Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pakistan and Malaysia

Name: Malaysia
Address: MY

For one person, living is cheaper in Pakistan: $483 a month against $932 in Malaysia, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Pakistan
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Pakistan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Malaysia
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Malaysia Living Index

Jump to prices

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$932

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pakistan and in Malaysia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $483 in Pakistan versus $932 in Malaysia.

Pakistan $483
Malaysia $932

Estimated couple costs with rent: $736 in Pakistan versus $1,393 in Malaysia.

Pakistan $736
Malaysia $1,393

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $988 in Pakistan versus $1,855 in Malaysia.

Pakistan $988
Malaysia $1,855

Internal cost variation is higher in Malaysia: monthly costs span $531 to $1,288, compared to $291–$607 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in Malaysia.

Living in Pakistan costs about 48% less than in Malaysia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Pakistan 65% lower, Malaysia 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 PKR 583

$3.68 MYR 14.95

-42.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.97 PKR 3,866

$19.24 MYR 78.0

-27.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.50 PKR 1,523

$4.96 MYR 20.10

10.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 PKR 616

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 PKR 1,193

Cappuccino

$1.97 PKR 546

$2.75 MYR 11.17

-28.36%

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

$0.38 PKR 105

$0.80 MYR 3.25

-52.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

$0.39 MYR 1.57

-41.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 MYR 14.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MYR 20.32

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 PKR 240

$1.86 MYR 7.53

-53.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 PKR 165

$1.05 MYR 4.26

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 PKR 335

$1.40 MYR 5.67

-13.57%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 334

$2.10 MYR 8.53

-42.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 PKR 1,500

$13.17 MYR 53.4

-58.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.83 PKR 783

$4.13 MYR 16.77

-31.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.06 PKR 1,400

$8.60 MYR 34.87

-41.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 331

$3.05 MYR 12.37

-60.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 PKR 176

$1.61 MYR 6.55

-60.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$2.66 MYR 10.79

-67.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 149

$1.51 MYR 6.14

-64.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.8

$1.16 MYR 4.72

-71.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 108

$1.24 MYR 5.02

-68.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.37 PKR 104

$1.18 MYR 4.79

-68.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 PKR 113

$0.58 MYR 2.36

-29.31%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.08 PKR 575

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PKR 296

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 PKR 652

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 PKR 593

$4.44 MYR 18.01

-51.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.84 MYR 76.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 MYR 12.14

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 MYR 16.55

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 55.0

$0.74 MYR 3.01

-72.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.01 PKR 2,768

$12.23 MYR 49.60

-18.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 PKR 243

$1.25 MYR 5.05

-29.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 PKR 155

$0.99 MYR 4.02

-43.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 PKR 614

$6.26 MYR 25.41

-64.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 PKR 357

$0.71 MYR 2.88

81.69%

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

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

$45.8K MYR 185.6K

-61.16%

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

$24.3K PKR 6.7M

$35.5K MYR 144.0K

-31.42%

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

$110 PKR 30.5K

$55.3 MYR 224

99.51%

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

$5.41 PKR 1,496

$10.01 MYR 40.62

-45.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.79 PKR 4,369

$27.24 MYR 111

-42.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.50 PKR 5,119

$36.76 MYR 149

-49.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.09 PKR 3,067

$6.92 MYR 28.09

60.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.32 PKR 1,195

$4.94 MYR 20.03

-12.55%

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

$56.4 PKR 15.6K

$208 MYR 843

-72.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,511 PKR 418.2K

$8,229 MYR 33.4K

-81.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.56 PKR 4,859

$61.7 MYR 250

-71.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.58 PKR 6,523

$34.56 MYR 140

-31.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 PKR 21.2K

$77.7 MYR 315

-1.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.08 PKR 9,706

$73.1 MYR 296

-51.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$150 PKR 41.5K

$448 MYR 1,818

-66.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$87.4 PKR 24.2K

$299 MYR 1,213

-70.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 PKR 88.7K

$785 MYR 3,185

-59.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 PKR 52.5K

$497 MYR 2,017

-61.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$970 PKR 268.5K

$2,085 MYR 8,459

-53.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$520 PKR 144.0K

$1,226 MYR 4,975

-57.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$192 PKR 53.2K

$917 MYR 3,721

-79.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.1

4.22

234.12%

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

Last update for Pakistan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Malaysia: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pakistan

$131 27.2%

Malaysia

$93 9.9% 29.6% $39

Groceries & Markets

Pakistan

$94 19.5%

Malaysia

$251 26.9% 167% $157

Accommodation & Living

Pakistan

$87 18.1%

Malaysia

$299 32.1% 242% $212

Clothing & Footwear

Pakistan

$69 14.3%

Malaysia

$111 11.9% 61.5% $42

Eating Out

Pakistan

$59 12.3%

Malaysia

$110 11.8% 85.3% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Pakistan

$27 5.6%

Malaysia

$47 5% 71.8% $19

Getting Around

Pakistan

$14 3%

Malaysia

$21 2.3% 47.7% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $137 in Pakistan, $405 in Malaysia. Capital cities: $261 in Islamabad vs $685 in Kuala Lumpur.

National salary averages: $185 in Pakistan, $904 in Malaysia. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 196% 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

🇵🇰 Pakistan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

🕒 Local time

11:52 11:52 AM

14:52 2:52 PM

3 h ahead of Pakistan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

223,773,700

32,447,385

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4.06 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pakistan Malaysia 4,510 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Pakistan
Malaysia

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

Pakistan vs Malaysia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $932 per month in Malaysia and $483 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 $405 in Malaysia and $137 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.