Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaysia and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaysia and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $852 in Malaysia versus $1,718 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,297 in Malaysia versus $2,623 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,741 in Malaysia versus $3,528 in Italy.

Living in Malaysia costs about 50% less than in Italy on average.

Malaysia (36% below) and Italy (28% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,147 to $2,536, compared to $639–$1,059 in Malaysia. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 MYR 14.30

$17.24 €14.72

-79.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.88 MYR 94.3

$80.3 €68.6

-70.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 MYR 18.88

$11.44 €9.77

-58.22%

Cappuccino

$2.68 MYR 10.58

$1.92 €1.64

39.58%

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

$0.80 MYR 3.18

$2.98 €2.55

-73.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.68

$1.32 €1.13

-68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 MYR 13.59

$5.83 €4.98

-40.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.22

$5.16 €4.41

-10.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 MYR 7.09

$1.69 €1.44

6.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MYR 3.91

$2.41 €2.06

-58.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.52

$3.00 €2.57

-53.33%

Eggs

$2.09 MYR 8.26

$4.08 €3.49

-48.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.57 MYR 53.6

$16.21 €13.85

-16.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.13 MYR 16.30

$12.65 €10.80

-67.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.65 MYR 34.18

$20.13 €17.19

-57.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 MYR 11.39

$2.60 €2.22

10.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 5.88

$2.21 €1.89

-32.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 MYR 10.49

$2.61 €2.23

1.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.76

$3.28 €2.80

-55.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.44

$1.95 €1.66

-42.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 4.91

$1.83 €1.56

-32.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MYR 4.08

$1.55 €1.32

-33.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MYR 2.28

$0.50 €0.43

16.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MYR 16.90

$6.88 €5.87

-37.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.83 MYR 78.3

$6.86 €5.86

189.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 MYR 11.08

$1.80 €1.54

56.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MYR 14.53

$2.53 €2.16

45.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MYR 2.89

$1.94 €1.65

-62.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.87 MYR 46.87

$41.82 €35.71

-71.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 MYR 4.55

$5.71 €4.87

-79.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 MYR 3.02

$1.53 €1.31

-50.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 MYR 19.81

$35.12 €29.99

-85.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 1.95

$2.03 €1.73

-75.86%

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

$40.4K MYR 159.5K

$31.8K €27.2K

26.82%

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

$31.6K MYR 124.7K

$33.3K €28.4K

-5.09%

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

$50.2 MYR 198

$224 €191

-77.58%

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

$10.03 MYR 39.61

$13.50 €11.53

-25.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.69 MYR 105

$30.92 €26.41

-13.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.91 MYR 146

$56.3 €48.07

-34.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.83 MYR 26.97

$25.38 €21.68

-73.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 MYR 18.14

$10.41 €8.89

-55.91%

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

$182 MYR 718

$575 €491

-68.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,885 MYR 27.2K

$10.6K €9,022

-34.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 MYR 235

$89.4 €76.4

-33.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.90 MYR 134

$39.72 €33.92

-14.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 MYR 302

$99.5 €85.0

-23.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.0 MYR 257

$130 €111

-50.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 MYR 1,540

$854 €729

-54.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 MYR 1,078

$651 €556

-58.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 MYR 2,882

$1,478 €1,262

-50.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MYR 1,848

$1,109 €947

-57.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,189 MYR 8,646

$3,926 €3,353

-44.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,195 MYR 4,721

$2,410 €2,058

-50.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$947 MYR 3,739

$1,932 €1,650

-51.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

4.41

-4.76%

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

Last update for Malaysia: April 27, 2026

Last update for Italy: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $366 in Malaysia, $742 in Italy. Capital cities: $563 in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,349 in Rome.

National salary averages: $921 in Malaysia, $1,935 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 103% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 289% more in Italy.

Public transport is 238% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 110% higher 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

Malaysia vs Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,842 per month in Italy and $849 in Malaysia, there's a 117% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Malaysia 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 Italy beats 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 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. Malaysia wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.