Retire in Malaysia – Overview
South of Thailand, West of Indonesia and North West of Australia is Malaysia. Malaysia is like Thailand in terms of climate, average Temperature is 28C/81F, considered a tropical climate.
Islam is recognized as the main religion in Malaysia.
Malaysia is consistently in the top ten of countries to retire to. Climate, very affordable and culture are many of the reasons people love to retire in Malaysia.
Cities are very modern. Its population is a mix of Chinese, Indian and European so it really is a melting pot of cultures.
The Malaysian government has an aggressive program to entice retirees looking to retire in Malaysia.
English is widely spoken, which makes an adjustment to living in a foreign country that much easier.
Malaysia has a great infrastructure with a low cost of living. On average you would need approximately $500 per month for living costs. This does not include rent which could vary between $400/month for a one bedroom in a city center to $700/month for a 3 bedroom. These costs will always vary depending on where you go but it is obviously a very good starting point in terms of affordability.
When looking to retire in Malaysia, as usual, its probably best to visit for a few weeks get the lay of the land and see where you might what to spend more time and go from there in terms of research.
Malaysia is one of the few countries in the world that will allow expats to purchase property with no restrictions so in terms of expenses if you do find a place that you absolutely love your expenses could be significantly be lowered should you decide to buy property. If you do decide to buy you could always use Airbnb or VBRO to rent out when you are not there and make more money.
Things to do. Malaysia is fairly untouched in terms of tourists (unlike Florida) meaning there are malls if that’s what you’re into, but if you want the beach is also there. If you’re a scuba diver this is your heaven.
The tropical climate (on the equator) makes it ideal for those looking for consistent temp ranging from 27C/80F to 29C/83F.
One of my qualifiers for best places to retire is location. Malaysia is quite a jump from North America, but if you’re in Australia it’s a hop away.
Malaysia has made getting a Visa quite easy and the MM2H website will provide all you need to know. The Coles Notes version is you need to prove you can financially support yourself. The Visa lasts as long as your passport, so if your passport expires so does your Visa
Healthcare
Healthcare is excellent in Malaysia; it’s very affordable with state of the art equipment and services. Doctors are all trained in the U. S. and Europe.
Is it safe?
I’m not sure you can get much safer than Malaysia. Malaysia recently reported 2.3 murders in 100,000 people and only 22 assaults. Most crimes are associated with drugs. Larger city centers are going naturally have a higher crime rate. Currently, there have been higher instances of terrorism which is a concern. If at any time you want to check the current status of travel for Malaysia go to https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/malaysia
Overall Potential
Like any country, there will be a huge adjustment you’ll have to make in terms of culture shock.
Malaysia on this list may be the hardest to adjust to relate to religion, Malaysia has a very large Muslim community and recently there has been an increase in violence with militant groups, but you shouldn’t let that stop you from researching to retire in Malaysia.
English is widely spoken; healthcare is excellent again making it very appealing
Like Thailand, if you’re coming from North America or Europe you’re looking at a long “commute” to and from your home country if you’re only staying for months at a time. Having said the tradeoff is it’s very affordable, the cost of living is very low. The weather is amazing.
And…. Yes, there is internet! Lol
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