While living in Thailand on a retirement visa I went to Malaysia several times. IMO, Malaysia is a much better country to stay in. I thought the people were much more helpful, friendly and spoke way better English. The Indian food is crazy good and the Indian people are really friendly too (sometimes hard to understand). The public transportation in KL was great. A good hub for traveling around Asia. Super cheap flights out of KL. The hiking in the jungle around Kuantan was spectacular. Once opened back up I am going to seriously look into the MM2H and make that my retirement home. Time for a change.
We just returned from MY. The requirements for the MM2H visa have changed significantly. So much so, it knocks us out of contention for retiring there. But, you're right, English is widely spoken and very nice people.
So glad you had such a super positive time here. I'm an American who has lived here with my Malaysian husband and kids for almost 30 years your numbers are really accurate.
Being married to a Malaysian Chinese for the past 40 years we have returned to Malaysia to visit family at least 15 times. We bought a 3 bed condo in Malacca (off plan) in 2004 as one day our intention was to retire there. The time has now arrived and at the end of this year our dream will become reality. Thank you for the update on prices. I am pretty confident our combined pensions will give us a decent lifestyle as we have no rent or mortgage to worry about. Obviously if we travel outside Malacca then we will need to pay hotel bills or rent. For those who have never been to Malaysia please visit. You will not regret it.
I am in Petaling Jaya, Selangor and live comfortably around 1000USD/month. I use public transport here too which is super cheap. If I own a regular car, that probably adding another 300/400USD per month. But the trains/taxis/free buses here are good though.
Good mention, free bus ride. There is KL Go Bus that operates in Kuala Lumpur city centre and Petaling Jaya has their state buses PJ City Bus. Hardly can find free bus services in other countries.
Agree with you on the lifestyle as it will definitely determine the spending. Aki from Japan (a Japanese RUclipsr who currently lives in Malaysia) talks about his Japanese culture where people would spend a lot for the latest seasonal clothing like for winter or summer, and he cut all his clothing cost since there is no clothing culture in Malaysia, or seasons, everyone can wear whatever they are comfortable with and no one will say anything. A bit of an eye opener for Malaysian like me with just one season throughout the year, hot with crazy thunderstorm 🤭
Your series of Malaysia videos has been very helpful and I agree with your observations. I hope to apply for the MM2H visa (via Alter Domus!) when the program resumes.
The mm2h program will not resume for at least 2 years in advance due to covid-19 and govt things..alter domus is a good company mainly in penang state..also the cheap one..
@@munchydealova Actually the influx of people from China taking advantage of the MM2H to reside long term and the social impact, was probably the main reason the MM2H was withdrawn and not the Covid per se.
Cameron highland really great for calm wheater & relax life. The nearer city is Ipoh. One of great city with all world class facilities.. or may just stay in Ipoh for those who prefer & love city life 👍❣🇲🇾
I could say that you have a very good budget, thrifty indeed. Especially on food, street food is very cheap compare to restaurants. Even foreign workers says so. Most of the essential products are subsidised by the government, eg. petrol, cooking oil, flour, etc. Our neighbours from Thailand and Singapore are taking advantage of Malaysia.
come n visit Kota kinabalu sabah in east malaysia,feel free to explore the nature,rainforest,beaches,mountain,we also have good weather similar like cameroon highland here in kundasang near to mt kinabalu,seafood and multi diverse ethnicity.
Another great video from your RUclips channel. Glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay in Malaysia. You don't need to tip when you dine out in Malaysia. Some places do add charges in the sales and service tax.
Thanks Erin. When I was trying to monetize the channel there were some issues with those videos being flagged for copyright issues, so I had to take them down. Sorry. Most of the content from those videos is on our website, snailtravelers.com
Malaysia is the best country to live in imo cus natural disaster rarely occured.and our country is develop as most of western country too..food are good and many selection to choose from..i never imagine myself living outside of malaysia tbh
You know what.....not you only the outsider make a video about Malaysia i saw so many in youtube such as from Britain, USA, Holland and other european country.....and most of you guys quite famous and have a lots follower in utube channel.....anyway thanks on your effort present Malaysia to other country.....we as Malaysian appreciate it....thank you again
There are medium term rentals too if you check with your property agents. Those between 3-9 months. They're typically 20-30% more expensive than long term (1 year and above) leases but still cheaper than Airbnb which ranges from 50-100% more than long term leases. Useful if you can commit to at least 3 months but I understand the whole lease has to be paid upfront plus another half months of security deposit. For those 6-9 month leases you can just do a 1+1 month upfront. I've been leasing my place out on such contracts to foreign university students that come and complete their masters/PhD which only requires them less than 3 months to complete. Too bad covid has dampened the student arrivals so my place has been empty for more than a year. You guys can certainly check this option out the next time you are coming to Malaysia. Just get an Airbnb for a couple of weeks and start hunting for the apartments. You just have to go on the iproperty website and ask the agent if the owners are willing to accept a lease of less than 1 year. Some places have been empty for some time so owners would be more willing to come to an agreement.
