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 $1,720 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,295 in Malaysia versus $2,626 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,737 in Malaysia versus $3,531 in Italy.

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

Malaysia (36% below) and Italy (29% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,191 to $2,443, compared to $656–$1,069 in Malaysia. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 MYR 14.06

$17.16 €14.96

-79.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.55 MYR 96.3

$81.4 €70.9

-71.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.79 MYR 19.56

$11.60 €10.11

-58.71%

Cappuccino

$2.77 MYR 11.32

$1.98 €1.73

39.90%

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

$0.73 MYR 2.99

$3.00 €2.62

-75.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.60

$1.36 €1.18

-71.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.63 MYR 14.85

$5.92 €5.16

-38.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 MYR 19.32

$5.25 €4.58

-9.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.45

$1.70 €1.49

7.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 MYR 3.85

$2.37 €2.07

-60.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.69

$3.03 €2.65

-54.13%

Eggs

$2.03 MYR 8.29

$3.95 €3.44

-48.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.72 MYR 56.1

$16.66 €14.53

-17.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 MYR 16.80

$12.26 €10.68

-66.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.41 MYR 34.37

$20.06 €17.49

-58.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MYR 11.23

$2.55 €2.23

7.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.14

$2.20 €1.92

-31.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 MYR 10.85

$2.75 €2.40

-3.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.19

$3.22 €2.81

-53.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 MYR 4.40

$1.94 €1.69

-44.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.88

$1.82 €1.59

-34.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$1.48 €1.29

-29.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$0.50 €0.43

8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MYR 17.39

$7.13 €6.21

-40.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.17 MYR 78.4

$7.37 €6.43

160.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 MYR 11.93

$1.76 €1.53

65.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 MYR 14.79

$2.53 €2.20

43.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MYR 2.84

$1.99 €1.73

-65.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.71 MYR 47.84

$42.32 €36.90

-72.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 MYR 4.78

$5.67 €4.94

-79.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 MYR 3.07

$1.52 €1.32

-50.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MYR 20.35

$34.94 €30.46

-85.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.88

$2.09 €1.83

-77.99%

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

$40.7K MYR 166.5K

$32.7K €28.5K

24.77%

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

$31.8K MYR 130.0K

$32.9K €28.7K

-3.33%

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

$50.8 MYR 208

$227 €198

-77.60%

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

$10.17 MYR 41.57

$13.58 €11.84

-25.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.54 MYR 108

$31.57 €27.52

-15.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.11 MYR 148

$57.7 €50.3

-37.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 MYR 26.98

$25.23 €22.00

-73.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.63 MYR 18.90

$10.59 €9.24

-56.28%

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

$183 MYR 747

$568 €495

-67.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,901 MYR 28.2K

$10.5K €9,187

-34.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 MYR 245

$90.7 €79.0

-33.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.80 MYR 134

$40.49 €35.30

-18.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MYR 309

$99.8 €87.0

-24.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 MYR 269

$130 €113

-49.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 MYR 1,638

$865 €754

-53.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 MYR 1,128

$672 €586

-58.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 MYR 2,992

$1,523 €1,328

-51.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$469 MYR 1,918

$1,078 €940

-56.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,004 MYR 8,192

$3,767 €3,284

-46.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,139 MYR 4,657

$2,360 €2,058

-51.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 MYR 3,744

$1,949 €1,699

-52.99%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Italy: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $366 in Malaysia, $743 in Italy. Capital cities: $579 in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,334 in Rome.

National salary averages: $899 in Malaysia, $1,912 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 113% 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 $1,817 per month in Italy and $863 in Malaysia, there's a 111% 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 Malaysia: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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: Malaysia wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.