Moving to Malaysia from Zimbabwe

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Zimbabwe to Malaysia — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Zimbabwe to Malaysia. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Kuala Lumpur averages 90°F vs 78°F in Harare, making it significantly warmer.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Zimbabwe and Malaysia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

ZW
6.7
MY
0.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

ZW
29.9
MY
13.9

Malaysia performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

ZW
$63
MY
$1,441
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

ZW
1.7
MY
23.2

Malaysia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

ZW
56.0
MY
63.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

ZW
0.8t
MY
8.3t

Zimbabwe performs better than Malaysia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

ZW
1.3
MY
12.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

ZW
46.1%
MY
3.4%

Malaysia performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

ZW
8.8%
MY
3.9%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

ZW
$3,500
MY
$33,600

Malaysia performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

ZW
63.3 yrs
MY
76.1 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

ZW
28.5
MY
6.6

Malaysia performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Harare Rain: 33.1 in/yr (841 mm)
78° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

Kuala Lumpur Rain: 95.6 in/yr (2427 mm)
90° / 74°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Harare Kuala Lumpur
Jan–Mar 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) 91°/73°F (33°/23°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/49°F (24°/10°C) 91°/75°F (33°/24°C)
Jul–Sep 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) 90°/74°F (32°/23°C)
Oct–Dec 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) 89°/74°F (32°/23°C)
View all months
Month Harare Kuala Lumpur
Jan 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C) 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C)
Feb 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C) 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C)
Mar 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C) 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C)
Apr 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C) 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C)
May 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C) 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C)
Jun 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C) 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C)
Jul 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C) 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C)
Aug 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C) 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C)
Sep 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C) 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C)
Oct 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C) 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C)
Nov 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C) 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C)
Dec 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C) 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C)

Data: Meteorological Services Department Meteorological Services Department, Malaysian Meteorological Department Malaysian Meteorological Department

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zimbabwe 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.

Zimbabwe passport

Zimbabwe passport holder visiting Malaysia

Visa Free
Zimbabwe passport holders can enter Malaysia without a visa.
Malaysia passport

Malaysia passport holder visiting Zimbabwe

Visa Free
Malaysia passport holders can enter Zimbabwe without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

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 Zimbabwe and Malaysia.

Is Malaysia safe for expats?

Malaysia performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malaysia is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.7 in Zimbabwe.

How is healthcare in Malaysia compared to Zimbabwe?

Malaysia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 23.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Malaysia, compared to 1.7 in Zimbabwe. Malaysia scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zimbabwe: 55).

What's the weather like in Malaysia compared to Zimbabwe?

The average high temperature in Kuala Lumpur is 90°F, compared to 78°F in Harare. Kuala Lumpur receives around 95.6 in of rainfall per year, while Harare gets 33.1 in.

What language do they speak in Malaysia?

The official languages in Malaysia are English and Malay. In Zimbabwe, the official languages are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language.

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At a Glance

ZW MY
Population 15,121,004 33,871,431
Currency Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) Malaysian Ringgit (MYR)
Languages Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language English, Malay
Driving side Left Left
Calling code +263 +60
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 999 999