Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Malaysia

Name: Malaysia
Address: MY

For one person, living is cheaper in Malaysia: $907 a month against $2,539 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
Learn more

Australia Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Malaysia
Learn more

Malaysia Living Index

Jump to prices

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,539

/mo nomad

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Malaysia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Australia and in Malaysia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,539 per month in Australia vs $907 in Malaysia, rent included.

Australia $2,539
Malaysia $907

A couple spends around $3,716 per month in Australia vs $1,364 in Malaysia, rent included.

Australia $3,716
Malaysia $1,364

A family of three spends $4,892 per month in Australia vs $1,821 in Malaysia, rent included.

Australia $4,892
Malaysia $1,821

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,635–$3,245) than in Malaysia ($532–$1,144), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is about 180% higher than in Malaysia on average.

Australia sits 87% above the global median, while Malaysia is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.35 A$24.97

$3.75 MYR 15.28

362.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 A$122

$19.69 MYR 80.3

329.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 A$15.79

$4.83 MYR 19.72

127.33%

Cappuccino

$3.84 A$5.53

$2.79 MYR 11.37

37.63%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 A$4.16

$0.76 MYR 3.12

280.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 A$3.29

$0.39 MYR 1.59

487.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 A$11.21

$3.62 MYR 14.75

115.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.42 A$12.12

$4.80 MYR 19.57

75.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 A$2.52

$1.84 MYR 7.50

-4.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$1.05 MYR 4.28

164.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.33

$1.49 MYR 6.08

55.03%

Eggs

$4.89 A$7.04

$2.10 MYR 8.56

132.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.95 A$14.32

$13.43 MYR 54.8

-25.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 A$13.03

$4.00 MYR 16.31

126.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.92 A$21.46

$8.40 MYR 34.27

77.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 A$5.25

$2.94 MYR 12.00

24.15%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.64 MYR 6.71

84.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.66

$2.55 MYR 10.40

27.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 A$6.76

$1.52 MYR 6.22

208.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.11

$1.17 MYR 4.76

143.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.34

$1.31 MYR 5.33

77.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.50

$1.18 MYR 4.81

105.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.39

$0.59 MYR 2.42

181.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.47 A$55.4

$4.46 MYR 18.21

762.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 A$19.92

$19.07 MYR 77.8

-27.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$7.01

$3.05 MYR 12.45

59.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 A$7.59

$4.08 MYR 16.64

29.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 A$3.90

$0.70 MYR 2.86

287.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.0 A$135

$12.37 MYR 50.5

659.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.14

$1.19 MYR 4.86

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.35

$0.93 MYR 3.81

75.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.04 A$57.6

$6.08 MYR 24.79

558.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.91

$0.72 MYR 2.95

84.72%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.1K A$41.9K

$45.7K MYR 186.5K

-36.27%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.7K A$37.0K

$35.5K MYR 144.7K

-27.52%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$205 A$296

$54.7 MYR 223

275.72%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$28.24 A$40.63

$10.25 MYR 41.81

175.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$82.0

$27.17 MYR 111

109.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 A$79.7

$37.96 MYR 155

45.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.46 A$28.01

$7.04 MYR 28.73

176.42%

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 A$21.66

$4.80 MYR 19.58

213.75%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,097 A$3,017

$185 MYR 756

1031.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K A$26.0K

$8,298 MYR 33.9K

117.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 A$112

$62.1 MYR 253

25.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 A$79.6

$34.22 MYR 140

61.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$161

$80.6 MYR 329

38.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$175

$71.0 MYR 289

71.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 A$2,244

$391 MYR 1,594

299.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 A$1,748

$274 MYR 1,117

343.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,435 A$3,504

$697 MYR 2,845

249.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 A$2,769

$460 MYR 1,878

318.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,175 A$11.8K

$2,064 MYR 8,422

295.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,060 A$8,721

$1,177 MYR 4,803

414.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,038 A$5,811

$914 MYR 3,729

341.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.94

4.23

40.43%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Australia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Malaysia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.2K 47.8%

Malaysia

$274 30.2% 77.5% $941

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$372 14.7%

Malaysia

$251 27.6% 32.7% $122

Eating Out

Australia

$294 11.6%

Malaysia

$110 12.2% 62.6% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$291 11.4%

Malaysia

$92 10.2% 68.3% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$165 6.5%

Malaysia

$112 12.3% 32.5% $54

Getting Around

Australia

$117 4.6%

Malaysia

$21 2.3% 81.9% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$85 3.4%

Malaysia

$48 5.2% 44.4% $38

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,364 in Australia vs $381 in Malaysia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,719 in Canberra and $626 in Kuala Lumpur.

Average salary: $3,853 in Australia vs $902 in Malaysia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 258% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 310% more in Australia.

Public transport is 477% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 327% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇲🇾 Malaysia

🕒 Local time

12:31 12:31 PM

09:31 9:31 AM

3 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

32,447,385

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Australia Malaysia 6,530 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
Malaysia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Australia vs Malaysia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malaysia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 180% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,364 versus $381 in Malaysia.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Malaysia, adding to the overall 180% price gap.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Malaysia, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Malaysia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.