Malaysia is a top demanded country when it comes to higher education among international students. Students around the world chose Malaysia as their education destination because of the low tuition fee, favourable weather, diverse culture, and most importantly the affordable living expense.
Living coat in Malaysia includes various factors such as education costs in Malaysia, cost of living for students in Malaysia, food expenses for students in Malaysia, transport expenses for students in Malaysia and other additional expenses. If you are curious regarding what is the living costs in Malaysia for international students, then this article is only for you, In this article, we will be exploring a comprehensive overlook of living costs in Malaysia for international students.
Education Costs in Malaysia
The education cost includes so many areas. The following are some of the main areas.
➤ Tuition fee ➤ EMGS Fee ➤ Registration fee ➤ Lab fee ➤ Library fee ➤ Examination fees ➤ Visa fee ➤ Health check-up ➤ Other additional costs.
The costs of tuition fees vary from public institutes to private ones. Below we are highlighting an estimated list of private and public universities’ tuition fees annually.
| Tuition fees at Public universities
|
Tuition fees at Private universities
|
|---|---|
| Graduate: USD 2,180.48 – 5,000.08
Post-Graduate: USD 545.12 – 4360.96 |
Graduate: USD 1,471.82 – 15,000.35
Post-Graduate: USD 1635.36 – 3270.72
|
You can explore our article on the Cost of Studying in Malaysia.
Affordable Malaysian universities
Malaysia is highly popular because of its affordable tuition fees in various universities. Among some available top-ranked affordable universities, we are highlighting five affordable universities below:
Universiti Teknologi Mara
- Graduate: USD 2,480.48 – 5,000.08
- Post-Graduate: USD 1,875.12 – 4,867.96
University of Malaya
- Graduate: USD 2,524.48 – 5,896.08
- Post-Graduate: USD 1,895.12 – 4,978.96
University Putra Malaysia (UPM)
- Graduate: USD 2,485.35 – 5,245.08
- Post-Graduate: USD 2,121.12 – 6,846.96
Open University Malaysia (OUM)
- Graduate: USD 2,858.35 – 5,245.08
- Post-Graduate: USD 2,978.12 – 6,122.96
USCI University
- Graduate: USD 2,797.35 – 4,857.08
- Post-Graduate: USD 2,757.12 – 5,746.96
Accommodation for Students in Malaysia
The budget for living has no limit in Malaysia and it depends on the lifestyle of different people living in Malaysia and also the geographical area. For budget living, Malaysia is among the top priority among international students. The monthly expanse mostly includes the rent.
A single person’s fixed and variable cost of living can be varied from USD 227.17 to 450.75. Additionally, the living cost is also varied according to the type of accommodation. The accommodation system in on-campus living in the university’s affiliated dormitories or halls while off-campus living includes higher ranges in apartments, condominiums, single-storey buildings or double-storey buildings. Hence, if you live in the university’s affiliated dormitories, then the cost will be different than the cost of living in a rented flat. For example-
Dormitories
An average university-affiliated dormitory may cost between USD 70.87 to 278.04 per month however, the amount will vary depending on seasons, and universities.
The dormitory option is one of the most attractive options among lots of international students because the utility bills are included, moreover, it is the least expensive option that any foreign student can get.
Rented Flat
An average rental flat may cost between USD 92.68 to 741.44 per month (The utility bill is not included here). It is to be noted that, the amount will vary depending on locations, cities, and more.
To live in the city centre of Malaysia then the prices may even increase. In addition, students can mitigate the rental rate by sharing a flat with other students which is a very common trend among students.
| Apartment type
|
Monthly Cost
|
|---|---|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in Malaysian City Centre
|
382.15
|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Malaysian Centre
|
257.59
|
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in Malaysian City Centre
|
677.85
|
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Malaysian Centre
|
433.20
|
Food Expenses For Students In Malaysia
The food expenses for students in Malaysia depend on person to person. Students can always mitigate the expense based on their interests and choices of eating in restaurants or cooking by themselves. Below we are giving you some ideas-
Meal for one person in an average restaurant may cost you from USD 3.50. A glass of water may cost you USD 0.35 while a regular Cappuccino in Malaysia may cost you USD 2.65 and a glass of Coke or Pepsi will cost you 0.63. In addition, if you are on to cook by yourself, the general cost of basic items is- 1kg of Rice may cost you USD 1.20 while 1kg of a loaf of fresh White Bread may cost USD 1.63, A dozen Egg costs USD 1.54, regular seasonal fruits cost between USD 1.21 to 2.42 and 1 litre of Milk may cost USD 1.61.
Transport Expenses For Students In Malaysia
The public transport system i.e. bus, metro, train etc is very cheap in Malaysia and is only made for students convenient. There is also a monthly pass system for students’ discounts. A monthly pass has cost USD 21.99 discount.
Moreover, many Malaysian universities have transport systems available for students who are willing to take advantage because those are free of cost.
The general travel costs may vary depending on different locations – outside of the Malaysian Centre or Malaysian City Centre. Local transport (one way) may cost you upwards of USD 14. A taxi for one hour can cost upwards of USD 16.49.
Utility Expenses For Students In Malaysia
Basic electricity in apartments cost generally costs USD 45.82. Internet usage generally costs USD 27.36.
Clothing Expenses For Students In Malaysia
Clothing in Malaysia is not very expensive or not very cheap for students. For example, A pair of jeans from a semi-known brand can cost you USD 51.07 while a summer dress from a chain store may cost USD 26.93. 1 Pair of Nike shoes cost USD 65.60.
Medical Expenses For Students In Malaysia
Spending USD12 to 15 is the average medical expense per month for a student or a single person living in Malaysia.
All of the costings may vary from time to time based on the Malaysian government’s rules and regulations on basic items’ costing.
Top Universities in Malaysia
| ❖Taylor’s University ❖ Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) ❖ SEGi University ❖ University of Malaya ❖ UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College ❖ University of Reading Malaysia ❖ Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) Malaysia ❖ INTI International University (IIU) |
❖ Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) ❖ HELP University ❖ Malaysia MAHSA University ❖ Universiti Kuala Lumpur (Uni KL) ❖ Management and Science University (MSU) ❖ Lincoln University College, Malaysia ❖ Multimedia University (MMU) ❖ UCSI Malaysia ❖ University of Science, Malaysia (USM) |
|---|
Top Courses in Malaysia
| ❖ Construction Management ❖ Architecture ❖ Engineering ❖ Medical Science ❖ MBBS ❖ American Degree Transfer Programme (ADP) ❖ Accounting ❖ Product Design ❖ Software Engineering ❖ Psychology |
❖ Computer Science ❖ Marketing ❖ Dual degree ❖ Data Science ❖ Public Health ❖ Business Administration ❖ Tourism ❖ Culinary Arts ❖ Information Technology ❖ Hospitality Management |
|---|
Conclusion
Malaysia can be the best destination for you if you are in search of an affordable education destination. It is very important to learn about the living expense in Malaysia for students before taking any initiative.
In the aforementioned points, we tried to cover all the necessary aspects that international students need to know about living costs in Malaysia. If you have any queries, you are requested to comment below.
Please list Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) as one of the top universities in Malaysia. Thank you