Moving to Malaysia from Trinidad and Tobago
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Trinidad and Tobago to Malaysia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Trinidad and Tobago to Malaysia, you would find that Malaysia is 37.2% cheaper than Trinidad and Tobago overall. A TTD510,000 salary in Trinidad and Tobago would need to be roughly MYR193,000 in Malaysia to maintain the same lifestyle.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Trinidad and Tobago to Malaysia.
What does your salary buy?
TTD510,000 → MYR193,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Malaysia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 54.5% less
Groceries
pay 32.0% less
Transportation
pay 49.1% less
Housing
pay 37.3% less
Childcare
pay 19.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 18.2% 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 Malaysia cost about 24% less than cities in Trinidad and Tobago.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Trinidad and Tobago 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
Trinidad and Tobago 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Malaysia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Trinidad and Tobago 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
Trinidad and Tobago 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
share of households with internet
Trinidad and Tobago 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
share of people below the poverty line
Trinidad and Tobago generally does better on employment & economy, though Malaysia leads in poverty 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 Trinidad and Tobago leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2014–2015), Inland Revenue Division (2016), Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Port Of Spain | Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 89°/68°F (32°/20°C) | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/73°F (32°/23°C) | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/72°F (32°/22°C) | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Port Of Spain | Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88°/68°F (31.0°/20.0°C) | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) |
| Feb | 89°/68°F (31.5°/20.2°C) | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) |
| Mar | 90°/69°F (32.3°/20.7°C) | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) |
| Apr | 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.0°C) | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) |
| May | 92°/73°F (33.1°/23.0°C) | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) |
| Jun | 89°/74°F (31.5°/23.3°C) | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) |
| Jul | 88°/73°F (31.3°/23.0°C) | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) |
| Aug | 89°/73°F (31.7°/23.0°C) | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) |
| Sep | 90°/74°F (32.2°/23.1°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) |
| Oct | 90°/73°F (32.2°/22.6°C) | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) |
| Nov | 89°/72°F (31.5°/22.3°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 88°/70°F (31.1°/21.0°C) | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) |
Data:
Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service,
Malaysian Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Trinidad and Tobago 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.
Trinidad and Tobago passport holder visiting Malaysia
Visa Free
Malaysia passport holder visiting Trinidad and Tobago
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 Trinidad and Tobago?
Generally yes: Malaysia runs about 37% cheaper than Trinidad and Tobago 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 TTD510,000 comparable salary, that's around MYR48,250 in Malaysia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Malaysia?
With 13.6 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 Trinidad and Tobago and Malaysia.
Is Malaysia safe for expats?
Trinidad and Tobago 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 40.4 in Trinidad and Tobago.
How is healthcare in Malaysia compared to Trinidad and Tobago?
Malaysia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Trinidad and Tobago leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Malaysia, compared to 41.6 in Trinidad and Tobago. Malaysia scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Trinidad and Tobago: 75).
What's the weather like in Malaysia compared to Trinidad and Tobago?
The average high temperature in Kuala Lumpur is 90°F, compared to 89°F in Port Of Spain. Kuala Lumpur receives around 95.6 in of rainfall per year, while Port Of Spain gets 55.4 in.
What language do they speak in Malaysia?
The official languages in Malaysia are English and Malay. In Trinidad and Tobago, the official language is English.
