I'm a Malaysian living in KL. Here are my thoughts on every city as a nomad destination: I'm not going to talk much about KL as Andrew has done that many times in his videos. KL is the most developed city in Malaysia and is its commercial hub. It has the best infrastructure and facilities in the country. When most people say Penang they are usually referring to Penang Island. But Penang is actually a state by itself that is comprised of the island and a part of mainland peninsular Malaysia. Penang is rich in culture and history and is well known for being a foodie Mecca. The more developed eastern part of the island, where Georgetown is, is littered with old colonial architecture among more modern buildings which kind of gives it a rustic charm. The western part of the island, called Balik Pulau, is the least developed and has small towns, villages and paddy fields. Being an island you may think that it's surrounded by beaches but the only accessible beaches are on the northern coast. The most famous being Batu Ferringhi, which is a resort town. Unfortunately, the beach there is mediocre at best. Penang is not an island for beach lovers. It is best for those who appreciate culture, history and cuisine while having access to decent infrastructure and facilities. About 120km north of Penang is Langkawi Island. It is about the same size as Penang, perhaps even slightly larger. But it is more mountainous and so has less habitable lowlands. It is also less developed and less metropolitan than Penang. Langkawi would be my personal choice as a nomad destination because i'm a beach lover and, unlike Penang, it has a tropical island vibe to it. Mind you, Langkawi is no Maldives or Bora Bora. There are decent beaches but no crystal clear waters or coral reefs for snorkeling or scuba diving. You would have to head over to the islands on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia for that (both Penang and Langkawi are on the west coast). Langkawi is big enough to hold your interest for a while. There are many activities to do and places to see. There is adequate but not particularly abundant nightlife. And what is available is much lower key than the wild joints you'll find in places like Thailand. As Andrew mentioned it is a duty free island so many people go to Langkawi for cheap booze and chocolates. Cigarettes were once on the duty free list but the government has since been trying to discourage smoking so it has been removed. However, for a duty free island, the shopping scene is not as developed as you might expect. Langkawi is definitely the location of choice for tropical beach loving nomads who want a laid back existence. Like Penang, the city of Malacca has its own rich heritage of culture and history. It is the oldest city in peninsular Malaysia and was the birthplace of the Malay Sultanate, which has since propagated to other states in Malaysia. It was also once the commercial and trading center of the Malay archipelago dating back to the 15th century. In the early 16th century it was invaded and occupied by the Portuguese and, later, the Dutch. There are buildings there that have stood for hundreds of years. For history buffs, there are no shortage of museums. Though personally, I find Malacca to be the least interesting of the aforementioned options. It is a place that may hold some fascination on your first visit, but once you've explored everything it doesn't really offer anything more to entice you back. But I know some people who like it enough to keep returning. Johor Bahru (JB) lies on the southern tip of peninsular Malaysia and is the capital of the state of Johor. Its biggest (and probably only) appeal as a nomad location is its close proximity to Singapore, the commercial hub of South East Asia. JB is on the Malaysian end of the Causeway, the 1km bridge between Malaysia and Singapore. There are nomads who live in JB for its affordable cost of living while conducting business and/or sightseeing in Singapore.
My Atuk's kampung is in Balik Pulau. Already got Starbucks and 1 International School... kalau buleh nak kekalkan cara hidup kampung dan tak nak feeling2 cam ada kat Hong Kong😔
@Reza I’m surprised the state of Perak is still under the radar... aren’t there cities there that are up-and-coming? I heard that Taiping city in Perak has been ranked as one of the most sustainable cities in the world. And Ipoh city in Perak is also culturally vibrant like Penang.
Kelvin Kuan Somewhat agree with Ipoh. I wouldn’t say its as culturally vibrant as Penang but it has great food. Andrew did give it an honorable mention, though he butchered the pronunciation (eye-poh). I’ve never been to Taiping but heard it being mentioned as a low key backpacker destination. But one person i know who came from Taiping said that the sustainable award was not deserved
Reza Ghani interesting about it not being deserved. Lol. I noticed that Kuching has become quite the spot in recent years as an eco-tourism spot and Kota Kinabalu has the second largest population in Malaysia with also diversity of nature.
I was first introduced to the programme in 2007 while living in South Korea and considering my next move. It seemed reasonably affordable at the time. Any idea what the price is atm?
Unfortunately Malaysia has now frozen all the application now until further notice, most probably due to the ban of entry amid COVID-19. So you might want to at least wait till next year after this whole COVID-19 settle down.