As a local single person i spend roughly RM1200 per month(no rental of course). 1400 USD for 2 persons is considered luxurious lifestyle for me but you are a foreigner who went to different places to experience the outdoors so it can add up while travelling. Renting a smaller apartment(longer lease) eg a 2 room apartment can reduce the expenses on rent.
Thank you for your detailed information. I’m thinking of long stay in different countries later when me and my husband retire. We live in Los Angeles now and we’re Chinese Americans. It’ll be very easy for us to live in Malaysia because we can speak Chinese and English. We have been to Malacca, KL, Cameron Highland , Pangkor Island. We love the food there. The cost of living is so much lower in Malaysia compares to LA. Can’t wait to visit there again.
thanks both of you..you are honest. look at PARALLEL SPACE youtuber.. the Chinese always condemn Malaysia but Malaysia is still there.. still growing.. still developing
Put it this way....a clerk pay is about USD700 a month. You can easily live on USD1000 a month. Use grab car often so as to cut down cost. Medical cost is fairly affordable. For a couple ....USD2000 per month for 2 is super nice. Enjoy. By the way, petaling Jaya is more authentic and nicer than the expat area of bangsar.
I'm Malaysian living in Vermont. Thanks for uploading the video. You. Right sir. Medical is cheap in Malaysia. Meanwhile in U.S blue cross blue shield i pay almost $400 month.
This is nice. I really liked this video. The cost is pretty cheap. But Malaysia is good no matter what. Thank you for sharing your experience in Malaysia! :)
You should try to stay in kampung area or small town like a Kangar Perlis.. Easy come and easy go.. No traffic jem and no more polution at all.. Near to Langkawi Islands and border Padang Besar Perlis Malaysia and Padang Besar Thailand
Sir, you may try living in Johor, the air here is fresh, cost of living is lower than Penang & KL, traffic and transportation is way better, no worries about food, close to Singapore and the locals here are very friendly😊
I'm surprised how well you managed your expenses.. while i was a student there i used spend 700usd on average for one person.. but i used to have a car that takes up to 150usd monthly.. i used to try to learn from locals how to spend less and save more.. but the best i could go with was 500usd per month. Note: i stayed there 4 years from 2015 to 2019
@@feijong1180 Hi Fei, i must have made a mistake not clarifying enough. Sorry hehe .. the car was actually mine.. 150$ was the gas money as i was traveling nearly everyday from puchong to cyberjaya. However if you're planning to stay longer than 6 months i highly recommend bying a cheap car.. i bought (gen2 2005) in 2015 for about 3000usd then resell for 4 years later for 1500usd.. so in 4 years i spent around 40usd monthly rental..
For tourist, they will think the cost of living in malaysia low but for malaysian itself actually cost of living quite high due to salary in malaysia for normal worker and mostly malysian average between RM1000 (USD241) - RM2000 (USD482)
Hi....i am from Sarawak....maybe you can consider stay at Sarawak. If you afraid hot weather....you can switch on aircond because for first 200kwh is 18 Msia cent there after only 30 cent. Food also cheap.
I'm a Malaysian, living in the Czech Republic. I'd say that even Malaysia is not a developed country (compared to EU countries), most people are apparently happier and way friendlier in Malaysia. I could be bias though since I am a foreigner in this soil. With universal healthcare and cheap food, Malaysia is forever home. I hope me and my husband will be able to settle down for good there.
I am from czech republic, actually living in india and we are trying to find job with my husband in malaysia:) i hope you enjoy czech as much as we would hopefully enjoy malaysian one if we will be lucky to get job there;)
@@akidahyusak834 I understand. Europe is fancy, developped… but even as europeins, we felt in love with asian vibec… ppl more friendly, less stress, i know ppl in czech are atheist and not so tolerant to all religions… i guess its fear from unknown. I am atheist with many hindu, muslim, christian friends… thats why we dont wanna go back to our country but still stay in Asia. this lifestyle somehow touched our lifes❤️
Ryan and Emily, you folks are amazing. Thanks for another wonderful video. One question: How do you manage your prescription medicines in Malaysia? Can you use your American prescriptions to buy drugs in local pharmacies?
I'm not sure about using American prescriptions in Malaysia, but it was super easy to get a prescription from a doctor in Malaysia. The pharmacies were well stocked and had good prices by US standards. Some medicines that require a prescription in the US may not require one in Malaysia.
I think u should consider living in malacca (Melaka). The city is just same like penang but cheaper than penang, ipoh, cameron highland or kuala lumpur. Malacca is a historical city and u can find alot of nice place there include a portugese settelement.
