan leads in top income tax 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 Pakistan 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 | Islamabad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 69°/44°F (21°/7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 95°/68°F (35°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 94°/74°F (34°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 78°/48°F (26°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kuala Lumpur | Islamabad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) | 64°/38°F (17.9°/3.2°C) |
| Feb | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) | 68°/43°F (19.8°/6.0°C) |
| Mar | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) | 76°/51°F (24.5°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) | 87°/60°F (30.5°/15.8°C) |
| May | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) | 97°/69°F (36.0°/20.7°C) |
| Jun | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) | 101°/75°F (38.4°/23.8°C) |
| Jul | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) | 96°/76°F (35.3°/24.4°C) |
| Aug | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) | 93°/75°F (33.7°/23.8°C) |
| Sep | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 93°/70°F (33.7°/21.1°C) |
| Oct | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 88°/58°F (30.9°/14.5°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) | 79°/47°F (25.9°/8.3°C) |
| Dec | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) | 68°/40°F (20.2°/4.3°C) |
Malaysian Meteorological DepartmentVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malaysia and Pakistan. To live, work, or study long-term in Pakistan, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Pakistan's immigration authority.
Malaysia passport holder visiting Pakistan
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Pakistan 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 Pakistan than Malaysia?
Yes — Pakistan is on average about 51% cheaper than Malaysia. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Pakistan?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly PKR2,575,264 in Pakistan on a MYR305,250 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Pakistan?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Pakistan has 1.3 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 Pakistan safe for expats?
Malaysia generally does better on safety, though Pakistan leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Pakistan is 4.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Malaysia.
How is healthcare in Pakistan compared to Malaysia?
Malaysia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Pakistan leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 10.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Pakistan, compared to 23.2 in Malaysia. Pakistan scores 45 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malaysia: 76).
What's the weather like in Pakistan compared to Malaysia?
The average high temperature in Islamabad is 84°F, compared to 90°F in Kuala Lumpur. Islamabad receives around 49.1 in of rainfall per year, while Kuala Lumpur gets 95.6 in.
What language do they speak in Pakistan?
The official languages in Pakistan are English and Urdu. In Malaysia, the official languages are English and Malay.
