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Malaysia is a wonderful country to visit and is well-suited for backpackers. Malaysia is separated by the South China Sea into two regions, one called Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo’s East Malaysia. In the case of Peninsular Malaysia, it shares a land border with Thailand and Singapore. So, is Malaysia expensive for backpackers?

Malaysia is affordable for backpackers. A realistic daily budget for backpacking through Malaysia is about $45 for accommodation and food. Malaysia is slightly more expensive than Thailand or Cambodia. The one area where Malaysia becomes very expensive is alcohol as it is a muslin country and there are high taxes on alcohol.

In this post, we will go through is Malaysia expensive for backpackers. Let’s get started!

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Is Malaysia Expensive For Backpackers?

Malaysia is affordable but is slightly more expensive than places like Thailand and Vietnam. A realistic daily budget for backpacking through Malaysia is about $45 for accommodation and food.

With accommodation making most of the budget where you can expect to pay around $35 upwards in places like Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi. And it gets cheaper in other places around Malaysia.

Merdeka Square in Malaysia

How expensive Malaysia is for backpackers largely depends on the backpackers if they have expensive tastes and are prepared to shop around. Remember that food in Malaysia is relatively cheap and accommodation is relatively inexpensive but you do need to shop around and do some research to reduce the daily cost.

Also, the one area where Malaysia becomes more expensive is buying alcohol as it is a muslin country and there are high taxes on alcohol.

Is Malaysia Good For Backpackers?

Malaysia is good for backpackers. There are multiple reasons such as Malaysia offering some amazing food, awesome beaches, amazing islands, amazing scene, and it is affordable. And there are so many places to see in Malaysia and things to do in Malaysia.

Is Malaysia Safe For Tourists?

Malaysia is a safe country to visit for travelers. Like any other country, it does have issues with petty crimes like bag-snatching and pickpocketing as well as scams To stay safe in Malaysia you do need to use basic common sense and be aware of the issues of petty crime and scams.

Sky Bridge in Langkawi

Is It Easy To Travel Around Malaysia?

Getting around Malaysia is very easy. It has good transportation throughout the country from buses to airplanes. Buses and trains are frequent and comfortable. And best of all it is affordable.

Is Langkawi Good For Backpackers?

Langkawi is expensive if compared to others around Malaysia. For backpackers, Langkawi is worth visiting but it is more about relaxing, chilling out, going shopping, enjoying the local food, and doing a little bit of exploring.

Where Should To Go Backpacking In Malaysia?

Malaysia has plenty of places for backpackers to explore islands, and temples, and enjoy the beautiful scenery. There are fun things to go backpacking in Malaysia that will keep you busy for a few weeks. These are as follows

Perhentian Beach

When Should You Visit Malaysia?

Malaysia is considered a tropical paradise due to its warm weather. The average temperature can be between 25ºC to 35ºC.

The rainy season on the west of the peninsula is normally between April to October. The rain lasts only for a short period.

The east coast has a heavier rainy season between November to February. During these rainy months, many of the beach resorts close and re-open in March.

Based on this I would recommend going just after the rainy season, between February and September.

Wrapping Up

Finally, a realistic daily budget for backpacking through Malaysia is about $45 for accommodation and food. Malaysia is only slightly more expensive than Thailand or Cambodia. The one area where Malaysia becomes more expensive is alcohol as it is a muslin country and there are high taxes on alcohol. How expensive things are in Malaysia depends largely on how fancy the backpackers’ taste is.

And that’s it for now! I’d love to know if this guide on is Malaysia expensive for backpackers has helped you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there is more to add.

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