Thank you for the details of the living costs in Malaysia. I've been doing some study about living abroad, especially in Asia. It's interesting that some countries like Malaysia or Thailand don't quite have many expats but personally I think the life in these countries are more peaceful than the country like Vietnam, and also a lot more clean.
Great video and thanks for sharing all the information. I'm a Malaysian, and I often wonder how people can afford to go and travel for long periods of times in other countries. Do you get long periods of leave form your jobs? Do you need to really plan and save a lot of cash for the travels? ... I've always wanted to ask such questions... and after seeing this vid I figured, what the heck :P Anywayz, i enjoyed this vid and hope you will continue to have wonderful experiences in Malaysia :)
Sorry for the delayed response to your question. We saved our money and lived very frugally for many years so that we could one day travel. Since I am a math teacher and my wife is a nurse, it will be easy for us to get a job again.
Ryan and Emily, wishing you good health and lots travels in future!!! We're retirees, worked hard many years, frugal spending, now time for seeing the world!!! TQ lovely videos!!
I like your video, thanks but so unfortunate you did not have the opprtunity to visit Sabah, only 2 hrs 30 minutes fly from Kuala LUmpur. Here you will find the best of everything if you love nature.
Gloryland of eternity would love to have such simple, peace loving and environmental friendly people like you ! Is the only place we can truly call Home ! Heavenly on the renew earth ! ! !.
Most retirees cannot afford to put a huge amount into a bank account in any country, We live on MONTHLY income. All of our income must be spent on housing and food. Malaysia needs to drop the requirements of invest large sums of money in a bank account, which you cannot touch. This is currently a problem in Thailand, as well.
@@GUITARTIME2024 Pathetic snobby attitude, especially since we "low income" people make more than the average Malaysian. Maybe they should throw their own people out.
I visited Malaysia a couple of years ago. My grandparents lived there when it was Malaya so I was always interested in going there. I fell in love with it, especially with Georgetown and I didn’t want to leave. It’s a beautiful country and the Malaysians are wonderful friendly people. I would love to spend a few months or year there and truly explore but I don’t think I would get a visa for that long. Out of interest, how are you living there visa wise?
Normally we would have only been allowed to stay in Malaysia for 3 months on a tourist pass, but due to covid the immigration allowed us to stay for a year. Thanks for watching!
I am from the UK. On arrival in Malaysia immigration stamps a 90 day social visit pass in the passport. On the 88th day I take the overnight train from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok. Before I leave Malaysia I arrange a a 90 day visa from the Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. On the 88th day in Thailand I catch a flight (air Asia) from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur International. As I am entering via the main airport I receive another 90 day social visit pass. This now totals 9 months in Asia. Near the expiry of the second 90 day visa I fly from Kuala Lumpur to Manila, Philippines and stay on Boracay Island and in Cebu for a period of 3 months. I repeat this process time and again. DO NOT attempt to enter Malaysia more than twice in a calendar year as in all likelihood you will not be allowed in.
Great video. Just minor correction here 2:30 You mentioned that getting help by an agent to find an apartment would cost you one month rent, actually this one month rent is borne by the landlord not the tenant. Tenants only need to pay the agreement fee which is around RM250 or $60
@@Kenzzes99 yes, most of the Penang RENs are not following the rules and standards set by the Malaysian Board of Valuers, Estate Agents, Appraisers and Property Managers (BOVEAP)...
@@addienorazlie2910 what a shocking statement to make disregarding all Penang property agents without actually looking it up. Fees are based upon agreed drafted contract. Unless the agent did not notify you beforehand and made you sign before letting you know you have to pay. Besides a lot of agents now collect half a month from the tenant and half a month from the landlord which is fair. Shame on you for making such a statement without fact checking. Other places like selangor charging landlord 2 months in fees for a 2 year contract while it’s good for the tenant to not pay anything but doesn’t seem fair to the landlord but it’s their “standard” I don’t criticise like you.
good choice on medical insurance coverage. please do update us when you plan to visit malaysia again. great video information sharing. by the way, do you mind to share me about the batik drawing class? even i am malay,but i rarely to participate in such activity. thanks ya
I love your series of Malaysia EXPAT retirement videos. As you mentioned about a short-term rental - AirBnB, would you be kind to provide a recommended list of Airbnb in Penang that you liked? currently, I am looking for a safe and nice place to stay for one/two months? Thank you in advance.
Really enjoyed your videos, and ended up subscribed your channel. Can you tell me: Malaysia have duel pricings like in Thailand? Thailand charges more for foreigners and less for Thai citizen...Keep them coming!
Thanks. You spent 5 months in Batu Ferringhi, that’s a long time for such a small town. Any detailed videos on that place? I’m asking as I’m about to move there!
We actually stayed at Miami neighborhood, just east of Batu Ferringi. I don't have a specific video about Batu Ferringi, but we enjoyed that town and I think you will love living there!
