Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaysia and Malawi 
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| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Malawi is 11.9% higher than in Malaysia (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Malawi is 2.9% higher than in Malaysia | |
| Rent Prices in Malawi are 37.8% lower than in Malaysia | |
| Restaurant Prices in Malawi are 16.1% higher than in Malaysia | |
| Groceries Prices in Malawi are 18.7% lower than in Malaysia | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Malawi is 67.0% lower than in Malaysia | |
Restaurants | Malaysia Edit |
Malawi Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
15.00 RM (3.40 $) |
21.80 RM (4.95 $) |
+45.3 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
100.00 RM (22.69 $) |
95.30 RM (21.62 $) |
-4.7 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
20.00 RM (4.54 $) |
37.73 RM (8.56 $) |
+88.7 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
15.00 RM (3.40 $) |
5.93 RM (1.35 $) |
-60.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
20.00 RM (4.54 $) |
12.94 RM (2.94 $) |
-35.3 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
11.66 RM (2.65 $) |
12.56 RM (2.85 $) |
+7.7 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
3.26 RM (0.74 $) |
3.76 RM (0.85 $) |
+15.3 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
1.77 RM (0.40 $) |
1.99 RM (0.45 $) |
+12.7 % |
Markets | Malaysia Edit |
Malawi Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
28.90 RM (6.56 $) |
17.20 RM (3.90 $) |
-40.5 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
3.67 RM (0.83 $) |
5.17 RM (1.17 $) |
+40.9 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
2.63 RM (0.60 $) |
3.16 RM (0.72 $) |
+19.9 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
8.71 RM (1.98 $) |
10.18 RM (2.31 $) |
+16.8 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
26.60 RM (6.03 $) |
14.87 RM (3.37 $) |
-44.1 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
7.79 RM (1.77 $) |
6.78 RM (1.54 $) |
-12.9 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
16.06 RM (3.64 $) |
10.77 RM (2.44 $) |
-32.9 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
5.41 RM (1.23 $) |
4.85 RM (1.10 $) |
-10.2 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
2.79 RM (0.63 $) |
3.43 RM (0.78 $) |
+22.6 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
4.99 RM (1.13 $) |
4.45 RM (1.01 $) |
-10.9 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
2.87 RM (0.65 $) |
2.44 RM (0.55 $) |
-15.0 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
2.07 RM (0.47 $) |
2.73 RM (0.62 $) |
+31.6 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
2.33 RM (0.53 $) |
2.71 RM (0.61 $) |
+16.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
4.42 RM (1.00 $) |
1.40 RM (0.32 $) |
-68.4 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
2.40 RM (0.54 $) |
5.04 RM (1.14 $) |
+110.5 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
75.00 RM (17.02 $) |
55.71 RM (12.64 $) |
-25.7 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
11.91 RM (2.70 $) |
4.21 RM (0.95 $) |
-64.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
15.65 RM (3.55 $) |
8.72 RM (1.98 $) |
-44.3 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
18.00 RM (4.08 $) |
10.47 RM (2.37 $) |
-41.8 % |
Transportation | Malaysia Edit |
Malawi Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
3.00 RM (0.68 $) |
4.30 RM (0.98 $) |
+43.5 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
50.00 RM (11.34 $) |
9.52 RM (2.16 $) |
-81.0 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
5.00 RM (1.13 $) |
2.62 RM (0.59 $) |
-47.7 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
6.44 RM (1.46 $) |
17.35 RM (3.94 $) |
+169.5 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
22.00 RM (4.99 $) |
26.95 RM (6.11 $) |
+22.5 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
7.77 RM (1.76 $) |
26.61 RM (6.04 $) |
+242.4 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
165,000.00 RM (37,436.19 $) |
155,167.39 RM (35,205.31 $) |
-6.0 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
132,893.27 RM (30,151.62 $) |
172,408.21 RM (39,117.01 $) |
+29.7 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Malaysia Edit |
Malawi Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
212.59 RM (48.23 $) |
213.96 RM (48.55 $) |
+0.6 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
44.50 RM (10.10 $) |
45.23 RM (10.26 $) |
+1.6 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
113.64 RM (25.78 $) |
316.35 RM (71.78 $) |
+178.4 % |
Sports And Leisure | Malaysia Edit |
Malawi Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
155.15 RM (35.20 $) |
197.27 RM (44.76 $) |
+27.1 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
27.88 RM (6.33 $) |
65.42 RM (14.84 $) |
+134.6 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
20.00 RM (4.54 $) |
17.41 RM (3.95 $) |
-12.9 % |
Childcare | Malaysia Edit |
Malawi Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
758.48 RM (172.09 $) |
1,662.53 RM (377.21 $) |
+119.2 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
29,876.19 RM (6,778.49 $) |
6,486.07 RM (1,471.60 $) |
-78.3 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Malaysia Edit |
Malawi Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
254.21 RM (57.68 $) |
183.79 RM (41.70 $) |
-27.7 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
141.66 RM (32.14 $) |
153.09 RM (34.73 $) |
+8.1 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
320.78 RM (72.78 $) |
258.69 RM (58.69 $) |
-19.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
276.38 RM (62.71 $) |
310.22 RM (70.38 $) |
+12.2 % |
Rent Per Month | Malaysia Edit |
Malawi Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
1,643.61 RM (372.91 $) |
886.63 RM (201.16 $) |
-46.1 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
1,131.55 RM (256.73 $) |
365.32 RM (82.89 $) |
-67.7 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
2,924.43 RM (663.51 $) |
1,956.76 RM (443.96 $) |
-33.1 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
1,942.12 RM (440.64 $) |
1,547.54 RM (351.11 $) |
-20.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Malaysia Edit |
Malawi Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
817.02 RM (185.37 $) |
4,316.53 RM (979.36 $) |
+428.3 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
468.10 RM (106.21 $) |
202.50 RM (45.95 $) |
-56.7 % |
Salaries And Financing | Malaysia Edit |
Malawi Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
4,034.30 RM (915.33 $) |
1,368.53 RM (310.50 $) |
-66.1 % |
| 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: | 528 | 17 |
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