Arriving in Malaysia, after three months in India, I was incredibly excited to be somewhere more developed. Although somewhat apprehensive about costs, and rather worried I would spend too much.

Petronus Towers in Kuala Lumpur

Luckily I was pleasantly surprised, and although costs were higher than in India, I managed to stay well within budget.

Over the 16 days I spent in Malaysia the costs amounted to 1,893 MYR (£318) total. And averaged out at 115 MYR (£20) per day.

The following is the breakdown of my spending while in Malayisa:

Accommodation
573 MYR (£96) total
36 MYR (£6) per day
I found the quality of accommodation in Malaysia to be very good. I stayed in a variety of double rooms (shared with the boyfriend), some of which had shared bathrooms. Double rooms generally costed between 70 to 80 MYR, so 35 – 40 MYR each per night. Our room in Kuala Lumpur cost 74 MYR – this has A/C and a shared (very clean) bathroom. On Tioman Island we had a fan room with private bathroom, costing 80 MYR per night.

Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang

Food
640 MYR (£104) total
40 MYR (£6.50) per day
The cost of food in Malaysia varies, and if you’re happy to stick to local foods, can be very cheap. For breakfast I tended to go for Roti Canai (1.2 MYR) and Teh Tarik (1.5 MYR). Lunch and dinners can costs around 8 MYR from a street vendor. Sit down dinners are usually between 15 to 30 MYR, unless you go ultra fancy. I spent quite a lot on food in Malaysia as I arrived here after 3 months in India. I was incredibly excited to eat foods that would have been too risky in India (e.g. Sushi) and splashed out a bit on nice meals. It’s definitely possible to eat cheaper I did!

Transport
504 MYR (£84) total
31.5 MYR (£5.25) per day
I used a variety of transport options during my time in Malaysia. The costs were somewhat higher than some over Asian countries, but the quality of all were good, and worth the price. These are some example costs: Kuala Lumpur airport bus (11 MYR), bus/boat to Taman Negara (80 MYR), train from Kuala Lumper to Penang (61 MYR) and ferry to Tioman Island (35 MYR).

Canopy walkway in Taman Negara

Entertainment
118 MYR (£20) total
7.5 MYR (£1.25) per day
Entertainment costs are generally quite low in Malaysia, as there’s lots of free sights, and activities such as going to the beach cost very little. Here are a few examples: cat cafe in Kuala Lumpur (39 MYR), canopy walkway in Taman Negara (5 MYR) and Tioman Island permit (25 MYR).

Miscellaneous
47.5 MYR (£8) total
3 MYR (£0.50) per day
These are the extra bits and bobs you might need during you time in Malaysia. For example, public toilet (0.5 MYR), inspect repellent (8 MYR) and laundry (12 MYR).

Total
In total I spent 1,893 MYR (£318) during my 16 day stay in Malaysia. This equated to 115 MYR (£20) on average per day.

Tioman Island

As previously mentioned Malaysia is more expensive to travel in than India and some other South East Asian countries. But the quality of the food, accommodation and transport meant you never felt hard done by. It is also possible to travel even cheaper throughout Malaysia if you stick to local food, and perhaps stay in dorms.

Any questions feel free to ask!