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: $851 in Malaysia versus $1,719 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,296 in Malaysia versus $2,625 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,741 in Malaysia versus $3,531 in Italy.

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

Malaysia (37% below) and Italy (28% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,156 to $2,452, compared to $654–$1,048 in Malaysia. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 MYR 14.54

$17.02 €14.66

-78.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 MYR 94.9

$82.3 €71.0

-71.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.65 MYR 18.85

$11.62 €10.01

-59.98%

Cappuccino

$2.77 MYR 11.22

$1.91 €1.64

45.03%

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

$0.80 MYR 3.24

$3.02 €2.60

-73.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.60

$1.31 €1.13

-70.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 MYR 14.25

$5.81 €5.01

-39.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 MYR 19.35

$5.12 €4.41

-6.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.40

$1.64 €1.42

10.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.12

$2.42 €2.09

-57.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MYR 5.75

$2.92 €2.52

-51.37%

Eggs

$1.99 MYR 8.07

$4.12 €3.55

-51.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.99 MYR 56.7

$16.70 €14.39

-16.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.00 MYR 16.24

$12.60 €10.86

-68.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.35 MYR 33.88

$20.61 €17.76

-59.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 MYR 11.32

$2.48 €2.14

12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.78

$2.15 €1.85

-33.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 MYR 10.48

$2.72 €2.35

-5.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.14

$3.25 €2.80

-53.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 MYR 4.51

$1.94 €1.67

-42.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.86

$1.81 €1.56

-33.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MYR 4.39

$1.48 €1.27

-27.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.17

$0.54 €0.47

-1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MYR 17.30

$6.82 €5.87

-37.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 MYR 79.8

$7.33 €6.32

168.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 MYR 11.69

$1.80 €1.55

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 MYR 14.99

$2.54 €2.19

45.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MYR 2.78

$2.01 €1.73

-66.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.00 MYR 48.68

$41.70 €35.93

-71.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.87

$5.90 €5.09

-79.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$1.52 €1.31

-53.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 MYR 19.96

$34.23 €29.50

-85.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.02

$2.13 €1.83

-76.53%

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

$40.8K MYR 165.6K

$32.8K €28.3K

24.44%

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

$31.4K MYR 127.3K

$33.5K €28.9K

-6.27%

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

$50.9 MYR 207

$226 €194

-77.43%

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

$10.18 MYR 41.28

$13.32 €11.48

-23.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.55 MYR 108

$31.26 €26.94

-15.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.90 MYR 150

$56.9 €49.02

-35.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.69 MYR 27.11

$25.71 €22.15

-73.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 MYR 18.84

$10.35 €8.92

-55.07%

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

$183 MYR 744

$579 €499

-68.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,890 MYR 27.9K

$10.5K €9,076

-34.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.4 MYR 249

$90.2 €77.7

-31.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.57 MYR 136

$40.79 €35.15

-17.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 MYR 304

$98.7 €85.1

-24.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.2 MYR 264

$133 €115

-51.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 MYR 1,580

$853 €735

-54.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 MYR 1,089

$667 €575

-59.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 MYR 2,917

$1,517 €1,307

-52.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 MYR 1,891

$1,083 €933

-56.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 MYR 7,832

$3,767 €3,245

-48.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,122 MYR 4,550

$2,403 €2,071

-53.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$925 MYR 3,752

$1,986 €1,711

-53.39%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Italy: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $365 in Malaysia, $742 in Italy. Capital cities: $579 in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,368 in Rome.

National salary averages: $936 in Malaysia, $1,931 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 106% 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 $1,804 per month in Italy and $851 in Malaysia, there's a 112% 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.