Visited Malaysia many times - KL, Penang, Langkawi & Kuantan. Thoughts... we prefer Penang. We both like the old British colonial architecture (yep I said colonial!!), excellent health facilities, great food, excellent infrastructure, English well-spoken, very cheap but high-quality accommodation but best of all the people are truly the nicest, friendliest and most helpful! We have enjoyed many great evenings in Georgetown eating local foods Chinese, Malay, and Indian with some not so cheap beer! Langkawi was nice but too quiet for us - VERY honest taxi drivers!! Local people always 'looking out for our welfare'. Kuantan - a bit quiet again and more Muslim traditions I felt... nice stay at the Hyatt on the beach. KL - very hot, bustling, big international malls, very interesting little India and Chinatown, super food for all tastes and pockets. Perfect international connections. No country is ever perfect but Malaysia comes very close for us. We also are very aware of MM2H and its tax policies on overseas foreign earned income and UK pensions. Currently, waiting for the borders to be swung open and to allow us to visit and to set our longterm wheels in motion! For us in the UK it feels very much like an easy move. I think the Malaysian Government and Health Authorities seem to have handled the current global emergency extremely well especially compared to the UK. We never felt unsafe no matter what time, day or night.
I a Brit and I live here on Penang. I absolutely love Malaysia. I have been living here for 8 years and no other countries come close. Previous countries I have lived in for more than a year are. Sri Lanka. South Africa. Nigeria. Cameroon. Russia. Slovakia. Finland. Holland. France and the UK. I work in the offshore oil industry so does not matter where I live. South Africa is too dangerous and unfriendly. Russia is too big and cold (although lovely in the summer) and the UK is too woke. Have only got positive things to say about Malaysia. I don't like too brag too much about Malaysia as if everyone knew how good it was, the.population would rise by.10's of millions in a week. As for Thailand. Well if you are in Malaysia as you get closer to the Thai border, the smell of the Thai sewage system gets stronger.
Hey Andrew I was looking into Malaysia, years before I discovered your UA-cam channel and I was originally attracted to a town on the North end of the Penang Island. It didn't appear to be too far from George Town. I saw a unit for sale that was SOO CHEAP (compared to the US). Just wanted to let you that I really appreciate this video. 👍🏾
Spent a month in KL last year before our move to Qatar. I thought it was great! As someone with a family I thought it was easy to get around and we found plenty to do. We stayed in Desa Pandan which was about 15-20 minutes from the KLCC area.
We really like living in Johor Bahru. Probably because it is not so touristy. Well, there are a lot of Singaporeans visiting (under normal circumstances). We almost rented in KL, but decided against it because we wanted to be closer to Singapore to visit often. Maybe one day ... You can live in beautiful houses that are modern and 3000 sqf (270m2) for around 800 USD per month. Crazy good value. Driving over the border 20 kilometers you will pay like 6-10 times more if you can even get such a big house. We learned to use Lazada while in lockdown so are actually not missing anything. Lockdown was stricter than in most countries, but infection rates are super low compared to the US or elsewhere. All in all it is super safe here.
My hospital experience in ASEAN countries ex-SG as follows (top to bottom rating) Thailand (BKK&PTY) - all with good expat hospital well staffed, and the medicines worked, and the price did not cause me pain. Malaysia (JB) - hospital quite new with modern management, medicines mostly work, bill also did not cause pain for what was done for me. Indonesia - did not dare try their hospital. One time caught a fever but their Bintang beer and a night sleep cured it. Philippines (Manila) - best expat hospital still feels like China in the late 80s, doctor's qualification questionable, medication nearly not work, or not available at the pharmacy. Price lower than the above (tho more than the Bintang beer) Hard to bet your life on it but being on a big island you probably have not many alternatives.
PutraJaya was fantastic for us when we were living in Malaysia (cheap Uber/Lyft ride to KLCC if we wanted to go in). Putra Jaya very modern, fast internet, lots of green space, very family oriented, fantastic malls, amazing restaurants, very clean and safe, excellent infrastructure. Also known as the Garden city - very tropical still but cooler than KLCC and only 15/20 mins away. Excellent access to airport and public transportation. It is a Government city (with main offices there), has a lake that has water-sports, walkable paths for fitness and a botanical garden. Cyber Jaya is near by which is the "Silicon Valley" of Malaysia which also has the same benefits as above.
I lived on Borneo for 8 years, in Brunei. Kuching, Miri, Labuan and Kota Kinabalu were great places to visit. Great beaches and seafood in Miri. Borneo provides better outdoors experiences and is less populated. Jungle trekking, golf, boating, diving, fishing, cave exploring all readily available. Had great fun visiting Iban longhouses upriver during Gawai. ;)
@@IferJ It's been many years since I last visited Kuching (Cat city), but I liked it when I was there. I'd imagine it's changed a lot as has most of Malaysia. Most of my time in Borneo was further north in the Brunei, Miri, Labuan and KK areas.
If remoteness does not bother you too much, I wouldn't discount the Borneo side right away. Kota Kinabalu is in my opinion a wonderful place to be. I haven't lived there (yet), but could very well imagine it. The city itself has all the Western mod-cons if you so desire, and 15 minutes by boat puts you on beautiful islands with crystal clear waters, much surpassing anything Langkawi has to offer. Mount Kinabalu is just a stone throw away and offers countless hiking opportunities, not to mention the plethora of other jungle trekking and dive sites all over Borneo.
