Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaysia and India Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaysia and India

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $850 in Malaysia versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,297 in Malaysia versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,743 in Malaysia versus $846 in India.

Living in Malaysia is roughly 119% more expensive than India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Malaysia 37% lower, India 71% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in India: monthly costs span $264 to $888, compared to $646–$1,082 in Malaysia. City choice carries more weight in India.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.51 MYR 13.92

$2.49 ₹237

40.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.11 MYR 91.6

$14.20 ₹1,353

62.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 MYR 18.35

$3.98 ₹379

16.33%

Cappuccino

$2.71 MYR 10.75

$1.88 ₹179

44.15%

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

$0.76 MYR 3.00

$0.44 ₹41.98

72.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.55

$0.19 ₹18.57

105.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 MYR 13.74

$2.02 ₹192

71.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 MYR 18.58

$3.45 ₹329

35.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MYR 7.09

$0.72 ₹68.3

148.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 MYR 3.73

$0.52 ₹49.26

80.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.59

$0.72 ₹68.7

95.83%

Eggs

$2.01 MYR 7.95

$0.93 ₹88.8

116.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 MYR 55.4

$5.24 ₹499

166.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 MYR 16.29

$3.07 ₹292

33.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.56 MYR 33.95

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 MYR 10.95

$2.17 ₹207

27.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.74

$0.76 ₹72.2

90.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 MYR 10.06

$1.05 ₹100

141.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.08

$0.53 ₹50.7

188.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 MYR 4.29

$0.39 ₹37.53

176.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 4.88

$0.49 ₹46.81

151.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MYR 4.29

$0.52 ₹49.35

107.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.13

$0.33 ₹31.13

63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 MYR 16.42

$4.05 ₹386

2.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.55 MYR 77.5

$7.39 ₹704

164.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 MYR 11.44

$1.84 ₹175

57.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MYR 14.46

$2.90 ₹277

25.86%

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

$5.65 ₹538

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MYR 2.90

$0.36 ₹34.59

102.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.87 MYR 47.07

$9.74 ₹928

21.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 MYR 4.59

$0.95 ₹90.6

22.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 MYR 2.84

$0.30 ₹28.64

140.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MYR 19.72

$1.73 ₹165

187.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 1.98

$1.23 ₹117

-59.35%

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

$39.7K MYR 157.4K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

186.62%

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

$31.9K MYR 126.4K

$22.6K ₹2.2M

41.03%

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

$50.7 MYR 201

$40.88 ₹3,894

23.92%

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

$10.01 MYR 39.67

$3.91 ₹372

156.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.40 MYR 109

$7.81 ₹744

250.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.70 MYR 142

$16.15 ₹1,538

121.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 MYR 27.29

$7.49 ₹713

-8.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.73 MYR 18.76

$3.42 ₹326

38.30%

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

$179 MYR 710

$69.9 ₹6,660

156.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,040 MYR 27.9K

$1,793 ₹170.8K

292.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 MYR 240

$25.83 ₹2,460

134.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 MYR 131

$26.61 ₹2,535

24.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 MYR 296

$45.24 ₹4,309

65.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.2 MYR 262

$33.68 ₹3,208

96.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 MYR 1,591

$178 ₹17.0K

125.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 MYR 1,062

$115 ₹10.9K

133.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$726 MYR 2,880

$407 ₹38.8K

78.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 MYR 1,828

$264 ₹25.1K

74.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,007 MYR 7,958

$1,240 ₹118.1K

61.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,166 MYR 4,624

$631 ₹60.1K

84.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$943 MYR 3,741

$432 ₹41.2K

118.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

9.02

-53.44%

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

Last update for Malaysia: June 1, 2026

Last update for India: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $365 in Malaysia, $127 in India. Capital cities: $561 in Kuala Lumpur vs $239 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $950 in Malaysia, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 187% higher in Malaysia.

Dining out costs 73% more in Malaysia.

Public transport is 44% more expensive in Malaysia.

Salaries are 139% higher in Malaysia.

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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $576 per month in India and $864 in Malaysia, there's a 50% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

India is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 Malaysia beats India across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily. In Malaysia, it works in regional areas but 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; Malaysia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.