Moving to Sweden from Malaysia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Malaysia to Sweden — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Malaysia to Sweden, you would find that Sweden is 99.7% more expensive than Malaysia overall. A MYR310,000 salary in Malaysia would need to be roughly SEK1,500,000 in Sweden to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Swedish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Stockholm averages 52°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 Sweden cheaper than Malaysia?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.3 times more
Groceries
pay 48.3% more
Transportation
pay 2.2 times more
Housing
pay 2.4 times more
Childcare
pay 21.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 83.2% 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 Sweden?
What does your salary buy?
MYR310,000 → SEK1,500,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Sweden
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 Sweden cost about 31% more than cities in Malaysia.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Sweden
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Malaysia to Sweden, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Malaysia and Sweden 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 generally does better on safety, though Sweden 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
Sweden 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
Sweden 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 Sweden 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 Sweden 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
Sweden performs significantly better than Malaysia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (2016), Skatteverket (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Sweden vs Malaysia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Kuala Lumpur | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kuala Lumpur | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) |
| Feb | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) |
| Apr | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) |
| May | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) |
| Jun | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) |
| Jul | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) |
| Aug | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) |
| Sep | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) |
| Oct | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) |
| Dec | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) |
Data:
Malaysian Meteorological Department,
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)
Can you move from Malaysia to Sweden?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malaysia and Sweden. To live, work, or study long-term in Sweden, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Sweden's immigration authority.
Malaysia passport holder visiting Sweden
Visa Free
Sweden 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 Sweden than Malaysia?
Day-to-day costs in Sweden run about 100% higher than Malaysia on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Sweden?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a MYR310,000 comparable salary, that's around SEK375,000 in Sweden for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Sweden?
With 40.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Sweden 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 Sweden.
Is Sweden safe for expats?
Malaysia generally does better on safety, though Sweden leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Sweden is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Malaysia. About 73% of people in Sweden feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Sweden compared to Malaysia?
Sweden generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malaysia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Sweden, compared to 23.4 in Malaysia. Sweden scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malaysia: 76).
What's the weather like in Sweden compared to Malaysia?
The average high temperature in Stockholm is 52°F, compared to 90°F in Kuala Lumpur. Stockholm receives around 21.5 in of rainfall per year, while Kuala Lumpur gets 95.6 in.
What language do they speak in Sweden?
The official language in Sweden is Swedish. In Malaysia, the official languages are English and Malay.