@@iph4stm145 hmmm...u mean cooler as in the temperature? Mount Kinabalu is much more cooler than Cameron, bcuz it is the coldest place in Malaysia. Tourist related business? Are u trying to say tourist who want to do business or tourism industry? Sabah has the highest amount of tourists than any other place in Malaysia combined.
My wife's family lives in Taman Naga Emas. I've spent a lot of time in the places mentioned with the exception of Johor (her brother lives there). I 100% agree with your assessment. When we move back there, we will be living in KL (probably more in the KLCC area).
Thanks for the videos Andrew. I have been spending most of the past few years in Penang and think it is an excellent destination. Staying in the Gurney area, all the mod-cons are right there. It is affordable and the legendary food scene is really vibrant. There are good paths to hike around Penang hill and the botanical gardens. Speedy internet connection with fiber to the home common. Transport is excellent and affordable with good buses and rideshare service. Only negative is the air quality can be bad some months of the year due to slash and burn smoke drifting in. Overall, pretty ideal for me.
Awesome! Read your book over two years ago while visiting Indonesia. So last year December visited Malaysia. Got picture in front of PETRONAS Towers, toured the KLCC area attractions and rode the cable car to the hilltop mall. With a tour guide visited Malacca and the many sites and learned of the history. Stayed in the Sunway Resort Hotel which with all the sights and malls stayed busy every day. Food! Oh my, the food! With the fast internet, reasonable prices for everything, and the 10-year visa, it is all lining up as a serious second or third home-base option.
@Fareed Waseem first off, this is a dumb ass statement. Alot of you forget how big America is. You just see stuff off tv and pee your pants. Bet you've never been here, and if yiu have, it was prolly just New York like most idiots. The states is the third largest country by size in the world, so there are many many many places you can live where the schools are good and there's no crime. So stop being dumb and spreading lies. Every country has bad spots. America is huge and about 90%of the country is safe
Kedah origin here. Very familiar with Penang and Langkawi and now i am living alone in KL but all my family and siblings in North (Penang and Kedah), so of course Kedah is always my choice to go for retirement
Lived and worked in Johor Bahru for 2+yrs, it's modernizing and a bit like a Shenzhen in layback mode, and economically being tugged by SG. Love their Sultan! Visited Kuching in Sarawak. Stronger English/Christian heritage and low cost, tidy city, more suitable for simple retirement closed to islands and ocean.
I lived and worked at KL city, loved the place and culture, stayed at brick fields area next to bangsar.... Had visited Malacca and langkawi.. Good memories
When buying a house, be aware of heat and insect issues. Malaysia is hot and humid and had extensive mosquito problems so most houses use extensive aircon and kept windows closed - not an outdoor lifestyle as you’d think. If you are above the 12th floor then heat are mosquitos are not an issue. Above the 20th floor, excess wind can become an issue. You also need to be very aware of mosque or temple location as noise at nighttime can be an issue. Beaches with public access can also be noisy due to all night parties. Rent before buying. Given that, I find Penang to be amazing, the lifestyle is relaxed and the food is about the best in the world. Malaysian condos are also amongst the worlds best in design and price.
I played a lot of SimCity 3000 as a kid and used the Petronas Towers as a landmark in all my cities. Just a fun memory I get every time you show pics of KL.
yes well worth the visit .. I did Penang to Singapore by buss stopping at all the cities you mentioned over a 10 day period. If I wasnt so invested into Thailand I would be seeking residency in Penang .. but i still may do.
My opinion: KL is for business and family living Penang(George Town) is for digital nomads and foodies. Johor Bahru- If you commute to Singapore once in a while
I worked and lived in KL during 2012s, visited langkawi, Malacca.. Good tourist places.. Wish to visit Penang & Borneo.. part..people are friendly there.. It's rainy, good tropical climate
Hello andrew I am a forex trader and I love watching your videos particularly the introduction clip and of course the great content you are providing for viewers like me cheers you are doing outstanding job
@Fareed Waseem Mr. Fareed, thanks for your suggestion but I am an Indian national how can I trade forex from Malaysia if i don't have the citizenship also I need to have a bank account, I am contemplating about living in a foreign country but have no idea about a countries legal rules and regulations
Have you heard about the SM2ndHome (ie Sarawak) visa. Easier and cheaper to get then the MM2ndHome visa. On that visa you can live anywhere in Malaysia, but have to go back to Sarawak once a year for 15 days.
yeah those fact are right. as malaysian living up north close to langkawi, interconnection within states of malaysia and other countries are great by location. our local food culture are well diversed and great.. plus cheap! welcome to malaysia
Thanks for this video. I have lived and worked in Malaysia, KL and Klang from 1989 and 1991. It was my first stop into SEA. It was a magical experience, had very good friends there. Recently thinking about going back and restart again. In the past few years there has certainly been a progressive development. There are also very interesting development happening on Borneo and East Borneo on the Indonesian part of the island. Would love to have more info about the future outlook. Thanks Mike
1989 and 1991?man, that so long ago. KL would have looked very different. Even I, as a local still can't figure out the new roads being constructed if I do visit KL every 2-3 years once.
