Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like to see Malaysia the way others do. As a place of cheap travel, lush islands, colourful food courts. I’ve met people who fall in love with it the moment they arrive. And then there’s us – those of us who call it home, who grew up with its smells, monsoon afternoons, and political dramas always humming in the background.

Living in Malaysia isn’t something I planned. It just happened – by birth, by passport, by every mundane errand that roots a person to a place. But over time, that default became something more layered: sometimes frustrating, sometimes deeply grounding.

Most of what you’ll read online about life in Malaysia comes from outsiders looking in. I wanted to write from the other side – from someone who never had to Google “how to move to Malaysia”, but who has thought more than once about leaving.

If you’re searching for the pros and cons of living in Malaysia – told not by an expat or a retiree, but by someone who walks these streets every day – then this is for you.

The Pros of Living in Malaysia

1. Cultural diversity and tolerance

Growing up in Malaysia means learning to celebrate everything. You eat ketupat at your friend’s Hari Raya open house, light sparklers during Deepavali, snack on mandarin oranges during Chinese New Year, and maybe queue for roti canai the morning after all of it. It doesn’t feel unusual until you realise how rare it is elsewhere.

Multiculturalism here is the air we breathe. Our conversations switch languages mid-sentence, our food courts are a collision of stories, and there’s an understanding that difference isn’t something to overcome – it’s something to be hungry for. When it works, it’s a beautiful thing. When it doesn’t, it reminds us there’s still work to do.

But if you’re someone who values a life rich in perspectives, smells, and stories, Malaysia gives you that without asking you to leave home.

2. Affordable daily living

There’s a rhythm to life here that doesn’t demand extravagance. You can have a full breakfast of nasi lemak and teh tarik for less than RM5, and still feel like you’ve eaten something made with care. Rent is manageable outside the city centre, and public healthcare – while far from perfect – is affordable and functional for most locals.

You learn to live with less here, and not in a deprived way. Just… less pressure to perform, to own, to constantly upgrade. You learn that small pleasures – like a windy kopitiam on a Thursday afternoon – can feel oddly complete.

Of course, the affordability is uneven. Imported goods are expensive. But if your lifestyle doesn’t orbit around brands or trends, you can live fairly well.

3. Convenient travel hub

One of the joys of living in Malaysia is how reachable everything feels. The country itself is compact – six hours can take you from Kuala Lumpur to the Thai border. And with budget airlines and long weekends, places like Bangkok, Bali, and Halong Bay become casual possibilities.

Even within the country, the contrasts are rewarding. You can go from snorkelling at a beach to enjoying the cool mountain air – all within a single week.

For locals, it’s not always about exotic escapes. Sometimes it’s just a drive to the coast, a one-night stay on a mountain, or an overdue trip to visit family in another state. The point is: movement feels easy here. And sometimes, that’s enough.

4. Warm weather year-round

The sun doesn’t go anywhere. It might hide behind thick clouds or join a downpour in the afternoon, but the warmth stays. If you’re used to bundling up for half the year, this might feel like a luxury. No winter blues. No heating bills. Just a rotation of sandals, cotton shirts, and the occasional umbrella.

Sure, the humidity clings. The air-conditioning bill can add up. And the monsoons aren’t always polite. But there's a strange comfort in weather you can predict. You don’t wake up wondering what the sky’s going to do today – you already know. It’ll be warm, and probably wet, and you’ll deal with it like you always do.

More: Best Time to Visit Malaysia – Weather, Regions, Festivals

5. Generally safe and stable

It’s not perfect, but for the most part, Malaysia feels safe. You can walk to the mamak late at night, take a bus alone, or leave your slippers outside the front gate without worrying they’ll disappear.

That said, not all areas are created equal. Some neighbourhoods see more petty crime than others, and depending on where you live, it might be wise to avoid walking alone at night. Women, especially, often navigate their own version of caution – quiet routines of vigilance that become second nature.

Still, there’s a sense of safety in the everyday. Most communities move at a pace where people still say hello to their neighbours, where strangers look out for each other, and where a little kampung spirit lingers – even in the city.

The Cons of Living in Malaysia

1. Stagnant wages in a rising-cost world

Ask most Malaysians about their biggest frustration and you’ll probably hear some version of this: we work hard, but it often doesn’t feel like it’s enough.

Salaries haven’t kept pace with the cost of living. A fresh graduate might bring home RM2,500 a month, maybe RM3,000 if they’re lucky. Rent, bills, and transport easily chip away at that, leaving little room for savings – let alone comfort.

And yet, bubble tea shops are full. New cafes open every month. Everyone seems to be affording something. You start to wonder how. Maybe it’s side hustles, credit cards, family help. Maybe it’s just clever budgeting. Or maybe we’re all just trying to keep up with a lifestyle that looks effortless on Instagram but feels very different on the ground.

We adapt, of course. Malaysians are good at that. But sometimes, it feels like survival dressed up in bubble wrap.

2. Public transport is lacking, and driving isn’t easy either

If you live in a few parts of Klang Valley – near an MRT line or LRT station – getting around without owning a car is doable. Maybe even enjoyable. But if you're outside of that grid – or anywhere outside of KL – it’s a different story. Buses can be irregular, last-mile connectivity is often non-existent, and car dependency is the default for most.

And then there’s the festive season. “Balik kampung” traffic during Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, or school holidays turns highways into slow-moving rivers of brake lights and frustration. It’s a national ritual, yes. But also, a reminder that our infrastructure, while improved, still isn’t designed for the volume we throw at it.

