Moving to Malaysia from Singapore
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Singapore to Malaysia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Singapore to Malaysia, you would find that Malaysia is 58.9% cheaper than Singapore overall. A SGD95,760 salary in Singapore would need to be roughly MYR81,676 in Malaysia to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Singapore to Malaysia.
What does your salary buy?
SGD95,760 → MYR81,676
To maintain the same standard of living in Malaysia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 57.0% less
Groceries
pay 42.7% less
Transportation
pay 67.1% less
Housing
pay 67.7% less
Childcare
pay 82.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 58.4% 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?
How many people actually move from Singapore to Malaysia, based on official data.
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
- · · ·
-
8.92,227
Singapore
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Singapore to Malaysia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Singapore performs better than Malaysia 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Singapore 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
Singapore generally does better on environment, though Malaysia 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
Singapore 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
Singapore performs better than Malaysia across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Singapore generally does better on family life, though Malaysia leads in education spending.
Data: Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, 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 | Singapore | Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 89°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/78°F (31°/25°C) | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 88°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Singapore | Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.3°C) | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) |
| Feb | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.6°C) | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) |
| Mar | 90°/77°F (32.2°/24.9°C) | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) |
| Apr | 90°/78°F (32.4°/25.3°C) | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) |
| May | 90°/78°F (32.3°/25.7°C) | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) |
| Jun | 89°/78°F (31.9°/25.7°C) | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) |
| Jul | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.4°C) | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) |
| Aug | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.3°C) | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) |
| Sep | 89°/77°F (31.6°/25.2°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) |
| Oct | 89°/77°F (31.8°/25.0°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) |
| Nov | 88°/76°F (31.2°/24.6°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 87°/76°F (30.5°/24.3°C) | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service Singapore,
Malaysian Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Singapore 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.
Singapore passport holder visiting Malaysia
Visa Free
Malaysia passport holder visiting Singapore
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 Malaysia than Singapore?
Yes — Malaysia is on average about 73% cheaper than Singapore. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Malaysia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly MYR20,419 in Malaysia on a SGD95,760 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, deposits, visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Malaysia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Malaysia has 12.4 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 Malaysia safe for expats?
Singapore performs better than Malaysia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malaysia is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.1 in Singapore.
How is healthcare in Malaysia compared to Singapore?
Singapore 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 26.0 in Singapore. Malaysia scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Singapore: 89).
What's the weather like in Malaysia compared to Singapore?
The average high temperature in Kuala Lumpur is 90°F, compared to 89°F in Singapore. Kuala Lumpur receives around 95.6 in of rainfall per year, while Singapore gets 83.2 in.
What language do they speak in Malaysia?
The official languages in Malaysia are English and Malay. In Singapore, the official languages are Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil.