Kota Kinabalu on bornea island is the best place for live in Malaysia, you get beaches, mountain, jungle, intl airport, you should have a look on it you will be surprises, in my opinion its underrated in ASEAN. Cheers
We are retired in Ipoh from SG. Perhaps you like to check out some Ipoh related (food paradise, the latest news, etc.) facebook.com/groups/1433925016838968/?ref=share
As long as you are still young around 40 well versed with the cities in Peninsular Malaysia and the ability to grasp the opportunity to be in as many places as you can doing business, then you are the perfect guy to be lucky to partner with.
I must say, as a Malaysian, I'm a bit surprised with the selection especially no. 3 and no. 4 although I do not object nor questioned the choice. Great choice though. Still, I would've placed Johor Bahru as no. 3 due to its infrastructure and proximity to Singapore. For No. 4 it would've been a tossed up between either Kuching or Kota Kinabalu, although I might be leaning more towards the latter due to its beaches, roads, proximity to Labuan and because it is also host an international airport especially to the Far East region.
I would like to promote my hometown, Seremban City, Negeri Sembilan. Very close to KL, land is much-much cheaper than KL and is mostly landed. If you want to get yourself involved in high tech and eco-friendly industries that is 40 minutes to KL International Airport, 1 hour 15 minutes to KL, 30 minutes to the beach in Port Dickson, 1 hour 15 minutes to Malacca and 3 hours to Singapore by car. With a high traditional heritage surrounded by hills. A very beautiful city.
Hi Andrew. I've visited Malaysia in 2010 and 2013. I quite liked the Shah Alam area, around 30 minutes from KL, if I remember correctly. Please check it out and perhaps do a review of the area. Let's not forget that Malaysia also boasts an F1 Grand Prix track (Sepang) 😎
Johor Bahru (JB) might not be a place conventional western tourists would enjoy visiting, but there are quite a large number of expat living here down south. JB is an industry type city, but also hosts many international offices - RO, call centers and R&D. JB has an international airport, a world-class beach coast resort just 40mins away from the CBD, the 18th busiest seaport in the world, and the city-state Singapore as a neighbor. In terms of cultural and recreational, things are developing nicely with the opening of a new opera house, Legoland, several city gardens. the city will be connected to a high-speed rail connecting SG to KL in the future, and an MRT line to SG in 2024 which will be awesome.
Great video from Nomad Capitalist I would like to mention that most of the large shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya (city) - examples are KLCC mall, Midvalley and Gardens Megamalls, Sunway Pyramid mall, One Utama and the Curve shopping malls, KL Sentral mall, IKEA and Sunway Velocity shopping malls - are connected with the LRT / MRT / BRT train stations - the daily unlimited travel pass for tourists is only RM 5 Malaysian Ringgit or equivalent USD 1 dollar !
Daily unlimited pass in malaysia is only rm5?! That's too cheap! I"ve been to london and their oyster unlimited pass is £8! You don't even have to convert, it's already so much more expensive😕
I lived in the Bangsar area of KL, the apartments are nice and its easy to get around on the metro. Penang is ok, I wouldn't live there tho, feels too small with nothing really going on.
Hi Mr Henderson..many visitors enjoy n love Malaysia becuz of its variety of golf courses n scuba sites. Many Japanese visitors used to fly in (pre covid time) for a swinging "fun in d sun weekend".. great golf n yummy food weekend before flying back ...golfing in Malaysia is very affordable. Cheers
I'm brazilian and I stayed for a month at Langkawi on a nice villa (yes, it's very spacious!). My opnion: the island has a very chill vibe, amazing roads and nice viewpoints. The nature is astonish with lots of wild animals, waterfalls, beaches and dense jungle. But really only a couple public good beaches on the main island and not much infrastructure for living. In general I find it's worth it to visit and to stay for a couple of weeks (and consume the duty free items).
My wife and I are ready to get off the hamster wheel that is CALIFORNIA. I'm 48 and she is 36, Trying to reverse engineer the amount of money needed to make it to 67 and take full retirement from SSN roughly 2500 a month. If we liquidated everything we have we would come up with roughly 400k tomorrow. Do you think that would be enough for two people to live off in Penang for 20 years until retirement benefits kick in. Thoughts?
Forgot to mention Iskandar, Johor.. It is a fast developing area. New houses & apartments, new environment, good walkability to shops & is nearby the Malaysian - Singapore border. Travelling to other regions is both cheap and extremely convenient (pre-covid).
We welcome you. Anyway, don't stay in Penang, Johor Bahru, or Malacca. It's too overcrowded and have poor quality of life. Try Putrajaya, Cyberjaya or Kuala Lumpur suburban.
