Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaysia and Pakistan Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaysia and Pakistan

Name: Pakistan
Address: PK

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $852 in Malaysia versus $391 in Pakistan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,295 in Malaysia versus $590 in Pakistan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,737 in Malaysia versus $788 in Pakistan.

Living in Malaysia is roughly 118% more expensive than in Pakistan on average.

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

Internal cost variation is higher in Malaysia: monthly costs span $656 to $1,069, compared to $294–$532 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in Malaysia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 MYR 14.05

$1.74 PKR 484

97.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.55 MYR 96.2

$12.15 PKR 3,371

93.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.79 MYR 19.55

$4.31 PKR 1,196

11.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 PKR 479

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 PKR 1,123

Cappuccino

$2.77 MYR 11.31

$1.80 PKR 500

53.89%

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

$0.73 MYR 2.99

$0.34 PKR 94.0

114.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$0.23 PKR 64.1

69.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.63 MYR 14.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 MYR 19.30

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.44

$0.76 PKR 211

139.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 MYR 3.85

$0.55 PKR 151

70.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.69

$1.18 PKR 327

17.80%

Eggs

$2.03 MYR 8.28

$1.16 PKR 321

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.72 MYR 56.0

$5.84 PKR 1,620

134.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 MYR 16.79

$2.91 PKR 806

41.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.41 MYR 34.34

$4.15 PKR 1,151

102.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MYR 11.22

$1.06 PKR 294

159.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.14

$0.61 PKR 170

145.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 MYR 10.84

$0.80 PKR 222

232.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.18

$0.49 PKR 137

208.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 MYR 4.40

$0.39 PKR 107

176.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.87

$0.51 PKR 142

133.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MYR 4.25

$0.38 PKR 107

173.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$0.39 PKR 107

38.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.98 PKR 549

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 PKR 295

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 PKR 559

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MYR 17.37

$1.97 PKR 547

115.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.17 MYR 78.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 MYR 11.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 MYR 14.78

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MYR 2.83

$0.17 PKR 46.85

305.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.71 MYR 47.80

$6.96 PKR 1,932

68.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 MYR 4.78

$0.84 PKR 232

39.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 MYR 3.07

$0.57 PKR 157

31.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MYR 20.33

$1.81 PKR 504

175.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.88

$0.96 PKR 268

-52.08%

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

$40.7K MYR 166.4K

$17.5K PKR 4.8M

133.20%

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

$31.8K MYR 129.9K

$23.6K PKR 6.6M

34.71%

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

$50.8 MYR 207

$110 PKR 30.4K

-53.68%

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

$10.17 MYR 41.53

$4.74 PKR 1,315

114.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.54 MYR 108

$15.16 PKR 4,207

75.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.11 MYR 147

$13.16 PKR 3,654

174.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 MYR 26.96

$8.95 PKR 2,483

-26.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.63 MYR 18.89

$4.12 PKR 1,145

12.38%

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

$183 MYR 746

$39.53 PKR 11.0K

362.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,901 MYR 28.2K

$1,143 PKR 317.2K

503.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 MYR 245

$15.62 PKR 4,335

284.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.80 MYR 134

$23.22 PKR 6,443

41.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MYR 308

$72.4 PKR 20.1K

4.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 MYR 269

$32.81 PKR 9,105

100.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 MYR 1,637

$111 PKR 30.7K

262.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 MYR 1,127

$67.8 PKR 18.8K

307.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 MYR 2,989

$274 PKR 76.1K

167.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$469 MYR 1,916

$163 PKR 45.3K

187.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,004 MYR 8,184

$984 PKR 273.1K

103.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,139 MYR 4,652

$502 PKR 139.2K

127.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 MYR 3,741

$186 PKR 51.7K

391.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

18.97

-77.86%

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

Last update for Malaysia: July 27, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $366 in Malaysia, $78.0 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $579 in Kuala Lumpur vs $197 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $899 in Malaysia, $181 in Pakistan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 369% higher in Malaysia.

Dining out costs 73% more in Malaysia.

Public transport is 86% more expensive in Malaysia.

Salaries are 397% higher in Malaysia, and purchasing power comes out stronger 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 Pakistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $863 per month in Malaysia and $413 in Pakistan, there's a 109% 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 Pakistan: 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 Pakistan across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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