A Country With One Of The World's Cheapest Costs Of Living Blends Urban Bustle With Tropical Beauty

Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia known for bustling cities, tropical landscapes, and enticingly low cost of living. For many, the first port of call is Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's vibrant capital. The blend of tradition and modernity here is as striking as the juxtaposition between the towering skyscrapers and the tropical forests in the near distance. Life is balmy, exciting, affordable, and delicious — whether it's Malaysian favorites like laksa broth and pisang goreng (banana fritters) or the countless other dishes that make the city one of the best global destinations for affordable, adventurous street food. 

There are no great caveats to Malaysia's low cost of living. English proficiency is widespread, private health insurance costs are low, and the service standards are comparable to Western benchmarks. If you acquire resident status, you will be entitled to the nation's competent public healthcare system. When health and safety are covered, you can enjoy the finer things with peace of mind.

North of Kuala Lumpur is the Cameron Highlands, a sweeping, verdant area known for its rolling tea plantations and strawberry farms. Three hours east of the highlands is the Taman Negara National Park — a 434,300-hectare rainforest with misty canopies, lofty rope bridges, and a range of wildlife, including tapirs, sun bears, tigers, and elephants.

Kuala Lumpur — or KL, as it's often initialized — is home to almost nine million people, which is a similar population to London and New York. That is perhaps the only major metric Kuala Lumpur shares with those cities, though, because the Malaysian capital is both safer and much cheaper than its European and American counterparts.

Luxury one-bedroom skyrise apartments in KL's central Bukit Bintang neighborhood will cost around RM 5,800 per month, just under $1,300. If this is higher than you expected, that is because it's a premium price by Malaysian standards. $1,300 will get you nowhere in New York City, but in Kuala Lumpur, you can expect over 700 square feet of living space with plush furnishings, city center living, stunning views of the Petronas Towers, and a comprehensive service package including a 24-hour front desk, concierge, and room service. Not a bad deal, all things considered.

Don't worry if you want to live very cheaply — you'll still find terrific housing standards. A furnished high-rise apartment with 550 square feet of living space can cost as little as RM 2,200 or just $490 for a month's rent. This won't be luxury living, but you'll still be in the middle of Bukit Bintang with plenty of space, access to a communal pool, and have all your necessary amenities like shops and transit nearby.

The Malaysian Peninsula is home to numerous beauty spots, including Penang, one of the five best islands to retire on. The UNESCO World Heritage site of Georgetown is the urban hub in Penang, with its typical scene of a tropical beachfront, towering condominiums, and 19th-century Buddhist architecture like the Kek Lok Si temple. Visitors and expats can have an excellent standard of living here, but if you want to see the best of Malaysian nature, you may want to head east to Borneo.

Most visitors base themselves in Kota Kinabalu, the largest Malaysian city in Borneo, one of the best islands to visit in Southeast Asia. Over 500,000 people live in Kota Kinabalu, which, like Kuala Lumpur, is a lively conurbation of old and new, with noisy food markets, slick shopping malls, Buddhist temples, and glass condos all basking in the city's famous burning sunsets. Life is cheap here, too. For example, an inexpensive meal is 88% cheaper than an equivalent dish in New York City, and rent is almost 95% cheaper. There are countless ways to measure Malaysia's incredible cost of living. 

Kota Kinabalu is best known as the gateway to Kinabalu Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that rises through tropical lowlands and sub-alpine forests all the way to the 13,435 ft peak of Mount Kinabalu. The biodiversity on this great ascent is among the richest in the world; your photo reel will look like you've charted an entire country of lush jungles, hardy forests, and barren rocky landscapes.