Cost of Living Comparison Between Malawi and Malaysia 
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| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Malaysia is 10.6% lower than in Malawi (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Malaysia is 2.9% lower than in Malawi | |
| Rent Prices in Malaysia are 60.7% higher than in Malawi | |
| Restaurant Prices in Malaysia are 13.9% lower than in Malawi | |
| Groceries Prices in Malaysia are 23.0% higher than in Malawi | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Malaysia is 203.5% higher than in Malawi | |
Restaurants | Malawi Edit |
Malaysia Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
4.95 $ (21.80 RM) |
3.40 $ (15.00 RM) |
-31.2 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
21.62 $ (95.30 RM) |
22.69 $ (100.00 RM) |
+4.9 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
8.56 $ (37.73 RM) |
4.54 $ (20.00 RM) |
-47.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
1.35 $ (5.93 RM) |
3.40 $ (15.00 RM) |
+152.9 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
2.94 $ (12.94 RM) |
4.54 $ (20.00 RM) |
+54.5 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
2.85 $ (12.56 RM) |
2.65 $ (11.66 RM) |
-7.2 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
0.85 $ (3.76 RM) |
0.74 $ (3.26 RM) |
-13.3 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
0.45 $ (1.99 RM) |
0.40 $ (1.77 RM) |
-11.3 % |
Markets | Malawi Edit |
Malaysia Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
3.90 $ (17.20 RM) |
6.56 $ (28.90 RM) |
+68.0 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
1.17 $ (5.17 RM) |
0.83 $ (3.67 RM) |
-29.0 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
0.72 $ (3.16 RM) |
0.60 $ (2.63 RM) |
-16.6 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
2.31 $ (10.18 RM) |
1.98 $ (8.71 RM) |
-14.4 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
3.37 $ (14.87 RM) |
6.03 $ (26.60 RM) |
+78.8 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
1.54 $ (6.78 RM) |
1.77 $ (7.79 RM) |
+14.9 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
2.44 $ (10.77 RM) |
3.64 $ (16.06 RM) |
+49.1 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
1.10 $ (4.85 RM) |
1.23 $ (5.41 RM) |
+11.4 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
0.78 $ (3.43 RM) |
0.63 $ (2.79 RM) |
-18.5 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
1.01 $ (4.45 RM) |
1.13 $ (4.99 RM) |
+12.2 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
0.55 $ (2.44 RM) |
0.65 $ (2.87 RM) |
+17.6 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
0.62 $ (2.73 RM) |
0.47 $ (2.07 RM) |
-24.0 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
0.61 $ (2.71 RM) |
0.53 $ (2.33 RM) |
-14.1 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
0.32 $ (1.40 RM) |
1.00 $ (4.42 RM) |
+216.0 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
1.14 $ (5.04 RM) |
0.54 $ (2.40 RM) |
-52.5 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
12.64 $ (55.71 RM) |
17.02 $ (75.00 RM) |
+34.6 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
0.95 $ (4.21 RM) |
2.70 $ (11.91 RM) |
+183.2 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
1.98 $ (8.72 RM) |
3.55 $ (15.65 RM) |
+79.4 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
2.37 $ (10.47 RM) |
4.08 $ (18.00 RM) |
+72.0 % |
Transportation | Malawi Edit |
Malaysia Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
0.98 $ (4.30 RM) |
0.68 $ (3.00 RM) |
-30.3 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
2.16 $ (9.52 RM) |
11.34 $ (50.00 RM) |
+425.0 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
0.59 $ (2.62 RM) |
1.13 $ (5.00 RM) |
+91.1 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
3.94 $ (17.35 RM) |
1.46 $ (6.44 RM) |
-62.9 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
6.11 $ (26.95 RM) |
4.99 $ (22.00 RM) |
-18.4 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
6.04 $ (26.61 RM) |
1.76 $ (7.77 RM) |
-70.8 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
35,205.31 $ (155,167.39 RM) |
37,436.19 $ (165,000.00 RM) |
+6.3 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
39,117.01 $ (172,408.21 RM) |
30,151.62 $ (132,893.27 RM) |
-22.9 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Malawi Edit |
Malaysia Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
48.55 $ (213.96 RM) |
48.23 $ (212.59 RM) |
-0.6 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
10.26 $ (45.23 RM) |
10.10 $ (44.50 RM) |
-1.6 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
71.78 $ (316.35 RM) |
25.78 $ (113.64 RM) |
-64.1 % |
Sports And Leisure | Malawi Edit |
Malaysia Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
44.76 $ (197.27 RM) |
35.20 $ (155.15 RM) |
-21.3 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
14.84 $ (65.42 RM) |
6.33 $ (27.88 RM) |
-57.4 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
3.95 $ (17.41 RM) |
4.54 $ (20.00 RM) |
+14.9 % |
Childcare | Malawi Edit |
Malaysia Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
377.21 $ (1,662.53 RM) |
172.09 $ (758.48 RM) |
-54.4 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
1,471.60 $ (6,486.07 RM) |
6,778.49 $ (29,876.19 RM) |
+360.6 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Malawi Edit |
Malaysia Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
41.70 $ (183.79 RM) |
57.68 $ (254.21 RM) |
+38.3 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
34.73 $ (153.09 RM) |
32.14 $ (141.66 RM) |
-7.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
58.69 $ (258.69 RM) |
72.78 $ (320.78 RM) |
+24.0 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
70.38 $ (310.22 RM) |
62.71 $ (276.38 RM) |
-10.9 % |
Rent Per Month | Malawi Edit |
Malaysia Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
201.16 $ (886.63 RM) |
372.91 $ (1,643.61 RM) |
+85.4 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
82.89 $ (365.32 RM) |
256.73 $ (1,131.55 RM) |
+209.7 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
443.96 $ (1,956.76 RM) |
663.51 $ (2,924.43 RM) |
+49.5 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
351.11 $ (1,547.54 RM) |
440.64 $ (1,942.12 RM) |
+25.5 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Malawi Edit |
Malaysia Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
979.36 $ (4,316.53 RM) |
185.37 $ (817.02 RM) |
-81.1 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
45.95 $ (202.50 RM) |
106.21 $ (468.10 RM) |
+131.2 % |
Salaries And Financing | Malawi Edit |
Malaysia Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
310.50 $ (1,368.53 RM) |
915.33 $ (4,034.30 RM) |
+194.8 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | ? | 4.17 | |
| Last update: | April 2025 | April 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 17 | 528 |
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