There's no such thing as a perfect city in this world. Every city in this world has its own uniqueness. It is just the matter of much we appreciate and comfortable with the uniquness. Plus, how much we can tolerate with the things that we are not comfortable with. If the scores for these two is high enough for us, for sure we can stay in the city for as long as we wanted.
hi guys. love your videos ,very informative. we are retired canadian couple and would love to travel to malaysia. i'm just curious if we need or necessary to vaccinate such hep a, b, tetnus ,typhoid or take malaria pills before traveling to malaysia. thank you
Good video. I'm from Georgia, currently working at a university in China. In August I will activate my SS and move to ,hopefully , Malaysia. Please recommend a visa agent , also is it true you can get the Sarawak My Second Home Program and live in Penang ?
Hi I really enjoyed your video very useful. I have question my wedding is after 2 weeks and me and my fiance are planning to go to Malaysia. I'm concern about the COVID- restrictions should we go now.!?
Malaysia is going into the 3rd full nation wide lockdown starting today 12th May till 7th June. Travel restriction to only inside districts. There's no telling if this will resume after June or not. It's a sad and gloomy news for Muslims in Malaysia as tomorrow is the first day of Eid, no family visitation due to travel restrictions 😭 Been 2 years now with no Eid celebration. You see, without covid, Eid in Malaysia is celebrated for the full whole month of Syawal, with open houses and lots of foods, and any tourist have a good chance of being invited to the open houses by the Malaysian Muslims. And this one whole month of Eid celebration is unique to Malaysia. Now, covid kills it 😭
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I have plan also to go there for a year. but I have one question: I am not sure if you were also working there? If no, which kind of Visa allow you to stay 1 year in Malaysia?
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Ahh we miss Malaysian food!
hahaha.....
Come back soon ok😃
I'm Malaysian and I agree that Malaysian food is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo yummy
All types food bcoz multicultural country.
Great and accurate content. I've been working and living in Malaysia for more than 10 years. So far so good and happy.
While living in Thailand on a retirement visa I went to Malaysia several times. IMO, Malaysia is a much better country to stay in. I thought the people were much more helpful, friendly and spoke way better English. The Indian food is crazy good and the Indian people are really friendly too (sometimes hard to understand). The public transportation in KL was great. A good hub for traveling around Asia. Super cheap flights out of KL. The hiking in the jungle around Kuantan was spectacular. Once opened back up I am going to seriously look into the MM2H and make that my retirement home. Time for a change.
Language wise.. Most understand and can respond in English compared to Thais
We just returned from MY. The requirements for the MM2H visa have changed significantly. So much so, it knocks us out of contention for retiring there. But, you're right, English is widely spoken and very nice people.
So glad you had such a super positive time here. I'm an American who has lived here with my Malaysian husband and kids for almost 30 years your numbers are really accurate.
Arent you a local malaysian indian? 😂
Haha ikram. He is an American 🇺🇸
What? You guys are confusing me. 😂
Being married to a Malaysian Chinese for the past 40 years we have returned to Malaysia to visit family at least 15 times. We bought a 3 bed condo in Malacca (off plan) in 2004 as one day our intention was to retire there. The time has now arrived and at the end of this year our dream will become reality. Thank you for the update on prices. I am pretty confident our combined pensions will give us a decent lifestyle as we have no rent or mortgage to worry about. Obviously if we travel outside Malacca then we will need to pay hotel bills or rent. For those who have never been to Malaysia please visit. You will not regret it.
I am in Petaling Jaya, Selangor and live comfortably around 1000USD/month. I use public transport here too which is super cheap. If I own a regular car, that probably adding another 300/400USD per month. But the trains/taxis/free buses here are good though.
Good mention, free bus ride. There is KL Go Bus that operates in Kuala Lumpur city centre and Petaling Jaya has their state buses PJ City Bus. Hardly can find free bus services in other countries.
Grabcar services good enough 👍
@@kayellai5278 Still remember my old home in KL oh and i miss K L C C
You can live in Sydney with that amount! Well, a one bedroom anyhow
@Gold Shine woww
As a Malaysian, it's very interesting to see how an expat would live in Malaysia. Glad you love it here so much.
thanks for being in Malaysia. Hope you will be back again after Covid.
Agree with you on the lifestyle as it will definitely determine the spending. Aki from Japan (a Japanese RUclipsr who currently lives in Malaysia) talks about his Japanese culture where people would spend a lot for the latest seasonal clothing like for winter or summer, and he cut all his clothing cost since there is no clothing culture in Malaysia, or seasons, everyone can wear whatever they are comfortable with and no one will say anything. A bit of an eye opener for Malaysian like me with just one season throughout the year, hot with crazy thunderstorm 🤭
Your series of Malaysia videos has been very helpful and I agree with your observations. I hope to apply for the MM2H visa (via Alter Domus!) when the program resumes.
