Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaysia and China

Name: China
Address: CN

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.

44

Cost of Living Index in Malaysia
Learn more

Malaysia Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$907

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malaysia and in China

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 China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $907 in Malaysia versus $793 in China.

Malaysia $907
China $793

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,364 in Malaysia versus $1,261 in China.

Malaysia $1,364
China $1,261

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,821 in Malaysia versus $1,730 in China.

Malaysia $1,821
China $1,730

Malaysia ($532–$1,144) and China ($466–$1,244) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in Malaysia is roughly 14% more expensive than in China on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 MYR 15.28

$2.92 ¥19.50

28.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.69 MYR 80.3

$22.45 ¥150

-12.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 MYR 19.72

$5.33 ¥35.65

-9.38%

Cappuccino

$2.79 MYR 11.37

$3.04 ¥20.34

-8.22%

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

$0.76 MYR 3.12

$0.48 ¥3.23

58.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$0.30 ¥2.02

30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.62 MYR 14.75

$1.07 ¥7.12

238.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 MYR 19.57

$2.26 ¥15.11

112.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 MYR 7.50

$1.75 ¥11.70

5.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$1.62 ¥10.80

-35.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.08

$0.99 ¥6.63

50.51%

Eggs

$2.10 MYR 8.56

$1.56 ¥10.44

34.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 MYR 54.8

$13.25 ¥88.6

1.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.00 MYR 16.31

$3.37 ¥22.50

18.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.40 MYR 34.27

$11.39 ¥76.2

-26.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 MYR 12.00

$1.82 ¥12.19

61.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MYR 6.71

$1.25 ¥8.34

31.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MYR 10.40

$1.55 ¥10.39

64.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.22

$1.28 ¥8.55

18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 MYR 4.76

$0.71 ¥4.72

64.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.33

$0.86 ¥5.75

52.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MYR 4.81

$0.65 ¥4.36

81.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.42

$0.59 ¥3.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MYR 18.21

$3.76 ¥25.14

18.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.07 MYR 77.8

$11.76 ¥78.6

62.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 MYR 12.45

$0.91 ¥6.11

235.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 MYR 16.64

$1.62 ¥10.86

151.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.86

$0.31 ¥2.10

125.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.37 MYR 50.5

$22.75 ¥152

-45.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$1.52 ¥10.17

-21.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 MYR 3.81

$0.37 ¥2.50

151.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.08 MYR 24.79

$7.28 ¥48.66

-16.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 MYR 2.95

$1.25 ¥8.38

-42.40%

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

$45.7K MYR 186.5K

$19.4K ¥129.7K

135.65%

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

$35.5K MYR 144.7K

$17.1K ¥114.4K

107.33%

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

$54.7 MYR 223

$55.5 ¥371

-1.50%

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

$10.25 MYR 41.81

$8.29 ¥55.4

23.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.17 MYR 111

$10.97 ¥73.3

147.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.96 MYR 155

$40.38 ¥270

-5.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.04 MYR 28.73

$14.76 ¥98.7

-52.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.80 MYR 19.58

$6.76 ¥45.18

-28.99%

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

$185 MYR 756

$465 ¥3,108

-60.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,298 MYR 33.9K

$19.6K ¥131.2K

-57.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 MYR 253

$46.32 ¥310

34.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.22 MYR 140

$36.30 ¥243

-5.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 MYR 329

$76.3 ¥510

5.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 MYR 289

$78.8 ¥527

-9.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 MYR 1,594

$396 ¥2,646

-1.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 MYR 1,117

$240 ¥1,604

14.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 MYR 2,845

$822 ¥5,499

-15.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 MYR 1,878

$466 ¥3,116

-1.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,064 MYR 8,422

$4,544 ¥30.4K

-54.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,177 MYR 4,803

$2,282 ¥15.3K

-48.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 MYR 3,729

$1,075 ¥7,188

-14.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

3.46

22.25%

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

Last update for Malaysia: October 18, 2026

Last update for China: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Malaysia

$274 30.2%

China

$240 30% 12.4% $34

Groceries & Markets

Malaysia

$251 27.6%

China

$209 26.1% 16.7% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Malaysia

$112 12.3%

China

$107 13.4% 4.1% $4.6

Eating Out

Malaysia

$110 12.2%

China

$89 11.1% 19.4% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malaysia

$92 10.2%

China

$75 9.3% 18.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Malaysia

$48 5.2%

China

$54 6.7% 13.3% $6.3

Getting Around

Malaysia

$21 2.3%

China

$27 3.4% 30.2% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $381 in Malaysia, $298 in China. Capital cities: $626 in Kuala Lumpur vs $940 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $902 in Malaysia, $871 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 28% higher in Malaysia.

Public transport is 31% more expensive in China.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Malaysia

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

17:42 5:42 PM

Same time as Malaysia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,447,385

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

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).

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).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malaysia China 4,350 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Malaysia
China

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $793 per month in China and $907 in Malaysia, there's a 14% 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 $298 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.