Been to the 1st three places twice so far. I could easily settle in Langkawi. Checks off so many boxes for my nomad capitalist lifestyle. Only „downside“ is, you have to invest at least MYR 1mio in real estate as a foreigner under MM2H, I think. If I would want to have the city life again for the weekend, I‘d fly to KL and be there in 2hrs. I‘m wondering how Johor Bahru and Kuala Terengganu is.
Johor Bahru unlikely to hold your interest apart from being a gateway to Singapore. Kuala Terengganu is very religiously conservative (ie. no nightlife) and less sophisticated locals than in the other places. KT can be a gateway to some of the best islands in Malaysia though.
If you want to settle in JB, lookout for the newer development area of Nusajaya. It's like SG and Australia kind of feeling. Sparse and under populated but the amenities and specialist hospital are easily available. And just 20mins into SG
Usually people will talk about KL, Penang and JB when it comes to Malaysia because it's more popular based on it tourist place. In my opinion, Negeri Sembilan is also not bad for expats to live there especially in Nilai or Seremban. Nilai is very near to the airport (15 minutes drive) and if you want to go KL,it only takes 30 to 40 mins from Nilai. Negeri Sembilan can offer you guys both rurals and urban environment.
Kl is nice but they need to tighten up thier public transport schedule. Always waiting for a connection vs Singapore. Pollution not bad but it's there. Langkawi is sterile compared to most beach places. Locals aren't the friendliest. Maccara is beautiful at night and the night market is fun. Not a fan of the local food. Panang is the clear winner as a Malaysia base. Fabulous blending of the Indian and Chinese influences. Locals are the friendliest without exterior motives. Great connecting flights.
Yea.... JB used to be a boring sleepy town but not anymore. It may not have the vibes like KL and Penang but if you know where you uncover the gem, you will still be able to enjoy this city.
Can I ask? What is your favorite place in Malaysia? What is The most beautiful city in Malaysia in your opinion? I'm single where do I meet females? How is medical care in Malaysia? Is the politics stable?
Kuching is great. Much better food than Peninsula. Traffic is not to bad. Shopping is plentiful. Wide array of private heath care. Real estate is cheaper. However, public toilets are murderous!!!!!
I’m surprised the state of Perak is still under the radar... aren’t there cities there that are up-and-coming? I heard that Taiping city in Perak has been ranked as one of the most sustainable cities in the world. And Ipoh city in Perak is also culturally vibrant like Penang.
indeed. Cost of living in Perak is much lower compare to Penang and KL, Ipoh and Taiping is colonial history architectural building, very calm and much cool environment. ideal for retirement folk out there, food paradise too, personally in term of food variety same bar as Penang but much cheaper price too.
@@lordkingston indeed. Ipoh is surrounding by ranges of mountain (titiwangsa ranges) and Taiping is surrounding by Bintang ranges. Really nice view there. you can search at google to validate my point. cheers
I'm malaysian..I have no Aircond in My home. MOst Houses in Malaysia have ceiling fan...And its compatible and cooling the air...But if you are someone who cant stand with the hot and humid..aircond is affordable...And if you are turn on the aircond 24 hour your bill is going to RM 300 to 400 a month
Why did you leave out JB????? fairly large city next door to Singapore. For expats looking at cheaper alternative to Singapore you can't go past JB. The city has lots of condo development, new malls, hour drive to Desaru. Soon also fast train (RTS) to Singapore and speedy rail link to KL
Not a big fan of Kl. Found it to be unfriendly, food choices are unhealthy and mostly fried, our cab driver coughed and spat out of the window multiple times whilst driving, it’s a tough city to navigate around and public transport sucks. I can see why you recommend it however as business taxes are low and it’s definitely improved a-lot. But it’s nowhere near developed enough to the point where I could call it home.
Interesting topic, never been to Malaysia but had a friend during first year of university from Malaysia who had spoken very positively about the country. Mind you that was in 2012 and since then did not expect the country to grow as rapidly as it has. One funny side story is the guy wanted to purchase a luxury car in USA and ship it back to Malaysia as he had stated that import taxes were very high on luxury vehicles to Malaysia. Not sure this issue has changed since 2012.
Lol! I would not want to drive a LHD vehicle in Malaysia where they drive on the opposite side of the road. I suspect it might not be possible to import a LHD vehicle into Malaysia.
Unfortunately it is true. Our vehicles here are roughly around 100% more than the manufacturer / factory price. Depending on the engine capacity too. The bigger the capacity, the higher both the one time excise duty & yearly roadtax.
