Cost of Living in Malacca, Malaysia
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we get a commission if you decide to purchase through our links at no cost to you. This helps fund Slower Travels without costing you a cent!
We were bouncing around Southeast Asia and loving digital nomad life. We had just spent two months in Indonesia and were going back for another two so needed somewhere nearby to have a break and reset our visa.
Malaysia was an easy decision. The weather is good, the food is amazing and it has a 90 day visa on arrival for us. We’d already spent a chunk of time in Kuala Lumpur and Penang so next on the list was Malacca.
This is a breakdown of costs for the two of us, so if you’re a solo traveller some of these you could halve (dining out, groceries) but some you’ll need to keep as is (rent). You can see the rest of our Cost of Living series here. Let us know in the comments if this stacks up against how much you think it would cost.
Rent
This was a tough decision for us in Malacca. We visited this cute historic town for a weekend when we stayed in Kuala Lumpur. We stayed in a beautiful apartment in the Old City and had a great time.
Coming back, we decided to get an apartment, which was more on the outskirts of town. The apartment was cute, with a pool and a great gym. But the building itself was so weird. The whole thing seemed empty, as if most apartments had never been accessed. A tax dodge or a place for foreigners to hide their investments?
We moved to a different building, which felt more lived in. The garden/pool/gym floor was beautiful.
We realised that what we loved about Malacca was being in Old Town and wandering the streets. But buildings there didn’t have the amenities and were out of budget for a more extended stay.
So we booked into the apartment building. But then it felt like we could be anywhere in the world. We’re still learning what we value as digital nomads! Overall, it was a cheap monthly price, which included a night at an airport hotel while we were transiting.
Spending Money
By this point, we were missing having an animal. So we visited a cat cafe and the Huskitory to pat some cute doggos!
We also visited a museum in a boat and checked out an old submarine. There’s a lot to do in Malacca, but we’d already done a lot on our first visit.
We also spent some money on drinks, which aren’t the cheapest in Malaysia.
Dining Out
We had lunch and dinner out most days. We found a great couple of restaurants near our apartment and went back most days.
All the food in Malaysia is fantastic, with great options for vegetarians. We love Indian curries and roti telur for breakfast. One of Kie’s most favourite foods is a Nasi Lemak. And the Chinese influence brings fantastic mock meats.
Groceries
This is our cost for breakfast and coffee. We didn’t cook much while living here as there are so many great options for dining out.
Retirement Savings
We’re still contributing to our retirement accounts back home. We have social security or a public pension in New Zealand, but we may not qualify for it. So we want to ensure that we are able to keep living life the way we want to for our whole lives!
Transport
This one surprised me. There isn’t even a single large charge that’s included. We had the bus to get from Kuala Lumpur down to Malacca and back again.
Then it’s just taxis. Little, low-cost taxis to get us into town and back again. But these add up over the month and made this cost much higher than other places we’ve been.
Bank Fees
This one is unfairly high in this snapshot. We had a Platinum Credit Card with a higly monthly fee. It was only charged twice a year and fell due. We spread this cost across the six months so we don’t have to pay all of it out of this month’s budget.
Subscriptions
This is primarily digital storage and Netflix.
Life Insurance
It's boring but essential when you have a mortgage.
Cellphone Data
We made a mistake here. We purchased cheap SIM cards from 7-Eleven and could not get them to work on our phones—something to do with the registration process not going ahead smoothly. So we had to buy new SIM cards at a shop and have them installed for us.
We should have got eSIMs for when we landed and sorted the actual cards properly when we got to Malacca.
Things We Didn’t Spend Money On
We don’t use travel insurance anymore. We’ve decided to take this risk, but it might not be right for you. When we did have travel insurance, we used SafetyWing.
Utilities were included with our apartment rental. Always double-check this when renting, even through Airbnb! Most places in Thailand and Indonesia don’t include utilities.
We also had no visa costs, as we got a 90-day tourist visa upon arrival in Malaysia. It’s part of the reason we love Malaysia so much—it makes staying here longer term so easy.
Final Note
Malacca is a great town to visit, and our stay was enjoyable. But staying in a giant apartment building isn’t what we’re after. We’re still working out what we like.
If you’re looking for somewhere that’s easy, safe and has lots of amenities, Malacca is a great choice. But for now, we will stick to our little beach village in Lombok.
I hope this breakdown helps anyone considering spending time in Southeast Asia understand the costs. If you’re already here, I’d love to know how this compares to what you spend. Let me know in the comments below.