Thank you!
The mm2h program will not resume for at least 2 years in advance due to covid-19 and govt things..alter domus is a good company mainly in penang state..also the cheap one..
@@munchydealova Actually the influx of people from China taking advantage of the MM2H to reside long term and the social impact, was probably the main reason the MM2H was withdrawn and not the Covid per se.
I've been considering Malaysia for awhile, thanks for the info, you make the place much more attractive.
Cameron highland really great for calm wheater & relax life. The nearer city is Ipoh. One of great city with all world class facilities.. or may just stay in Ipoh for those who prefer & love city life 👍❣🇲🇾
Malaysia Boleh! Stay safe sir....
I backpacked Malaysia. I loved Penang and Langkawi! I plan on going back soon!
I could say that you have a very good budget, thrifty indeed. Especially on food, street food is very cheap compare to restaurants. Even foreign workers says so.
Most of the essential products are subsidised by the government, eg. petrol, cooking oil, flour, etc. Our neighbours from Thailand and Singapore are taking advantage of Malaysia.
Just a note. Some Americans especially cant handle spicy food though. Also, some ingredients might be too much to handle.. Stomach upsets
@@mieaab They have to start taking some Mexican food daily for the assimilation process. Americans do love Mexican food.
I spent au$800/month for a college accommodation room in Australia..that is enough for a condo in KL
Hello from kota kinabalu sabah Malaysia..hope one day you can come to sabah and you can enjoy the beautiful islands here..😊👍❤🇲🇾
Loved Sabah, Kota Belud was beautiful and everyone so kind and helpful to me...
You should check out Malacca state if you have a chance as city similar to Georgetown but at lower cost .
Not quite can compare when all are put side by side.
come n visit Kota kinabalu sabah in east malaysia,feel free to explore the nature,rainforest,beaches,mountain,we also have good weather similar like cameroon highland here in kundasang near to mt kinabalu,seafood and multi diverse ethnicity.
Very nice Video, Snail Travelers. Thanks for share the cost to living in Malaysia. Have a nice trip. (Greeting from Jakarta).
Happy u like Malaysia a lot...malaysian here
Another great video from your RUclips channel. Glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay in Malaysia. You don't need to tip when you dine out in Malaysia. Some places do add charges in the sales and service tax.
Great summary. I appreciate the maps and clarity of information. I hope your videos on South America videos are available again soon.
Thanks Erin. When I was trying to monetize the channel there were some issues with those videos being flagged for copyright issues, so I had to take them down. Sorry. Most of the content from those videos is on our website, snailtravelers.com
Malaysia is the best country to live in imo cus natural disaster rarely occured.and our country is develop as most of western country too..food are good and many selection to choose from..i never imagine myself living outside of malaysia tbh
You know what.....not you only the outsider make a video about Malaysia i saw so many in youtube such as from Britain, USA, Holland and other european country.....and most of you guys quite famous and have a lots follower in utube channel.....anyway thanks on your effort present Malaysia to other country.....we as Malaysian appreciate it....thank you again
Finally, I found very informative video on cost of living in Malaysia, thanks !
The conversion saved you both. You are a lucky lot.
Good to know about the prices for the longer term rentals compared to AirBnb
There are medium term rentals too if you check with your property agents. Those between 3-9 months. They're typically 20-30% more expensive than long term (1 year and above) leases but still cheaper than Airbnb which ranges from 50-100% more than long term leases.
Useful if you can commit to at least 3 months but I understand the whole lease has to be paid upfront plus another half months of security deposit. For those 6-9 month leases you can just do a 1+1 month upfront. I've been leasing my place out on such contracts to foreign university students that come and complete their masters/PhD which only requires them less than 3 months to complete. Too bad covid has dampened the student arrivals so my place has been empty for more than a year.
You guys can certainly check this option out the next time you are coming to Malaysia. Just get an Airbnb for a couple of weeks and start hunting for the apartments. You just have to go on the iproperty website and ask the agent if the owners are willing to accept a lease of less than 1 year. Some places have been empty for some time so owners would be more willing to come to an agreement.
As a local single person i spend roughly RM1200 per month(no rental of course). 1400 USD for 2 persons is considered luxurious lifestyle for me but you are a foreigner who went to different places to experience the outdoors so it can add up while travelling. Renting a smaller apartment(longer lease) eg a 2 room apartment can reduce the expenses on rent.
Thank you for your detailed information. I’m thinking of long stay in different countries later when me and my husband retire. We live in Los Angeles now and we’re Chinese Americans. It’ll be very easy for us to live in Malaysia because we can speak Chinese and English. We have been to Malacca, KL, Cameron Highland , Pangkor Island. We love the food there. The cost of living is so much lower in Malaysia compares to LA. Can’t wait to visit there again.
thanks both of you..you are honest. look at PARALLEL SPACE youtuber.. the Chinese always condemn Malaysia but Malaysia is still there.. still growing.. still developing
Thanks for spend your time living in malaysia. Such a beautiful couple. Come and visit east Malaysia next time. Hope u and your wife stay safe.