Kind of upset when "every Malaysian city" didn't include the Malaysian Borneo for some reason. The Malaysian Borneo states of Sarawak and Sabah are the first & second largest states in the country.They also have the most diverse ethnic group and culture in the country too. Particularly Kota Kinabalu (KK) has several competitive points which easily fit one of the top in Malaysia. Apart from the standard comparison as mentioned, KK international airport is the second busiest after KL in the country. The advantage is two & half hours closer to anywhere from West coast of North America, East Asian countries and Australasia. KLIA is good for the other side of the world, Europe, Middle East, Africa, South Asia & East Coast of North America. However it always compete with Singapore Changi airport because of close distance. When Air Asia started only two planes, the first and most profitable route in Malaysia is between KL - KK. A 15 minutes boat ride opposite the city, you can reach to several islands protected as national park. The American reality challenge tv series Survivor shot their first episode here at the island called Pulau Tiga. The tropical island holidays named KK one of the best among Bali, Phuket, Cebu & Danang in South East Asia. Its sunset named top six in the world. Also named one of the top ten places to retire in the world other than Penang here in Peninsula. 30 minutes car ride from the city up to the hill, you will reach high altitude from cool to cold temperature in the tropic. Part of the Crocker Range to Mt. Kinabalu (4095 meter) national park, the Malaysian first UNESCO site. A two hours boat ride you will reach Labuan a tax-free island here in the country. A three & half hours car ride you will reach Brunei where its currency is slight lower than Singapore dollar. KK simply has alot to offer.
Good info. Been to Malaysia three times but never ventured further than KL and Genting ( not for the casinos but for the thrill of riding the cable car). Just want to know 2 things. Is it easy to find halal foods and mosques in KK? Thanks
Now that you've been stranded in Malaysia due to the MCO (and various subsequent iterations thereof) do you still like and appreciate the country as much now as you did pre-lockdown?
I don't understand y nomads wouldn't wanna live in Johor Bahru, it's u can literally live your everyday life in Singapore without buying a small million dollar apartment
I'm thinking that avoiding the Philippines, most majority Muslim countries, many African countries & a lot of Eastern Europe will be some of the advice, as well as being careful as to which Latin American countries you visit. I suspect sticking to Canada, Western Europe, Australia & New Zealand with a few outlier countries in every region will be th advice.
I'm a Malaysian living in KL. Here are my thoughts on every city as a nomad destination:
I'm not going to talk much about KL as Andrew has done that many times in his videos. KL is the most developed city in Malaysia and is its commercial hub. It has the best infrastructure and facilities in the country.
When most people say Penang they are usually referring to Penang Island. But Penang is actually a state by itself that is comprised of the island and a part of mainland peninsular Malaysia. Penang is rich in culture and history and is well known for being a foodie Mecca. The more developed eastern part of the island, where Georgetown is, is littered with old colonial architecture among more modern buildings which kind of gives it a rustic charm. The western part of the island, called Balik Pulau, is the least developed and has small towns, villages and paddy fields. Being an island you may think that it's surrounded by beaches but the only accessible beaches are on the northern coast. The most famous being Batu Ferringhi, which is a resort town. Unfortunately, the beach there is mediocre at best. Penang is not an island for beach lovers. It is best for those who appreciate culture, history and cuisine while having access to decent infrastructure and facilities.
About 120km north of Penang is Langkawi Island. It is about the same size as Penang, perhaps even slightly larger. But it is more mountainous and so has less habitable lowlands. It is also less developed and less metropolitan than Penang. Langkawi would be my personal choice as a nomad destination because i'm a beach lover and, unlike Penang, it has a tropical island vibe to it. Mind you, Langkawi is no Maldives or Bora Bora. There are decent beaches but no crystal clear waters or coral reefs for snorkeling or scuba diving. You would have to head over to the islands on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia for that (both Penang and Langkawi are on the west coast). Langkawi is big enough to hold your interest for a while. There are many activities to do and places to see. There is adequate but not particularly abundant nightlife. And what is available is much lower key than the wild joints you'll find in places like Thailand. As Andrew mentioned it is a duty free island so many people go to Langkawi for cheap booze and chocolates. Cigarettes were once on the duty free list but the government has since been trying to discourage smoking so it has been removed. However, for a duty free island, the shopping scene is not as developed as you might expect. Langkawi is definitely the location of choice for tropical beach loving nomads who want a laid back existence.
Like Penang, the city of Malacca has its own rich heritage of culture and history. It is the oldest city in peninsular Malaysia and was the birthplace of the Malay Sultanate, which has since propagated to other states in Malaysia. It was also once the commercial and trading center of the Malay archipelago dating back to the 15th century. In the early 16th century it was invaded and occupied by the Portuguese and, later, the Dutch. There are buildings there that have stood for hundreds of years. For history buffs, there are no shortage of museums. Though personally, I find Malacca to be the least interesting of the aforementioned options. It is a place that may hold some fascination on your first visit, but once you've explored everything it doesn't really offer anything more to entice you back. But I know some people who like it enough to keep returning.
Johor Bahru (JB) lies on the southern tip of peninsular Malaysia and is the capital of the state of Johor. Its biggest (and probably only) appeal as a nomad location is its close proximity to Singapore, the commercial hub of South East Asia. JB is on the Malaysian end of the Causeway, the 1km bridge between Malaysia and Singapore. There are nomads who live in JB for its affordable cost of living while conducting business and/or sightseeing in Singapore.