Add to that the rising number of vehicles and limited public parking, and mobility here isn’t always freedom – it’s often stress. (Hint: this could be one of the reasons I took a job travelling out of the country.)

3. Hot and humid weather can be exhausting

Yes, it’s great that we don’t have winter. Yes, the sun is nice – until you have to walk 500 metres in it with no shade and arrive drenched in sweat, and your hair inflates into a frizzy halo by the time you get there.

The truth is, the heat is relentless. It’s not always the kind you can enjoy – it’s the kind you survive.

Then there’s the haze, which rolls in without warning. Or the downpours that flood certain areas in minutes. The monsoon season can be intense. The weather is predictable in its unpredictability – and on some days, that wears you thin.

4. Overdevelopment and environmental degradation

The word “development” shows up everywhere. But often, it means trees cut down, hills flattened, rivers diverted. The green gets replaced with grey.

And what’s left behind are half-occupied condos, empty shop lots, and a lingering sense that we’ve lost something we can’t rebuild.

Not all development is bad, of course. But too much of it seems rushed, profit-driven, disconnected from the communities it's meant to serve. And nature, once taken, rarely gets restored.

5. Bureaucracy and red tape

Getting things done in Malaysia often starts with a queue. Sometimes, you even queue just to get a queue number. Then you wait again – only to be told the form is outdated, the system is offline, or the one person who can approve your request is on leave.

Whether it’s getting a new IC, renewing a driving license, or applying for any official document… the process almost always takes longer than it should. Offices close early. Websites crash. And the whole system rarely feels built for ease.

It’s not always awful – there are genuinely helpful staff who want to assist. But more often, the system itself becomes the obstacle: slow, inconsistent, and burdened by processes that feel designed to make simple things difficult.

You learn to block off your whole morning for a task that, on paper, should take just 30 minutes. And when things finally go smoothly, it feels like a rare stroke of luck. But honestly, it shouldn’t have to be this way.

Not Quite a Pro or Con. It Depends on Who You Are.

Sometimes, life in Malaysia feels like a layered story where the details depend on your background, where you live, and what matters most to you. Here are a few things that can either smooth the ride or trip you up – depending on your perspective.

Language

In Malaysia, being multilingual is less of a choice and more of a default. Most of us grow up speaking at least two languages – Bahasa Malaysia and English – and many pick up more along the way: Mandarin, Tamil, Cantonese, Hokkien, Kelantanese, Sabah slang… the list goes on.

In cities like Kuala Lumpur, Penang, or Johor Bahru, conversations often slide between English and Malay without a second thought. You’ll hear “lah” at the end of English sentences, “can or not?” in place of “is that okay?”, and other combinations that are uniquely Malaysian.

Outside the cities, Bahasa Malaysia takes centre stage, especially in public schools, offices, and rural communities. Knowing it well definitely helps when dealing with government matters or working in public-facing roles.

It’s not really a struggle – it’s just part of daily life. But depending on where you live or work, certain languages might open more doors than others. In that sense, language here isn’t a barrier – it’s a toolkit. And the more you have in your kit, the better.

Healthcare

Here, healthcare is a mix of public and private, and most locals use both at different points in their lives.

Public clinics and hospitals are affordable – even ridiculously cheap by global standards – but they can come with long queues and crowded waiting rooms. It’s not unusual to arrive early, take a number, and wait a few hours just to be seen. Still, for basic care, check-ups, and emergencies, they’re reliable.

Private hospitals, on the other hand, are fast, polished, and come with hotel-like lobbies – and the bill to match. Many people choose private care when they need quick results or specialist treatment, often using insurance or savings to cover the cost.

It's not really a question of whether the system is good or bad – it works, just differently depending on your budget, urgency, and what kind of care you need. Most locals know how to navigate both, depending on the situation.

Religion

Malaysia is officially a Muslim-majority country, and that naturally shapes parts of daily life – from halal food being the default, to prayer rooms in public spaces, to quieter streets during Friday prayers.

But religion here is also something you grow up with in layers. We learn about each other’s festivals in school, visit our friends’ open houses, and see mosques, churches, and temples sharing the same neighbourhood without much fuss.

Of course, some things are... better left unspoken. Certain topics feel heavier than others, and depending on where you are or who you’re with, conversations around religion may tread carefully. But in the everyday – at the market, at work, in shared taxis – people mostly live and let live.

Religion in Malaysia is often visible, sometimes political, but also deeply personal. For many, it offers community, structure, and comfort. For others, it quietly coexists in the background. Like most things here, how much it shapes your life depends on where you stand – and who’s standing beside you.

From a Local’s Perspective

No country is perfect. Malaysia certainly isn’t. But there’s something about this place that keeps pulling you back, even when you’ve thought about leaving.

Many Malaysians dream of moving abroad at some point. I’ve heard it a thousand times – the allure of new opportunities, different systems, or simply a fresh start. Yet, more often than not, there’s a familiar pull to come home.

Living in Malaysia means holding contradictions. It means accepting the frustrations alongside the comforts, the beauty and the bureaucracy, the convenience and the mess. What feels like a pro in one area might be a con in another. Nothing here is all good or all bad.

If you’re thinking about living here, or already do, my advice is this: look beyond the surface. There’s more beneath the heat and the headlines. There’s a resilience, a creativity, and a kindness that isn’t always obvious to outsiders – but it’s very real for those of us who call Malaysia home.

“Jangan lupakan tanah air,” they say. Don’t forget your homeland. And the truth is, even if you leave, some part of it always stays with you.

How has life in Malaysia shaped your story?