Living in Malaysia, is it truly Asia?

Exotic secluded beaches, fantastic food paradise, abundant nature activities and rich with culture, none other, than Malaysia! Do you know that living in Malaysia is like visiting multiple countries at the same time?

We have busy cities, colonial architecture, misty tea plantation, jungles filled with wildlife and Orang utans, and home to one of THE BEST diving spots in the WORLD, all of that in one country! Everyday is a vacation when you live in Malaysia.

And did you know Malaysia is ranked one of the Top 5 Best Countries to Retire according to Forbes?! Malaysia Boleh!

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re considering if Malaysia as the country for you to work or retire at, is it a safe country? Where do expats live in Malaysia? Where should you stay if you’re considering staying smack in the middle of Kuala Lumpur? All the questions you can think of will be covered in this blog post. So let’s start!

It’s time to spruce it up. A change of scenery, change of lifestyle. Malaysia has a little bit of everything for everyone.

KUALA LUMPUR

If you love the excitement of the hustle bustle of the city and twinkly lights nightlife, Kuala Lumpur will be the choice for you.

Kuala Lumpur is a vibrant city with a population of 1.6 million and it is often the choice for expats. With diners such as Australian Steaks, Irish Pubs and American Wingstop easily accessible around the corners, comfort food from home is just a few minutes walk away. Community for expats of Kuala Lumpur is also welcoming. They have active Facebook groups and as well as forums, such as KLExpat Malaysia and Expatgo.com and you will never feel out of place.

Source: kuala-lumpur.ws

On weekends, malls are the choice of Malaysians to socialize (and mainly to get out of the heat). So rest assured that you have an endless list of shopping places to visit, all in walking distance. There’s Suria KLCC, Pavillion Kuala Lumpur Shopping Mall, Avenue K, Quill City Mall, Publika and MORE. ENDLESS.

If this sounds like your life? You can start looking to property nearby Kuala Lumpur. Some of the options you would be Fraser Residence Kuala Lumpur, Prince Hotel & Residence and Parkroyal Serviced Suite. These are the best place to live in Kuala Lumpur for you to buy or even rent and settle down in Malaysia.

PENANG

If you’re looking for a slower paced lifestyle, Penang Island would be your city! It’s about less than 4 hours’ drive away from Kuala Lumpur.

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Known as the food capital, this is a place where you will never go hungry at any time of the day AND night.

It doesn’t stop on meals, in 2005, Penang was listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site Penang is a paradise with no shortage of cultural sights and natural scenery.

Renting is still a preferred option in Penang as the Island is comparatively expensive to other cities in Malaysia. In addition, the investment requirements are quite significant as you need to put up at least RM 3 million when buying a villa, which equals to around USD 700,000. (Yikes, I know)

Regardless renting or purchasing a property, some of the best area in Penang you should look out to would be Gurney Drive, Tanjong Tokong & Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringhi. If you are looking for a potential property hotspot in this area, Gelugor and Bayan Lepas is your choice. It has a lower influx of foreigners and you will have the chance to live a local lifestyle. It also has booth lower rent and property prices, so this is the area to consider if you’re settling in and investing.

MELACCA

And if you’re looking for a sweet spot to blend in more with the locals, Malacca or also spelt as Melaka is your state! This state is a hidden gem with lesser population of foreigners in comparison to Kuala Lumpur and Penang Island.

Melaka is a port city, with a strong Portugese, Dutch and British influence at the historic part of the country. It is three-hours drive away to Singapore and two hours away from Kuala Lumpur. In relative to Kuala Lumpur and Penang, it has a smaller expat community, some owning bars and restaurants and a percentage of retired foreigners.

If you are on the budget too, Melaka would fit best. The cost of living and the minimum threshold for foreign residential property purchase is only RM500,000 for strata title properties and RM1 million for landed title.

You can keep your eyes open for Klebang, Ayer Keroh and as well as Melaka City.

KOTA KINABALU, SABAH

If you are a Thalassophile and you always need to be by the sea and your feet in the sand and a mix of city, but at a slower pace it Kota Kinabalu is your best bet. Also known as “KK” is one of Malaysia’s fastest-growing cities.

Source: u/GorBox

It’s diverse 42 ethnic groups makeup has birthed one of the most diverse culinary scenes in Southeast Asia.

Cheap seafood, colorful coral reef and high mountain scenery. There’s much to see here, under the sea and over the horizon. It is also the home for the biggest bloom, the Rafflesia.

Source: DIY Travel HQ

Kota Kinabalu is one of the cheapest cities in the world for expatriates to stay according to Forbes. Quote “so cheap that you barely need to work – if at all?”

Some of the apartments that we would recommend is Loft Imago. It is 5 minutes away from the nightlife hot spots, and it is a part of a mall for recreation! Other than that, Kota Kinabalu barely has any high-rise properties other than hotels, so you should consider having a landed house!

Wrapping it up, Malaysia is relatively safe. We are marked at 69% of Safety Index of Safe Around. We have low to none tsunami threat, volcano eruption and earthquake risks.

There you have it, Malaysia is the place for you to experience. Get your new Malaysian property or rent with SPEEDHOME. SPEEDHOME offers deposit free rental, and commission free house purchase. Use SPEEDHOME, your No discrimination rental platform!

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