Come and spend sometime in Kuching, Sarawak. We are 20 years in development behind West Malaysia and it is a whole new world :)
Must visit Taman Negara, Mulu Park World Heritage and Kinabalu Park World Heritage.
Amazing place to retire Malaysia!
Thanks for insightful details. Really hope to see both of you back in Malaysia soon!
Our car gas price is rm2.05/litre for RON95, rm2.60/litre for RON97 and rm2.15/litre for diesel
All our neighbours smuggle our petrol out. A deficit to Malaysia.
@@kayellai5278 even some unresponsible Malaysian smuggle them too. what a betrayer.
@@dreamcatcheritsme4712 Those traitors, they'll sell their mother for fast cash!
Put it this way....a clerk pay is about USD700 a month.
You can easily live on USD1000 a month.
Use grab car often so as to cut down cost.
Medical cost is fairly affordable.
For a couple ....USD2000 per month for 2 is super nice.
Enjoy.
By the way, petaling Jaya is more authentic and nicer than the expat area of bangsar.
Great video. I am thinking of going to Malaysia from California in a year or 2. Happy Travel
I'm Malaysian living in Vermont. Thanks for uploading the video. You. Right sir. Medical is cheap in Malaysia. Meanwhile in U.S blue cross blue shield i pay almost $400 month.
This is nice. I really liked this video. The cost is pretty cheap. But Malaysia is good no matter what. Thank you for sharing your experience in Malaysia! :)
I dont know how, but i calculate the half of this price per month for cameroon highlands haha
Hi Ryan & Emily, thanks for that load of useful information. It looked a disciplined way of spending. Wish we were so disciplined 😊
Thanks for this wonderful video.
We in Malaysia today welcome Eid, second time in pandemic. 😁🇲🇾😷
You should try to stay in kampung area or small town like a Kangar Perlis.. Easy come and easy go.. No traffic jem and no more polution at all.. Near to Langkawi Islands and border Padang Besar Perlis Malaysia and Padang Besar Thailand
Sir, you may try living in Johor, the air here is fresh, cost of living is lower than Penang & KL, traffic and transportation is way better, no worries about food, close to Singapore and the locals here are very friendly😊
What are the negatives?
I'm surprised how well you managed your expenses.. while i was a student there i used spend 700usd on average for one person.. but i used to have a car that takes up to 150usd monthly.. i used to try to learn from locals how to spend less and save more.. but the best i could go with was 500usd per month. Note: i stayed there 4 years from 2015 to 2019
Hi Anwar, can you please share the link if the car was rented? we are currently paying about USD 400 a month for renting a myvy. Thank you.
@@feijong1180 Hi Fei, i must have made a mistake not clarifying enough. Sorry hehe .. the car was actually mine.. 150$ was the gas money as i was traveling nearly everyday from puchong to cyberjaya. However if you're planning to stay longer than 6 months i highly recommend bying a cheap car.. i bought (gen2 2005) in 2015 for about 3000usd then resell for 4 years later for 1500usd.. so in 4 years i spent around 40usd monthly rental..
For tourist, they will think the cost of living in malaysia low but for malaysian itself actually cost of living quite high due to salary in malaysia for normal worker and mostly malysian average between RM1000 (USD241) - RM2000 (USD482)
Sadly... True
Nice and useful info..thank so much for sharing
Hi....i am from Sarawak....maybe you can consider stay at Sarawak. If you afraid hot weather....you can switch on aircond because for first 200kwh is 18 Msia cent there after only 30 cent. Food also cheap.
East Malaysia cities: Kuching, Miri, Kota Kinabalu.
Very enjoyable video. Helpful too!
I'm a Malaysian, living in the Czech Republic. I'd say that even Malaysia is not a developed country (compared to EU countries), most people are apparently happier and way friendlier in Malaysia. I could be bias though since I am a foreigner in this soil. With universal healthcare and cheap food, Malaysia is forever home. I hope me and my husband will be able to settle down for good there.
I am from czech republic, actually living in india and we are trying to find job with my husband in malaysia:) i hope you enjoy czech as much as we would hopefully enjoy malaysian one if we will be lucky to get job there;)
@@veronikaslosingweightjourn406 I definitely do not enjoy Czechia 😮💨. But, this is home for now and I'm grateful for everything. 🫰🫰💪💪
@@akidahyusak834 I understand. Europe is fancy, developped… but even as europeins, we felt in love with asian vibec… ppl more friendly, less stress, i know ppl in czech are atheist and not so tolerant to all religions… i guess its fear from unknown. I am atheist with many hindu, muslim, christian friends… thats why we dont wanna go back to our country but still stay in Asia. this lifestyle somehow touched our lifes❤️
Wow!So true of your sharing,M’sia’s a reasonable price country for foreigners to live-in,can try MM2H once this pandemic’s over🙏🏻God bless
Ryan and Emily, you folks are amazing. Thanks for another wonderful video. One question: How do you manage your prescription medicines in Malaysia? Can you use your American prescriptions to buy drugs in local pharmacies?
