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: $1,293 in Malaysia versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,735 in Malaysia versus $846 in India.

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

Both countries sit below the global median: Malaysia 36% lower, India 71% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in India: monthly costs span $265 to $913, compared to $655–$1,073 in Malaysia. City choice carries more weight in India.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 MYR 14.70

$2.53 ₹244

41.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.69 MYR 97.0

$13.73 ₹1,322

72.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.66 MYR 19.06

$4.00 ₹385

16.50%

Cappuccino

$2.69 MYR 11.02

$1.91 ₹184

40.84%

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

$0.75 MYR 3.06

$0.43 ₹41.85

74.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MYR 1.75

$0.17 ₹16.11

152.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 MYR 14.65

$1.93 ₹186

85.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MYR 19.16

$3.54 ₹341

32.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.58

$0.73 ₹69.9

153.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 MYR 3.92

$0.52 ₹50.1

84.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.49

$0.73 ₹69.9

83.56%

Eggs

$2.03 MYR 8.33

$0.95 ₹91.4

113.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.67 MYR 55.9

$5.32 ₹512

156.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 MYR 16.45

$3.10 ₹299

29.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.44 MYR 34.53

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MYR 11.83

$2.16 ₹208

33.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.86

$0.70 ₹67.7

104.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 MYR 10.83

$1.05 ₹101

152.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.00

$0.53 ₹50.8

177.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.63

$0.39 ₹37.66

189.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.88

$0.48 ₹46.64

147.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MYR 4.40

$0.52 ₹49.78

105.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.19

$0.36 ₹34.33

47.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MYR 17.28

$4.02 ₹387

4.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 MYR 78.1

$7.28 ₹701

162.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 MYR 11.39

$1.90 ₹183

46.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 MYR 15.45

$3.03 ₹292

24.75%

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

$5.84 ₹562

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.96

$0.36 ₹34.66

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.91 MYR 48.76

$9.84 ₹948

21.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.88

$0.95 ₹91.8

25.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 MYR 2.85

$0.30 ₹29.03

133.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 MYR 20.13

$1.79 ₹172

174.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$1.21 ₹117

-58.68%

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

$39.9K MYR 163.4K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

188.20%

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

$31.9K MYR 130.8K

$22.4K ₹2.2M

42.36%

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

$50.5 MYR 207

$40.16 ₹3,867

25.65%

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

$10.07 MYR 41.21

$3.76 ₹362

167.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.43 MYR 108

$8.04 ₹774

228.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.88 MYR 147

$16.25 ₹1,565

120.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.70 MYR 27.44

$7.56 ₹728

-11.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 MYR 19.03

$3.43 ₹330

35.57%

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

$178 MYR 727

$69.7 ₹6,713

154.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,788 MYR 27.8K

$1,852 ₹178.3K

266.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 MYR 242

$25.59 ₹2,463

130.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.95 MYR 135

$26.30 ₹2,532

25.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MYR 309

$44.89 ₹4,322

68.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.5 MYR 272

$33.20 ₹3,197

100.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$399 MYR 1,632

$174 ₹16.8K

128.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 MYR 1,126

$112 ₹10.8K

144.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 MYR 2,918

$405 ₹39.0K

76.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 MYR 1,880

$258 ₹24.8K

78.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,951 MYR 7,983

$1,263 ₹121.6K

54.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,143 MYR 4,677

$653 ₹62.8K

75.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$907 MYR 3,713

$424 ₹40.8K

113.92%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for India: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $365 in Malaysia, $127 in India. Capital cities: $575 in Kuala Lumpur vs $242 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $900 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 126% 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 $589 per month in India and $864 in Malaysia, there's a 47% 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 India: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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: India wins on affordability; Malaysia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.