Moving to Philippines from Malaysia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Malaysia to Philippines — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Malaysia to Philippines, you would find that Philippines is 2.0% cheaper than Malaysia overall. A MYR305,250 salary in Malaysia would need to be roughly ₱3,776,870 in Philippines 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 ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Malaysia to Philippines.
What does your salary buy?
MYR305,250 → ₱3,776,870
To maintain the same standard of living in Philippines
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 3.8% less
Groceries
pay 13.7% more
Transportation
pay 4.3% more
Housing
pay 18.5% more
Childcare
pay 16.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 22.7% 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 Philippines cost about 8% less 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 Philippines, based on official data.
Who's moving to Philippines?
Top countries of origin for Philippines's foreign-born residents.
- 38,269
- 37,857
- 14,634
- 11,323
- 7,350
- 6,123
- · · ·
-
21.842
Malaysia
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Malaysia to Philippines.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malaysia generally does better on safety, though Philippines 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
Philippines 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 Philippines 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 Philippines 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 Philippines 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 generally does better on family life, though Philippines leads in literacy rate.
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 | Manila |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 91°/79°F (33°/26°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 88°/78°F (31°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 87°/77°F (30°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kuala Lumpur | Manila |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) | 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.5°C) |
| Feb | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) | 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) |
| Mar | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) | 90°/77°F (32.1°/24.9°C) |
| Apr | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) | 92°/79°F (33.5°/26.2°C) |
| May | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) | 92°/80°F (33.2°/26.7°C) |
| Jun | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) | 90°/79°F (32.2°/26.2°C) |
| Jul | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.8°C) |
| Aug | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) | 87°/78°F (30.6°/25.5°C) |
| Sep | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) | 87°/77°F (30.7°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) | 85°/75°F (29.7°/23.9°C) |
Data:
Malaysian Meteorological Department,
Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malaysia and Philippines. To live, work, or study long-term in Philippines, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Philippines's immigration authority.
Malaysia passport holder visiting Philippines
Visa Free
Philippines 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 Philippines than Malaysia?
Yes — Philippines is on average about 18% cheaper than Malaysia. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Philippines?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly ₱944,218 in Philippines on a MYR305,250 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Philippines?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Philippines has 7.6 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 Philippines safe for expats?
Malaysia generally does better on safety, though Philippines leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Philippines is 4.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Malaysia.
How is healthcare in Philippines compared to Malaysia?
Philippines generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malaysia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Philippines, compared to 23.2 in Malaysia. Philippines scores 58 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malaysia: 76).
What's the weather like in Philippines compared to Malaysia?
The average high temperature in Manila is 88°F, compared to 90°F in Kuala Lumpur. Manila receives around 86.7 in of rainfall per year, while Kuala Lumpur gets 95.6 in.
What language do they speak in Philippines?
The official languages in Philippines are English and Filipino. In Malaysia, the official languages are English and Malay.