I'm not sure about using American prescriptions in Malaysia, but it was super easy to get a prescription from a doctor in Malaysia. The pharmacies were well stocked and had good prices by US standards. Some medicines that require a prescription in the US may not require one in Malaysia.
I think u should consider living in malacca (Melaka). The city is just same like penang but cheaper than penang, ipoh, cameron highland or kuala lumpur. Malacca is a historical city and u can find alot of nice place there include a portugese settelement.
Thank you for the details of the living costs in Malaysia. I've been doing some study about living abroad, especially in Asia. It's interesting that some countries like Malaysia or Thailand don't quite have many expats but personally I think the life in these countries are more peaceful than the country like Vietnam, and also a lot more clean.
Very good deal , halved US expenses with a 1year holiday thrown in !
Very informative video. Thanks for sharing.
I'm greatly thanks for this video
Great video and thanks for sharing all the information. I'm a Malaysian, and I often wonder how people can afford to go and travel for long periods of times in other countries. Do you get long periods of leave form your jobs? Do you need to really plan and save a lot of cash for the travels? ... I've always wanted to ask such questions... and after seeing this vid I figured, what the heck :P Anywayz, i enjoyed this vid and hope you will continue to have wonderful experiences in Malaysia :)
Sorry for the delayed response to your question. We saved our money and lived very frugally for many years so that we could one day travel. Since I am a math teacher and my wife is a nurse, it will be easy for us to get a job again.
Ryan and Emily, wishing you good health and lots travels in future!!! We're retirees, worked hard many years, frugal spending, now time for seeing the world!!! TQ lovely videos!!
Hope u will try more Malaysian food for your bfast, lunch n dinner whn u come back next time... See u again.
Next Visit - East Malaysia in Borneo ( Sabah & Sarawak)
I like your video, thanks but so unfortunate you did not have the opprtunity to visit Sabah, only 2 hrs 30 minutes fly from Kuala LUmpur. Here you will find the best of everything if you love nature.
Myself and wife and 3 kids under 15, cost of food is about $1600 CDN per month in Canada.
Gloryland of eternity would love to have such simple, peace loving and environmental friendly people like you ! Is the only place we can truly call Home ! Heavenly on the renew earth ! ! !.
sunny🌞 Friday 🥂and have a nice day, seaside 🌊 greetings from Gąski. Sail to our port in your free time 💙
thank you for very informative video
Most retirees cannot afford to put a huge amount into a bank account in any country, We live on MONTHLY income. All of our income must be spent on housing and food. Malaysia needs to drop the requirements of invest large sums of money in a bank account, which you cannot touch. This is currently a problem in Thailand, as well.
No offense, but thet want to keep the low income people out. Lol. Plus, the Sarawak visa is a great option.
@@GUITARTIME2024 Pathetic snobby attitude, especially since we "low income" people make more than the average Malaysian. Maybe they should throw their own people out.
I visited Malaysia a couple of years ago. My grandparents lived there when it was Malaya so I was always interested in going there. I fell in love with it, especially with Georgetown and I didn’t want to leave. It’s a beautiful country and the Malaysians are wonderful friendly people. I would love to spend a few months or year there and truly explore but I don’t think I would get a visa for that long. Out of interest, how are you living there visa wise?
Normally we would have only been allowed to stay in Malaysia for 3 months on a tourist pass, but due to covid the immigration allowed us to stay for a year. Thanks for watching!
@@snailtravelers I see. That was a stroke of luck. Some good did come out of the pandemic.
I am from the UK. On arrival in Malaysia immigration stamps a 90 day social visit pass in the passport. On the 88th day I take the overnight train from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok. Before I leave Malaysia I arrange a a 90 day visa from the Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. On the 88th day in Thailand I catch a flight (air Asia) from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur International. As I am entering via the main airport I receive another 90 day social visit pass. This now totals 9 months in Asia. Near the expiry of the second 90 day visa I fly from Kuala Lumpur to Manila, Philippines and stay on Boracay Island and in Cebu for a period of 3 months. I repeat this process time and again. DO NOT attempt to enter Malaysia more than twice in a calendar year as in all likelihood you will not be allowed in.
Great video.
Just minor correction here 2:30
You mentioned that getting help by an agent to find an apartment would cost you one month rent, actually this one month rent is borne by the landlord not the tenant. Tenants only need to pay the agreement fee which is around RM250 or $60
Superb Malaysia numero uno
Guys, m a real estate agent, the 1 month rent professional fee is borne by the landlord not the tenant 😊
That's how it works in KL, not in Penang.
