Moving to Malaysia from Sri Lanka
What to Expect
Considering a move from Sri Lanka to Malaysia? Here's how the two countries compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Sri Lanka to Malaysia, you would find that Malaysia is 2.5 times more expensive than Sri Lanka overall. A LKR24,752,613 salary in Sri Lanka would need to be roughly MYR377,242 in Malaysia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and Malay.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Sri Lanka and Malaysia.
What does your salary buy?
LKR24,752,613 → MYR377,242
To maintain the same standard of living in Malaysia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 10.5% less
Groceries
pay 16.8% more
Transportation
pay 37.4% more
Housing
pay 45.0% more
Childcare
pay 9.2 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 44.7% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Sri Lanka to Malaysia.
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
- · · ·
-
15.7,693
Sri Lanka
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Malaysia compared to Sri Lanka.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Sri Lanka 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
Malaysia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka 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
Malaysia performs significantly better than Sri Lanka 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
Malaysia generally does better on employment & economy, though Sri Lanka 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 generally does better on family life, though Sri Lanka leads in life expectancy.
Data: Sri Lanka 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 | Colombo | Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Colombo | Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) |
| Feb | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) |
| Mar | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) |
| Apr | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) |
| May | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) |
| Jun | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) |
| Jul | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) |
| Aug | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) |
| Sep | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) |
| Oct | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) |
| Nov | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) |
Data:
National Meteorological Centre,
Malaysian Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sri Lanka 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.
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Malaysia
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Malaysia passport holder visiting Sri Lanka
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 Sri Lanka?
On average Malaysia is around 27% pricier than Sri Lanka, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Malaysia?
Budget about MYR94,310 for 3 months in Malaysia (based on a LKR24,752,613 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, rental deposit, visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Malaysia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Malaysia: 12.4 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Malaysia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Malaysia safe for expats?
Sri Lanka 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 3.4 in Sri Lanka.
How is healthcare in Malaysia compared to Sri Lanka?
Malaysia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 23.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Malaysia, compared to 11.9 in Sri Lanka. Malaysia scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sri Lanka: 67).
What's the weather like in Malaysia compared to Sri Lanka?
The average high temperature in Kuala Lumpur is 90°F, compared to 87°F in Colombo. Kuala Lumpur receives around 95.6 in of rainfall per year, while Colombo gets 99.4 in.
What language do they speak in Malaysia?
The official languages in Malaysia are English and Malay. In Sri Lanka, the official languages are Sinhala and Tamil.