Reza Ghani Thank you very much:)
My Atuk's kampung is in Balik Pulau. Already got Starbucks and 1 International School... kalau buleh nak kekalkan cara hidup kampung dan tak nak feeling2 cam ada kat Hong Kong😔
@Reza I’m surprised the state of Perak is still under the radar... aren’t there cities there that are up-and-coming? I heard that Taiping city in Perak has been ranked as one of the most sustainable cities in the world. And Ipoh city in Perak is also culturally vibrant like Penang.
Kelvin Kuan Somewhat agree with Ipoh. I wouldn’t say its as culturally vibrant as Penang but it has great food. Andrew did give it an honorable mention, though he butchered the pronunciation (eye-poh). I’ve never been to Taiping but heard it being mentioned as a low key backpacker destination. But one person i know who came from Taiping said that the sustainable award was not deserved
Reza Ghani interesting about it not being deserved. Lol. I noticed that Kuching has become quite the spot in recent years as an eco-tourism spot and Kota Kinabalu has the second largest population in Malaysia with also diversity of nature.
I'm quite fond of KL. I'll likely be trying for a "Malaysia My 2nd Home" visa within the next few years.
I was first introduced to the programme in 2007 while living in South Korea and considering my next move. It seemed reasonably affordable at the time. Any idea what the price is atm?
Unfortunately Malaysia has now frozen all the application now until further notice, most probably due to the ban of entry amid COVID-19. So you might want to at least wait till next year after this whole COVID-19 settle down.
You are most welcome to Malaysia. Yes Bangsar is my living area.
looking forward for more friends in KL
you can try staying here on 3 months visa first or do visa runs if u wanna stay longer
Visited Malaysia many times - KL, Penang, Langkawi & Kuantan. Thoughts... we prefer Penang. We both like the old British colonial architecture (yep I said colonial!!), excellent health facilities, great food, excellent infrastructure, English well-spoken, very cheap but high-quality accommodation but best of all the people are truly the nicest, friendliest and most helpful! We have enjoyed many great evenings in Georgetown eating local foods Chinese, Malay, and Indian with some not so cheap beer! Langkawi was nice but too quiet for us - VERY honest taxi drivers!! Local people always 'looking out for our welfare'. Kuantan - a bit quiet again and more Muslim traditions I felt... nice stay at the Hyatt on the beach. KL - very hot, bustling, big international malls, very interesting little India and Chinatown, super food for all tastes and pockets. Perfect international connections. No country is ever perfect but Malaysia comes very close for us. We also are very aware of MM2H and its tax policies on overseas foreign earned income and UK pensions. Currently, waiting for the borders to be swung open and to allow us to visit and to set our longterm wheels in motion! For us in the UK it feels very much like an easy move. I think the Malaysian Government and Health Authorities seem to have handled the current global emergency extremely well especially compared to the UK. We never felt unsafe no matter what time, day or night.
Thank you for your imput and experiences in Malaysia
@@kbunky69 No problem, I'm a big fan.
@Manny Pacquiao & Amir Khan No matter what I'll always be more polite than you.
Love from Malaysia❤️
NO HAGGLING!!
I lived in Damansara as a teenager (2002-2007), and KL was definitely the most enjoyable city I've lived in! (out of 11 in 6 countries).
What are other 10 countries
I a Brit and I live here on Penang.
I absolutely love Malaysia. I have been living here for 8 years and no other countries come close.
Previous countries I have lived in for more than a year are.
Sri Lanka. South Africa. Nigeria. Cameroon. Russia. Slovakia. Finland. Holland. France and the UK.
I work in the offshore oil industry so does not matter where I live.
South Africa is too dangerous and unfriendly.
Russia is too big and cold (although lovely in the summer) and the UK is too woke.
Have only got positive things to say about Malaysia.
I don't like too brag too much about Malaysia as if everyone knew how good it was, the.population would rise by.10's of millions in a week.
As for Thailand. Well if you are in Malaysia as you get closer to the Thai border, the smell of the Thai sewage system gets stronger.
Hey Andrew
I was looking into Malaysia, years before I discovered your UA-cam channel and I was originally attracted to a town on the North end of the Penang Island. It didn't appear to be too far from George Town.
I saw a unit for sale that was SOO CHEAP (compared to the US). Just wanted to let you that I really appreciate this video. 👍🏾
Probably Tanjung Bungah or Tanjung Tokong
Try Cyberjaya next to Putrajaya. Calm little city if you don't really like hectic KL life.
Thank you for covering this. You're so precise and articulate with your facts. Love every detail!
OMG😱😱😱
I realize Im kind of randomly asking but do anybody know a good site to stream newly released tv shows online?
@Archer Zahir Flixportal
@Aden Rhett thanks, signed up and it seems to work =) I really appreciate it!
@Archer Zahir happy to help :)
Lived in KL since I was born, holiday apartment in Penang. Now working overseas. The video describes both places very well!