@@Kenzzes99 yes, most of the Penang RENs are not following the rules and standards set by the Malaysian Board of Valuers, Estate Agents, Appraisers and Property Managers (BOVEAP)...
@@addienorazlie2910 what a shocking statement to make disregarding all Penang property agents without actually looking it up.
Fees are based upon agreed drafted contract. Unless the agent did not notify you beforehand and made you sign before letting you know you have to pay. Besides a lot of agents now collect half a month from the tenant and half a month from the landlord which is fair. Shame on you for making such a statement without fact checking.
Other places like selangor charging landlord 2 months in fees for a 2 year contract while it’s good for the tenant to not pay anything but doesn’t seem fair to the landlord but it’s their “standard” I don’t criticise like you.
good choice on medical insurance coverage. please do update us when you plan to visit malaysia again. great video information sharing. by the way, do you mind to share me about the batik drawing class? even i am malay,but i rarely to participate in such activity. thanks ya
Now most city in malaysia have free buses. Free ride for everyone include foreigners.
Good presentation very informative
MALAYSIA is value for money, whatever your level of lifestyle.
This is very helpful
We had mall in Malaysia is called mesra mall besides the petro gas.
Great tips....plz mention abt places where u did stay n how to hire these n abt ur experience as well.
I love your series of Malaysia EXPAT retirement videos. As you mentioned about a short-term rental - AirBnB, would you be kind to provide a recommended list of Airbnb in Penang that you liked? currently, I am looking for a safe and nice place to stay for one/two months? Thank you in advance.
Much cheaper than S. Korea, food for 1 person is about 400usd a month with no dining out.
Really enjoyed your videos, and ended up subscribed your channel. Can you tell me: Malaysia have duel pricings like in Thailand? Thailand charges more for foreigners and less for Thai citizen...Keep them coming!
No, prices are the same for everyone except for those prices fixed for Malaysian citizens only.
Thanks. You spent 5 months in Batu Ferringhi, that’s a long time for such a small town. Any detailed videos on that place? I’m asking as I’m about to move there!
We actually stayed at Miami neighborhood, just east of Batu Ferringi. I don't have a specific video about Batu Ferringi, but we enjoyed that town and I think you will love living there!
It"s very useful all the information but the song in background is too loud!
Interesting costing but as you said we are all different with our expenses but Nice viewing.
There's no such thing as a perfect city in this world. Every city in this world has its own uniqueness. It is just the matter of much we appreciate and comfortable with the uniquness. Plus, how much we can tolerate with the things that we are not comfortable with. If the scores for these two is high enough for us, for sure we can stay in the city for as long as we wanted.
Bye2, hope u come back again once the pandemic is settle down, by the way, Cameron Highland is my favorite.
Hope u have safe journey
hi guys. love your videos ,very informative. we are retired canadian couple and would love to travel to malaysia. i'm just curious if we need or necessary to vaccinate such hep a, b, tetnus ,typhoid or take malaria pills before traveling to malaysia. thank you
How is cafe scene in Malaysia? Really love my coffee, bakeries, breakfast, brunches, etc.
Good video. I'm from Georgia, currently working at a university in China. In August I will activate my SS and move to ,hopefully , Malaysia. Please recommend a visa agent , also is it true you can get the Sarawak My Second Home Program and live in Penang ?
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If you information about singapore living cast .....pls also we are interested
Hi I really enjoyed your video very useful.
I have question my wedding is after 2 weeks and me and my fiance are planning to go to Malaysia.
I'm concern about the COVID- restrictions
should we go now.!?
Malaysia is going into the 3rd full nation wide lockdown starting today 12th May till 7th June. Travel restriction to only inside districts. There's no telling if this will resume after June or not. It's a sad and gloomy news for Muslims in Malaysia as tomorrow is the first day of Eid, no family visitation due to travel restrictions 😭 Been 2 years now with no Eid celebration. You see, without covid, Eid in Malaysia is celebrated for the full whole month of Syawal, with open houses and lots of foods, and any tourist have a good chance of being invited to the open houses by the Malaysian Muslims. And this one whole month of Eid celebration is unique to Malaysia. Now, covid kills it 😭
I think its not a right time. Not only Malaysia, even anywhere also has restrictions coz of covid19 😔
Average 300-500 dollar is u stay in Kedah/Kelantan/Perlis
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I have plan also to go there for a year. but I have one question: I am not sure if you were also working there? If no, which kind of Visa allow you to stay 1 year in Malaysia?
We arrived in Malaysia and were given a 3-month tourist visa, but due to covid it was automatically extended for 1 year. Thanks for watching!
The cost of healthcare around the world compared to the US is mind boggling.
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Now i want to go yo Malaysia
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