Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Malaysia

Name: Malaysia
Address: MY

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $932 in Malaysia, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Malaysia
Learn more

Malaysia Living Index

Jump to prices

🇮🇳 India

$399

/mo nomad

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$932

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $399 in India versus $932 in Malaysia.

India $399
Malaysia $932

Estimated couple costs with rent: $639 in India versus $1,393 in Malaysia.

India $639
Malaysia $1,393

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $879 in India versus $1,855 in Malaysia.

India $879
Malaysia $1,855

India ($230–$813) and Malaysia ($531–$1,288) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in India costs about 57% less than in Malaysia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Malaysia 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₹203

$3.68 MYR 14.95

-41.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.46 ₹993

$19.24 MYR 78.0

-45.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.80 ₹361

$4.96 MYR 20.10

-23.39%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ₹159

$2.75 MYR 11.17

-38.91%

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

$0.38 ₹35.93

$0.80 MYR 3.25

-52.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.58

$0.39 MYR 1.57

-61.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₹177

$3.61 MYR 14.66

-48.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₹302

$5.01 MYR 20.32

-36.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 ₹59.1

$1.86 MYR 7.53

-66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₹47.69

$1.05 MYR 4.26

-52.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.2

$1.40 MYR 5.67

-55.00%

Eggs

$0.96 ₹91.1

$2.10 MYR 8.53

-54.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.85 ₹460

$13.17 MYR 53.4

-63.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 ₹270

$4.13 MYR 16.77

-31.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 MYR 34.87

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹190

$3.05 MYR 12.37

-34.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 ₹61.3

$1.61 MYR 6.55

-59.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 ₹92.1

$2.66 MYR 10.79

-63.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 ₹44.23

$1.51 MYR 6.14

-68.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹31.82

$1.16 MYR 4.72

-70.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.66

$1.24 MYR 5.02

-66.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 ₹44.32

$1.18 MYR 4.79

-60.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.63

$0.58 MYR 2.36

-46.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.08 ₹482

$4.44 MYR 18.01

14.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.31 ₹694

$18.84 MYR 76.4

-61.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₹154

$2.99 MYR 12.14

-45.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₹262

$4.08 MYR 16.55

-32.35%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.11 ₹485

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₹24.82

$0.74 MYR 3.01

-64.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.58 ₹815

$12.23 MYR 49.60

-29.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₹94.5

$1.25 MYR 5.05

-20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.69

$0.99 MYR 4.02

-72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ₹146

$6.26 MYR 25.41

-75.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹102

$0.71 MYR 2.88

50.70%

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

$11.2K ₹1.1M

$45.8K MYR 185.6K

-75.49%

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

$20.1K ₹1.9M

$35.5K MYR 144.0K

-43.51%

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

$37.08 ₹3,521

$55.3 MYR 224

-32.92%

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

$3.58 ₹340

$10.01 MYR 40.62

-64.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.15 ₹679

$27.24 MYR 111

-73.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.00 ₹1,424

$36.76 MYR 149

-59.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.17 ₹681

$6.92 MYR 28.09

3.61%

Cinema Ticket

$3.20 ₹303

$4.94 MYR 20.03

-35.22%

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

$58.8 ₹5,583

$208 MYR 843

-71.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,667 ₹158.2K

$8,229 MYR 33.4K

-79.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.03 ₹2,187

$61.7 MYR 250

-62.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.17 ₹2,295

$34.56 MYR 140

-30.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.20 ₹3,912

$77.7 MYR 315

-46.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.62 ₹2,812

$73.1 MYR 296

-59.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$146 ₹13.9K

$448 MYR 1,818

-67.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.4 ₹9,150

$299 MYR 1,213

-67.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 ₹32.6K

$785 MYR 3,185

-56.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 ₹22.2K

$497 MYR 2,017

-52.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,177 ₹111.7K

$2,085 MYR 8,459

-43.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$633 ₹60.1K

$1,226 MYR 4,975

-48.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$409 ₹38.8K

$917 MYR 3,721

-55.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.93

4.22

111.61%

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

Last update for India: October 25, 2026

Last update for Malaysia: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

India

$102 25.6%

Malaysia

$251 26.9% 145% $148

Accommodation & Living

India

$96 24.1%

Malaysia

$299 32.1% 210% $203

Eating Out

India

$67 16.7%

Malaysia

$110 11.8% 65.7% $44

Clothing & Footwear

India

$53 13.3%

Malaysia

$111 11.9% 109% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

India

$48 12%

Malaysia

$93 9.9% 93.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

India

$21 5.4%

Malaysia

$47 5% 118% $25

Getting Around

India

$12 3%

Malaysia

$21 2.3% 78.5% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $120 in India, $405 in Malaysia. Capital cities: $277 in Delhi vs $685 in Kuala Lumpur.

National salary averages: $412 in India, $904 in Malaysia. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 238% higher in Malaysia.

Dining out costs 82% more in Malaysia.

Public transport is 63% more expensive in Malaysia.

Salaries are about 2.2 times higher in Malaysia.

Good to know

🇮🇳 India

🇲🇾 Malaysia

🕒 Local time

13:17 1:17 PM

15:47 3:47 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of India

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,326,093,247

32,447,385

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4.06 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

India Malaysia 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

India
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

India vs Malaysia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $399 per month in India and $932 in Malaysia, India comes out about 57% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $405 in Malaysia and $120 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In India, $1,000 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: India wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.