Malaysia is ranked the 9th best destination for expatriates to live and work in, according to a new study. Expatriates (or expats) here are generally happy with the affordability of life in the country and find it easy to settle in.
The Expat Insider 2019 Survey – conducted by InterNations, the world’s largest expat community with 3.6 million members – polled over 20,000 respondents and ranked 64 destinations.
The results were benchmarked against several criteria: satisfaction with the quality of life, ease of settling in, working life, personal finance, cost of living, and family life in their respective country of residence.
“Affording a good life in Malaysia does not seem to be hard for expats. The country comes in 7th place out of 64 countries in the Cost of Living Index, with 82% of expats rating costs positively (vs 47% globally),” said InterNations.
As a British expat highlights, there are “earning opportunities compared to very reasonable cost of living”.
Malaysia scores another 7th place when it comes to personal finance, and 62% report that their household income is more than enough to cover daily costs (vs 49% globally). When it comes to ease of settling, Malaysia came 3rd only behind Mexico and Bahrain.
Generally, the expats here find it easy to settle down (76% vs 59% globally) and make new friends (64% vs 54% globally).
“Maybe it helps that expats are also happy with the socialising and leisure activities available in Malaysia (8th out of 64),” the survey revealed. As a Philippine expat pointed out: “There are many places to visit, and you will never run out of things to do.”
Career prospects is another story though, as Malaysia is deemed an average destination for working abroad (27th). Only about half the expats (52%) are satisfied with their career prospects in the country (vs 55% worldwide).
The survey revealed that Taiwan, Vietnam and Portugal are the Top 3 expat destinations. On the other end of the spectrum, Kuwait (64th out of 64), Italy and Nigeria are the worst destinations for expats in 2019.
While Kuwait is the country where expats find it hardest to settle in, Italy offers the worst work life, and Nigeria the worst quality of life in the world.
Source: star2.com
shahizam.f@mhtc.org.my
Muhammad Rasydan Ma’at
Asst. Manager, Communications
+603 8776 6168
rasydan.m@mhtc.org.my
Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), established in 2009 under the purview of the Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia, is entrusted with developing and nurturing the “Malaysia Healthcare” brand. MHTC enhances, coordinates, and promotes Malaysia’s healthcare travel industry by fostering industry collaborations and building valuable public-private partnerships both domestically and internationally. With 80 member hospitals nationwide, MHTC continues to elevate the healthcare travel ecosystem through strong branding, seamless patient experiences, and strategic market initiatives. In line with these efforts, MHTC is spearheading the Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism (MYMT) 2026, the nation’s first dedicated year to celebrate and advance healthcare travel. MYMT 2026 serves as a milestone initiative to showcase Malaysia’s world-class healthcare offerings, strengthen its position as the premier global healthcare destination, and highlight the industry’s significant contribution to the national economy. More information can be found at https://www.mhtc.org.my/.
