Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaysia and Pakistan

Name: Pakistan
Address: PK

For one person, living is cheaper in Pakistan: $482 a month against $923 in Malaysia, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Malaysia
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Malaysia Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Pakistan
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Pakistan Living Index

Jump to prices

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$923

/mo nomad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malaysia and in Pakistan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Malaysia and in Pakistan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $923 in Malaysia versus $482 in Pakistan.

Malaysia $923
Pakistan $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Malaysia versus $734 in Pakistan.

Malaysia $1,395
Pakistan $734

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,867 in Malaysia versus $986 in Pakistan.

Malaysia $1,867
Pakistan $986

Internal cost variation is higher in Malaysia: monthly costs span $534 to $1,304, compared to $289–$608 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in Malaysia.

Living in Malaysia is roughly 92% more expensive than in Pakistan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Malaysia 32% lower, Pakistan 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 MYR 14.93

$2.20 PKR 609

66.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.90 MYR 81.1

$14.65 PKR 4,053

35.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 MYR 20.15

$5.51 PKR 1,525

-10.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 PKR 591

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 PKR 1,225

Cappuccino

$2.79 MYR 11.35

$2.06 PKR 570

35.44%

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

$0.82 MYR 3.33

$0.37 PKR 103

121.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.58

$0.23 PKR 63.7

69.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 MYR 15.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MYR 19.97

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.72

$0.83 PKR 229

127.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.24

$0.64 PKR 176

62.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.85

$1.21 PKR 335

18.18%

Eggs

$2.10 MYR 8.57

$1.23 PKR 339

70.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 MYR 54.8

$5.38 PKR 1,488

150.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 MYR 16.49

$2.74 PKR 757

47.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 MYR 34.72

$5.12 PKR 1,416

66.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 MYR 12.18

$1.21 PKR 335

147.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 MYR 6.55

$0.64 PKR 176

151.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 MYR 10.85

$0.85 PKR 234

212.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 MYR 6.40

$0.59 PKR 164

166.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.80

$0.34 PKR 92.7

247.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 MYR 5.27

$0.41 PKR 114

214.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.78

$0.38 PKR 104

207.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.27

$0.38 PKR 105

47.37%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.00 PKR 554

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 PKR 310

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 PKR 629

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MYR 17.79

$2.19 PKR 606

99.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.32 MYR 78.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 MYR 11.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 MYR 16.65

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MYR 2.87

$0.17 PKR 46.67

317.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.36 MYR 50.4

$9.93 PKR 2,747

24.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.92

$0.94 PKR 260

28.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MYR 4.04

$0.56 PKR 155

76.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 MYR 25.24

$2.22 PKR 614

178.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 MYR 2.76

$1.27 PKR 350

-46.46%

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

$46.6K MYR 189.8K

$18.1K PKR 5.0M

157.89%

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

$35.8K MYR 145.8K

$24.4K PKR 6.8M

46.34%

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

$53.8 MYR 219

$108 PKR 29.8K

-50.16%

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

$10.10 MYR 41.16

$5.55 PKR 1,535

81.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.06 MYR 110

$16.33 PKR 4,517

65.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.79 MYR 154

$18.36 PKR 5,078

105.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.99 MYR 28.48

$10.66 PKR 2,950

-34.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.02 MYR 20.45

$4.37 PKR 1,209

14.87%

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

$211 MYR 861

$53.3 PKR 14.8K

296.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K MYR 50.7K

$5,104 PKR 1.4M

143.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 MYR 254

$17.55 PKR 4,854

255.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.45 MYR 140

$22.79 PKR 6,305

51.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 MYR 328

$76.4 PKR 21.1K

5.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 MYR 290

$34.15 PKR 9,447

108.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$456 MYR 1,860

$152 PKR 42.0K

200.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 MYR 1,179

$87.6 PKR 24.2K

230.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$813 MYR 3,311

$327 PKR 90.4K

148.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 MYR 2,046

$185 PKR 51.2K

171.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,073 MYR 8,449

$989 PKR 273.7K

109.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,254 MYR 5,111

$521 PKR 144.1K

140.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$941 MYR 3,835

$190 PKR 52.6K

394.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

14.07

-69.94%

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

Last update for Malaysia: November 2, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Malaysia

$289 31.4%

Pakistan

$88 18.2% 69.7% $202

Groceries & Markets

Malaysia

$251 27.2%

Pakistan

$94 19.4% 62.7% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Malaysia

$112 12.1%

Pakistan

$68 14.1% 39.3% $44

Eating Out

Malaysia

$111 12%

Pakistan

$61 12.7% 44.6% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malaysia

$91 9.9%

Pakistan

$130 26.9% 42.7% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Malaysia

$48 5.2%

Pakistan

$27 5.6% 43.3% $21

Getting Around

Malaysia

$21 2.3%

Pakistan

$14 3% 32.8% $7

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $413 in Malaysia, $136 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $687 in Kuala Lumpur vs $248 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $901 in Malaysia, $184 in Pakistan. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 204% higher in Malaysia.

Dining out costs 54% more in Malaysia.

Public transport is 30% more expensive in Malaysia.

Salaries are about 4.9 times higher in Malaysia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Malaysia.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Malaysia

🇵🇰 Pakistan

🕒 Local time

00:42 12:42 AM

21:42 9:42 PM

3 h behind Malaysia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,447,385

223,773,700

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.23 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.23 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malaysia Pakistan 4,510 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Malaysia
Pakistan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 $923 per month in Malaysia and $482 in Pakistan, Pakistan comes out about 48% cheaper. 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 cheaper in Pakistan: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $413 in Malaysia and $136 in Pakistan. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.