Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Malaysia Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Malaysia

Name: Malaysia
Address: MY

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,718 in Italy versus $850 in Malaysia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,624 in Italy versus $1,294 in Malaysia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,530 in Italy versus $1,737 in Malaysia.

Living in Italy is roughly 102% more expensive than in Malaysia on average.

Italy (29% above) and Malaysia (36% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,187 to $2,451, compared to $655–$1,045 in Malaysia. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.21 €15.02

$3.51 MYR 14.45

390.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 €69.8

$23.10 MYR 95.1

246.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 €10.29

$4.63 MYR 19.04

154.86%

Cappuccino

$1.90 €1.65

$2.73 MYR 11.24

-30.40%

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

$3.02 €2.63

$0.80 MYR 3.29

277.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$0.43 MYR 1.77

209.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 €5.14

$3.50 MYR 14.40

68.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 €4.67

$4.68 MYR 19.26

14.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 €1.41

$1.84 MYR 7.55

-11.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 €2.08

$0.96 MYR 3.94

147.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 €2.55

$1.41 MYR 5.78

107.09%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.52

$2.10 MYR 8.64

92.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.85 €14.70

$14.00 MYR 57.6

20.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 €11.00

$4.05 MYR 16.67

211.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.66 €18.03

$8.50 MYR 34.99

143.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 €2.19

$2.80 MYR 11.51

-10.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.50 MYR 6.16

41.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.35

$2.53 MYR 10.42

6.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 €2.93

$1.50 MYR 6.19

124.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.77

$1.08 MYR 4.44

87.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.18 MYR 4.87

53.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.04 MYR 4.26

43.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 €0.44

$0.54 MYR 2.24

-7.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.11 €6.21

$4.30 MYR 17.68

65.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.34 €6.40

$18.97 MYR 78.1

-61.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.59

$2.87 MYR 11.82

-36.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.14

$3.72 MYR 15.29

-33.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.74

$0.68 MYR 2.81

194.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.36 €36.96

$11.87 MYR 48.84

256.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.84 €5.10

$1.20 MYR 4.92

386.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.72 MYR 2.94

119.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.13 €30.65

$4.93 MYR 20.29

612.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.46 MYR 1.88

363.04%

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

$32.5K €28.4K

$39.4K MYR 162.0K

-17.39%

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

$33.2K €29.0K

$31.4K MYR 129.2K

5.70%

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

$223 €195

$50.6 MYR 208

341.17%

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

$13.33 €11.63

$10.14 MYR 41.71

31.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.68 €27.64

$26.94 MYR 111

17.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 €49.64

$36.27 MYR 149

56.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.50 €22.25

$6.90 MYR 28.41

269.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.55 €9.21

$4.77 MYR 19.64

121.17%

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

$584 €510

$184 MYR 756

218.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K €9,214

$6,984 MYR 28.7K

51.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 €79.0

$59.3 MYR 244

52.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 €35.02

$33.21 MYR 137

20.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.7

$75.5 MYR 311

34.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €116

$64.7 MYR 266

105.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 €748

$396 MYR 1,630

116.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 €580

$276 MYR 1,136

140.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 €1,297

$720 MYR 2,963

106.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,085 €946

$460 MYR 1,893

135.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,757 €3,278

$1,947 MYR 8,011

93.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,396 €2,091

$1,109 MYR 4,562

116.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,945 €1,697

$926 MYR 3,812

109.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

4.2

5.00%

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

Last update for Italy: June 14, 2026

Last update for Malaysia: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $742 in Italy, $365 in Malaysia. Capital cities: $1,346 in Rome vs $567 in Kuala Lumpur.

National salary averages: $1,939 in Italy, $931 in Malaysia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 103% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 289% more in Italy.

Public transport is 238% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 108% higher in Italy.

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

Italy vs Malaysia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,819 per month in Italy and $850 in Malaysia, there's a 114% gap. 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 simply cheaper in Malaysia: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy is consistently higher than in Malaysia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Malaysia, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in Italy 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: Malaysia wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.