Kota Kinabalu: Malaysia continued to play a role in the global expat community as a top-53 top destination in the Expat Insider 2024 survey by InterNations but saw a notable decline from its impressive fourth-place ranking in 2023, highlighting shifting dynamics in expat satisfaction.
Last year, Malaysia’s high ranking was largely due to its strong performance in the Personal Finance Index, where it ranked fifth, and its general cost of living, which was rated third, leading to a global score in the top five.
“Expats in Malaysia also agree that their disposable household income is enough to lead a comfortable life (ninth) and are very satisfied with their financial situation (69% happy vs. 58% globally),” read the 2023 survey.
Dubbed "an affordable destination", expats praised the country’s affordability and the ease of finding and affording housing, with Malaysia ranking second in the Expat Essentials Index.
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Southeast Asia, as a whole, emerged as a standout region in the 2024 survey, with countries like Indonesia (third), Thailand (sixth), Vietnam (eighth), and the Philippines (ninth), making the top 10.
While Malaysia ranks 22nd overall (eight places ahead of Singapore), it remains a favourable destination for expats but faces increasing competition within the region.
The 2024 survey gathered insights from over 12,543 expatriates across 174 countries, assessing key areas such as quality of life, personal finance, working abroad and overall satisfaction.
“The target audience included all kinds of expats, from international retirees and self-made expats who looked for work abroad to foreign assignees (i.e., employees sent on a corporate assignment abroad), and others who moved for a variety of reasons.
“For a country to be listed in any of the indices and in the overall ranking, a sample size of at least 50 survey participants per destination is required.
“In 2024, 53 destinations met this requirement. In most destinations the sample size exceeded 75 respondents,” said the survey.
Panama leads the pack as the top choice for expats in 2024, followed by Mexico and Indonesia.
Malaysia’s overall ranking places it alongside other notable countries such as Hong Kong (21st) and South Korea (23rd), showing its competitiveness in the Asian region, despite the drop.
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