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: $1,775 in Italy versus $914 in Malaysia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,707 in Italy versus $1,346 in Malaysia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,639 in Italy versus $1,778 in Malaysia.

Living in Italy is roughly 94% more expensive than in Malaysia on average.

Italy (30% above) and Malaysia (33% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,134 to $2,623, compared to $296–$1,146 in Malaysia. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.64 €16.80

$3.63 MYR 14.66

441.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 €69.2

$19.62 MYR 79.3

312.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 €9.81

$4.98 MYR 20.13

130.12%

Cappuccino

$1.98 €1.70

$2.84 MYR 11.46

-30.28%

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

$3.04 €2.60

$0.76 MYR 3.09

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.25

$0.42 MYR 1.69

247.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €4.92

$3.62 MYR 14.64

59.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €4.86

$5.02 MYR 20.27

13.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.88 MYR 7.58

-11.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 €2.01

$1.03 MYR 4.18

128.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 €2.57

$1.41 MYR 5.71

112.77%

Eggs

$4.38 €3.75

$2.08 MYR 8.42

110.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.37 €14.86

$13.77 MYR 55.6

26.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.74 €10.90

$4.31 MYR 17.40

195.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.53 €17.56

$9.01 MYR 36.39

127.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.19

$2.96 MYR 11.95

-13.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.84

$1.67 MYR 6.76

28.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 €2.31

$2.60 MYR 10.50

4.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 €2.79

$1.61 MYR 6.52

102.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$1.17 MYR 4.74

70.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.33 MYR 5.39

42.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.36

$1.14 MYR 4.60

39.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.45

$0.55 MYR 2.23

-3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.83

$4.31 MYR 17.39

58.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €5.78

$19.04 MYR 76.9

-64.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.54

$2.99 MYR 12.07

-39.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.02

$4.06 MYR 16.39

-41.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 €1.64

$0.73 MYR 2.94

163.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.16 €38.63

$12.27 MYR 49.59

268.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 €4.84

$1.22 MYR 4.92

363.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 €1.50

$1.00 MYR 4.04

76.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.45 €29.47

$6.12 MYR 24.73

462.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.73

$0.65 MYR 2.64

210.77%

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

$37.5K €32.1K

$41.6K MYR 168.2K

-9.90%

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

$35.8K €30.6K

$34.0K MYR 137.3K

5.34%

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

$231 €198

$54.2 MYR 219

326.78%

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

$12.12 €10.37

$10.36 MYR 41.85

16.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.14 €26.64

$27.81 MYR 112

11.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 €48.40

$38.22 MYR 154

48.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.48 €21.79

$6.94 MYR 28.04

267.15%

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €8.93

$4.92 MYR 19.87

112.20%

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

$566 €484

$187 MYR 755

202.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K €10.4K

$8,198 MYR 33.1K

48.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 €78.9

$61.9 MYR 250

49.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.84 €34.08

$33.85 MYR 137

17.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.9

$81.3 MYR 328

27.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €118

$73.5 MYR 297

88.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 €712

$388 MYR 1,568

114.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 €568

$269 MYR 1,087

147.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 €1,249

$711 MYR 2,874

105.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 €945

$448 MYR 1,811

146.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,813 €3,262

$2,020 MYR 8,161

88.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,364 €2,022

$1,150 MYR 4,646

105.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,946 €1,665

$906 MYR 3,662

114.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

4.24

-15.57%

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

Last update for Italy: August 17, 2026

Last update for Malaysia: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $748 in Italy, $401 in Malaysia. Capital cities: $1,237 in Rome vs $648 in Kuala Lumpur.

National salary averages: $1,953 in Italy, $903 in Malaysia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 87% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 280% more in Italy.

Public transport is 223% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 116% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger 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 $1,879 per month in Italy and $721 in Malaysia, there's a 161% 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.