Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Malaysia

Name: Malaysia
Address: MY

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $800 a month against $907 in Malaysia, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Malaysia
Learn more

Malaysia Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$800

/mo nomad

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China 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 China and in Malaysia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $800 in China versus $907 in Malaysia.

China $800
Malaysia $907

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,266 in China versus $1,364 in Malaysia.

China $1,266
Malaysia $1,364

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,731 in China versus $1,821 in Malaysia.

China $1,731
Malaysia $1,821

China ($462–$1,256) and Malaysia ($532–$1,144) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in China costs about 12% less than in Malaysia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 41% lower, Malaysia 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.50

$3.75 MYR 15.28

-22.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.45 ¥150

$19.69 MYR 80.3

14.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 ¥35.65

$4.83 MYR 19.72

10.35%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.34

$2.79 MYR 11.37

8.96%

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

$0.48 ¥3.23

$0.76 MYR 3.12

-36.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.39 MYR 1.59

-23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.12

$3.62 MYR 14.75

-70.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$4.80 MYR 19.57

-52.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.70

$1.84 MYR 7.50

-4.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.80

$1.05 MYR 4.28

54.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

$1.49 MYR 6.08

-33.56%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.44

$2.10 MYR 8.56

-25.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$13.43 MYR 54.8

-1.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.50

$4.00 MYR 16.31

-15.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 ¥76.2

$8.40 MYR 34.27

35.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.19

$2.94 MYR 12.00

-38.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$1.64 MYR 6.71

-23.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$2.55 MYR 10.40

-39.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.55

$1.52 MYR 6.22

-15.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$1.17 MYR 4.76

-39.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.75

$1.31 MYR 5.33

-34.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.36

$1.18 MYR 4.81

-44.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.59 MYR 2.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 ¥25.14

$4.46 MYR 18.21

-15.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 ¥78.6

$19.07 MYR 77.8

-38.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$3.05 MYR 12.45

-70.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.86

$4.08 MYR 16.64

-60.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.70 MYR 2.86

-55.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.75 ¥152

$12.37 MYR 50.5

83.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$1.19 MYR 4.86

27.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$0.93 MYR 3.81

-60.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.66

$6.08 MYR 24.79

19.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$0.72 MYR 2.95

73.61%

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

$19.4K ¥129.7K

$45.7K MYR 186.5K

-57.56%

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

$17.1K ¥114.4K

$35.5K MYR 144.7K

-51.77%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$54.7 MYR 223

1.52%

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

$8.29 ¥55.4

$10.25 MYR 41.81

-19.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.97 ¥73.3

$27.17 MYR 111

-59.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 ¥270

$37.96 MYR 155

6.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 ¥98.7

$7.04 MYR 28.73

109.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ¥45.18

$4.80 MYR 19.58

40.83%

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

$465 ¥3,108

$185 MYR 756

150.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$8,298 MYR 33.9K

136.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.32 ¥310

$62.1 MYR 253

-25.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.30 ¥243

$34.22 MYR 140

6.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 ¥510

$80.6 MYR 329

-5.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 ¥527

$71.0 MYR 289

11.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 ¥2,646

$391 MYR 1,594

1.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ¥1,604

$274 MYR 1,117

-12.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,499

$697 MYR 2,845

17.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ¥3,116

$460 MYR 1,878

1.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,544 ¥30.4K

$2,064 MYR 8,422

120.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 ¥15.3K

$1,177 MYR 4,803

93.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 ¥7,188

$914 MYR 3,729

17.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

4.23

-18.20%

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

Last update for China: 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

China

$240 30%

Malaysia

$274 30.2% 14.1% $34

Groceries & Markets

China

$209 26.1%

Malaysia

$251 27.6% 20.1% $42

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

Malaysia

$112 12.3% 4.3% $4.6

Eating Out

China

$89 11.1%

Malaysia

$110 12.2% 24.1% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.3%

Malaysia

$92 10.2% 23.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.7%

Malaysia

$48 5.2% 11.7% $6.3

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Malaysia

$21 2.3% 23.2% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $299 in China, $381 in Malaysia. Capital cities: $945 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $626 in Kuala Lumpur.

National salary averages: $870 in China, $902 in Malaysia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 27% higher in Malaysia.

Public transport is 31% more expensive in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇲🇾 Malaysia

🕒 Local time

01:38 1:38 AM

Same time as China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

32,447,385

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

China Malaysia 4,350 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

China
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

China vs Malaysia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $800 per month in China and $907 in Malaysia, there's a 13% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $381 in Malaysia and $299 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Malaysia it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Malaysia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.