Food and Living Costs

Food and other living expenses in Malaysia

• Taxi fare (Kuala Lumpur city) @ RM2 for first 2km and 10 sen each subsequent 200m
• Bus fare (local) @ RM1-2 one way, depending on distance
• LRT (one station), approximately @ RM1-1.30
• Telephone calls (local tied-line) @ 9 sen/minute first 3 minutes and 3 sen/minute thereafter. Mobile/hand phones (many types and models, whose rates are more expensive) @ 30 sen/minute for regular phones and 40 sen/minute (local) for pre-paid card phones
• Average cost per meal for hawker food (roadside stalls) @ RM2.50-5
• Average cost per meal in shopping complexes (air-conditioned) @ RM5-7
• Average cost per meal in shop lots (non air-condition) @ RM3-5
• Movie or show (cineplexes) @ RM8-10
• Normal laundry, approximately @ RM2-5/kg
• Student haircut (hair saloons) @ RM15-25 (male), RM25-35 (female)
• Clothes (T-shirt, shorts, skirt, blouse from night market or ‘pasar malam’, dependent on quality and brand) @ RM10-30
• Local postage (postcards) @ 20 sen
• Local postage (letters) @ 30 sen
• International postage @ RM2-3 (letters), @ 50 sen (postcards)
• International call @ RM0.90-1.90/minute depending on the countries
• Hospital Treatment & Medical Services: International students can receive medical treatment from public/state hospital at a nominal rate. However, international students are advised to be insured with a comprehensive health insurance policy.

The attraction for students to study in Malaysia is the relatively cheap cost of living as compared to the other countries. The following are some major components of direct costs of living:

- Rental/ Accommodation Cost
Foreign students who come here can rest assured that their accommodation needs are well looked after, especially if they have requested for such arrangements through their respective institution’s accommodation advisory service. Many institutions actually build students’ hostels on their campus grounds or in the vicinity. Some colleges/universities also own residences and convert these into spacious dormitory-style hostels, which are let out to students at very reasonable rates.

Students can request for on-campus or off-campus accommodation. Students who do not wish to live at the institution’s hostel will also find a wide choice of houses/flats/rooms available for rental. Rental is reasonable, depending on the students’ budget and the type of living arrangements that he/she prefers. Students who stay on-campus can experience a complete campus lifestyle while those who stay outside on their own can experience the general lifestyle of Malaysians.

For those who opt for private accommodation, the costs will depend on the location, the type and size of the place. These off-campus accommodations are often available in the vicinity of the institution, so students can even walk to their campus. If the off-campus accommodation is located a short distance away, the institution would usually provide a shuttle bus service at regular intervals for students to travel to and fro. In other instances where students live quite a distance away or on their own, they can easily and conveniently use public transportation such as buses, taxis, feeder buses, the light rail transit (LRT), KL Monorail, electric KTM trains and Expressways to get to their institutions.

Food & Other Living Expenses
As food and other living expenses can amount to another chunk of their living costs, prospective students are encouraged to determine this cost factor carefully. Some typical expenses in Malaysia.
Total Costs of Living:
The total costs of living will average to approximately RM800-1,000 per month, or about RM9,600-12,000 (US$2,526-3,157) per year for a student. This however, depends on the student’s style of living, as well as the cost of living that varies from one location to another.

International students who hold Student Passes are also not allowed to work in Malaysia. Therefore, it is not expected that they can support themselves while still studying. Given all these cost factors, it is estimated that in order to complete a 3-year degree programme, foreign students would need to set aside about RM60,000-90,000 (US$16,000-24,000) to cover the tuition fees and living expenses for a reasonably comfortable living for the entire 3 years in this country, or RM20,000-30,000 (US$5,270-7,900) per year. (Please note that these figures are estimates only).

- Malaysia as an education hub for Africa and the Middle East
Private colleges’ courses such as “2+1” degree, advanced standing and credit transfer programmes are readily accepted by overseas collaborative universities for entry into their final year or second year bachelor’s degree programmes. Therefore, students have the choice of transfer to overseas universities in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and various other countries.

However, the international students are advised to check the visa requirements of the country to which you intend to study in. You may seek the advice of any international officers at the institution or the relevant foreign embassies that have their offices in Malaysia.

Malaysia is being acknowledged as a global education hub where students have the option to select different educational routes for the completion of their tertiary studies at overseas universities.

Conclusion
Study opportunities in Malaysia are plentiful and the cost of study for an equivalent quality a Bachelor’s degree or English Language competency programme in Malaysia is well below the fee charged by universities in other study destinations.

As can be seen in the examples given in this Chapter, it is safe to assume that students can save up to RM100,000 or more if they choose to do their entire foreign university degree locally in Malaysia, instead of going to the traditional education-associated countries such as the UK, USA, Australia or New Zealand.

You will find that these costs work out to be considerably cheaper in Malaysia, due to the competitive cost of education programmes which are paid in Malaysian Ringgit (RM), the good living standards at reasonable costs, and the overall stability of the currency exchange rates.

In addition, the quality of education is on par with the institutions in other countries and the degrees awarded are internationally-recognized. Malaysian institutions also offer a choice of local qualifications as well awards/degrees from foreign universities.

Malaysian institutions offering 3+0 and 2+1 study options are also unique in that they enable students to save money by doing the 3+0 or twinning degree arrangement. These options enable study expenses in Malaysia to be much cheaper, because students pay their course fees in ringgit and the cost of living in Malaysia is far cheaper as compared to other education destinations such as the UK, USA, Australia and Canada. Malaysia also serves as a viable platform for many international students to do their first and second year and then complete their final year for a degree at the linked-universities overseas.

Last but not least, the Malaysian experience with its multi-racial and friendly community and its politically and economically stable environment provides an ideal atmosphere for students to study and live without harm and unnecessary distractions.