Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaysia and Brazil

Name: Brazil
Address: BR

For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $855 a month against $923 in Malaysia, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Malaysia
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Malaysia Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Brazil
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Brazil Living Index

Jump to prices

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$923

/mo nomad

🇧🇷 Brazil

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malaysia and in Brazil

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

A single person spends $923 per month in Malaysia vs $855 in Brazil, rent included.

Malaysia $923
Brazil $855

A couple spends around $1,395 per month in Malaysia vs $1,363 in Brazil, rent included.

Malaysia $1,395
Brazil $1,363

A family of three spends $1,867 per month in Malaysia vs $1,871 in Brazil, rent included.

Malaysia $1,867
Brazil $1,871

Cost ranges are similar: Malaysia spans $534–$1,304, Brazil $478–$1,349. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Malaysia is about 8% higher than in Brazil on average.

Both Malaysia and Brazil are more affordable than the global median – Malaysia 32% lower, Brazil 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 MYR 14.88

$6.50 R$35.65

-43.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.90 MYR 80.8

$30.90 R$170

-35.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 MYR 20.09

$7.25 R$39.81

-31.72%

Cappuccino

$2.79 MYR 11.32

$1.99 R$10.93

40.20%

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

$0.82 MYR 3.32

$1.14 R$6.25

-28.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.57

$0.73 R$3.98

-46.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 MYR 15.02

$1.81 R$9.91

104.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MYR 19.90

$2.82 R$15.49

73.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.69

$0.98 R$5.39

92.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.23

$1.63 R$8.92

-36.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.83

$1.22 R$6.71

17.21%

Eggs

$2.10 MYR 8.54

$2.15 R$11.81

-2.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 MYR 54.7

$8.84 R$48.51

52.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 MYR 16.44

$4.09 R$22.43

-0.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 MYR 34.60

$7.98 R$43.78

6.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 MYR 12.14

$2.16 R$11.86

38.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 MYR 6.53

$1.30 R$7.14

23.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 MYR 10.81

$1.16 R$6.36

129.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 MYR 6.38

$1.46 R$8.03

7.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.78

$1.10 R$6.03

7.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 MYR 5.25

$1.02 R$5.58

26.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.76

$0.74 R$4.05

58.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.26

$0.72 R$3.97

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MYR 17.73

$2.27 R$12.46

92.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.32 MYR 78.5

$7.20 R$39.49

168.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 MYR 11.62

$1.24 R$6.78

130.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 MYR 16.59

$2.26 R$12.38

80.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MYR 2.86

$0.93 R$5.10

-23.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.36 MYR 50.2

$44.48 R$244

-72.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.91

$1.21 R$6.64

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MYR 4.03

$0.76 R$4.16

30.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 MYR 25.16

$7.56 R$41.50

-18.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 MYR 2.75

$1.21 R$6.62

-43.80%

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

$46.6K MYR 189.2K

$21.7K R$119.1K

114.59%

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

$35.8K MYR 145.3K

$30.9K R$169.7K

15.71%

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

$53.8 MYR 218

$78.0 R$428

-31.02%

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

$10.10 MYR 41.02

$11.96 R$65.6

-15.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.06 MYR 110

$19.21 R$105

40.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.79 MYR 154

$24.14 R$132

56.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.99 MYR 28.38

$25.23 R$138

-72.29%

Cinema Ticket

$5.02 MYR 20.39

$7.37 R$40.44

-31.89%

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

$211 MYR 859

$319 R$1,753

-33.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K MYR 50.5K

$12.7K R$69.8K

-2.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 MYR 254

$48.80 R$268

27.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.45 MYR 140

$44.66 R$245

-22.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 MYR 327

$84.6 R$464

-4.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 MYR 289

$64.9 R$356

9.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$456 MYR 1,854

$366 R$2,009

24.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 MYR 1,176

$241 R$1,325

19.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$813 MYR 3,300

$704 R$3,865

15.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 MYR 2,039

$482 R$2,646

4.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,073 MYR 8,421

$1,805 R$9,905

14.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,254 MYR 5,094

$1,258 R$6,904

-0.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$941 MYR 3,822

$528 R$2,900

78.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

11.14

-62.03%

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

Last update for Malaysia: November 2, 2026

Last update for Brazil: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Malaysia

$289 31.4%

Brazil

$241 28.2% 16.6% $48

Groceries & Markets

Malaysia

$251 27.2%

Brazil

$183 21.4% 27.2% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Malaysia

$112 12.1%

Brazil

$109 12.8% 2.3% $2.5

Eating Out

Malaysia

$111 12%

Brazil

$120 14% 8.2% $9.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malaysia

$91 9.9%

Brazil

$109 12.8% 20% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Malaysia

$48 5.2%

Brazil

$39 4.6% 18.7% $9

Getting Around

Malaysia

$21 2.3%

Brazil

$53 6.2% 149% $32

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $413 in Malaysia vs $333 in Brazil. For reference, capital cities sit at $687 in Kuala Lumpur and $508 in Brasilia.

Average salary: $901 in Malaysia vs $473 in Brazil. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 24% higher in Malaysia.

Dining out costs 45% more in Brazil.

Public transport is 231% more expensive in Brazil.

Salaries are 90% higher in Malaysia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Malaysia.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Malaysia

🇧🇷 Brazil

🕒 Local time

23:33 11:33 PM

12:33 12:33 PM

11 h behind Malaysia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,447,385

203,062,512

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 4.06 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.55 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.15 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Malaysia Brazil 16,400 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Malaysia
Brazil

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

Malaysia vs Brazil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 7% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Malaysia: a central one-bedroom averages $413 versus $333 in Brazil.

Brazil is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.