Moving to Malaysia from New Zealand
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from New Zealand to Malaysia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from New Zealand to Malaysia, you would find that Malaysia is 45.9% cheaper than New Zealand overall. A NZ$125,240 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly MYR198,124 in Malaysia to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Kuala Lumpur averages 90°F vs 62°F in Wellington, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from New Zealand to Malaysia.
What does your salary buy?
NZ$125,240 → MYR198,124
To maintain the same standard of living in Malaysia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 68.8% less
Groceries
pay 18.6% less
Transportation
pay 41.9% less
Housing
pay 60.9% less
Childcare
pay 63.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 40.5% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from New Zealand to Malaysia, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Malaysia?
Top countries of origin for Malaysia's foreign-born residents.
- 1,241,634
- 585,864
- 415,717
- 350,605
- 148,096
- 117,990
- · · ·
-
20.2,482
New Zealand
Key Indicator Comparison
How New Zealand and Malaysia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
New Zealand generally does better on safety, though Malaysia leads in homicide rate.
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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
New Zealand 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
New Zealand performs 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
New Zealand generally does better on infrastructure, though Malaysia leads in water stress level.
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
New Zealand generally does better on employment & economy, though Malaysia 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
New Zealand performs better than Malaysia across all family life metrics.
Data: New Zealand Inland Revenue Department, 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 | Wellington | Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Wellington | Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) |
| Feb | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) |
| Mar | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) |
| Apr | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) |
| May | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) |
| Jun | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) |
| Jul | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) |
| Aug | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) |
| Sep | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) |
| Oct | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) |
| Nov | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
Malaysian Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand and Malaysia. To live, work, or study long-term in Malaysia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Malaysia's immigration authority.
New Zealand passport holder visiting Malaysia
Visa Free
Malaysia passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Malaysia than New Zealand?
Generally yes: Malaysia runs about 33% cheaper than New Zealand on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Malaysia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a NZ$125,240 comparable salary, that's around MYR49,531 in Malaysia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Malaysia?
With 12.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Malaysia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in New Zealand and Malaysia.
Is Malaysia safe for expats?
New Zealand generally does better on safety, though Malaysia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Malaysia is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in New Zealand.
How is healthcare in Malaysia compared to New Zealand?
New Zealand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malaysia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 23.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Malaysia, compared to 35.7 in New Zealand. Malaysia scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (New Zealand: 85).
What's the weather like in Malaysia compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Kuala Lumpur is 90°F, compared to 62°F in Wellington. Kuala Lumpur receives around 95.6 in of rainfall per year, while Wellington gets 37.7 in.
What language do they speak in Malaysia?
The official languages in Malaysia are English and Malay. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