Spent a month in KL last year before our move to Qatar. I thought it was great! As someone with a family I thought it was easy to get around and we found plenty to do. We stayed in Desa Pandan which was about 15-20 minutes from the KLCC area.
So near ..I live in Taman BUkit Permai..Upper you..I can view KL from the top
Thanks for making this video. We are moving to KL, Malaysia later this year, so I really appreciate all of the Malaysia content!
Good news! I'm sure you will like KL.
Visited KL 6 times and Penang once. I can't wait for the border to reopen so I can return.
What were your 3 main favorite things
Same I want to visit Malaysia too once the border reopens I'll fly back to KL.
I suggest visiting Johor Baru coz it's pretty unique
We really like living in Johor Bahru. Probably because it is not so touristy. Well, there are a lot of Singaporeans visiting (under normal circumstances). We almost rented in KL, but decided against it because we wanted to be closer to Singapore to visit often. Maybe one day ...
You can live in beautiful houses that are modern and 3000 sqf (270m2) for around 800 USD per month. Crazy good value. Driving over the border 20 kilometers you will pay like 6-10 times more if you can even get such a big house. We learned to use Lazada while in lockdown so are actually not missing anything. Lockdown was stricter than in most countries, but infection rates are super low compared to the US or elsewhere. All in all it is super safe here.
Sounds like a place I'd like, thanks for sharing
And while living there I used the private hospital for minor surgery and local clinics. All modern, clean and effective. Some hospitals are SG owned.
My hospital experience in ASEAN countries ex-SG as follows (top to bottom rating)
Thailand (BKK&PTY) - all with good expat hospital well staffed, and the medicines worked, and the price did not cause me pain.
Malaysia (JB) - hospital quite new with modern management, medicines mostly work, bill also did not cause pain for what was done for me.
Indonesia - did not dare try their hospital. One time caught a fever but their Bintang beer and a night sleep cured it.
Philippines (Manila) - best expat hospital still feels like China in the late 80s, doctor's qualification questionable, medication nearly not work, or not available at the pharmacy. Price lower than the above (tho more than the Bintang beer) Hard to bet your life on it but being on a big island you probably have not many alternatives.
@Manny Pacquiao & Amir Khan Are you ok man?
PutraJaya was fantastic for us when we were living in Malaysia (cheap Uber/Lyft ride to KLCC if we wanted to go in). Putra Jaya very modern, fast internet, lots of green space, very family oriented, fantastic malls, amazing restaurants, very clean and safe, excellent infrastructure. Also known as the Garden city - very tropical still but cooler than KLCC and only 15/20 mins away. Excellent access to airport and public transportation. It is a Government city (with main offices there), has a lake that has water-sports, walkable paths for fitness and a botanical garden. Cyber Jaya is near by which is the "Silicon Valley" of Malaysia which also has the same benefits as above.
Now there's only Grab, MyTaxi, etc
Putrajaya is underrated
@@TheGamingAlong putrajaya is boring. Not much nightlife.
I lived on Borneo for 8 years, in Brunei. Kuching, Miri, Labuan and Kota Kinabalu were great places to visit. Great beaches and seafood in Miri. Borneo provides better outdoors experiences and is less populated. Jungle trekking, golf, boating, diving, fishing, cave exploring all readily available. Had great fun visiting Iban longhouses upriver during Gawai. ;)
Hi Tom, i'm thinking about retiring to Kuching. Whats your opinion about living in kuching, the people, public transport & night life ?
Yeah.. Obe of my friend stay in miri... Omg... Its beautiful...
@@IferJ It's been many years since I last visited Kuching (Cat city), but I liked it when I was there. I'd imagine it's changed a lot as has most of Malaysia. Most of my time in Borneo was further north in the Brunei, Miri, Labuan and KK areas.
@@imanabdullah3263 Beautiful beaches there...e.g. Brighton beach...the sunsets are spectacular. Used to be some nice seafood places along there too.
I'm from the UK and spent 3 months in KL, great place. Loved Penang as well.
If remoteness does not bother you too much, I wouldn't discount the Borneo side right away. Kota Kinabalu is in my opinion a wonderful place to be. I haven't lived there (yet), but could very well imagine it. The city itself has all the Western mod-cons if you so desire, and 15 minutes by boat puts you on beautiful islands with crystal clear waters, much surpassing anything Langkawi has to offer. Mount Kinabalu is just a stone throw away and offers countless hiking opportunities, not to mention the plethora of other jungle trekking and dive sites all over Borneo.
If remoteness is okay, the Cameron Highlands is cooler and should be able to sustain a tourist related business without much difficulty?
@@iph4stm145 hmmm...u mean cooler as in the temperature? Mount Kinabalu is much more cooler than Cameron, bcuz it is the coldest place in Malaysia. Tourist related business? Are u trying to say tourist who want to do business or tourism industry? Sabah has the highest amount of tourists than any other place in Malaysia combined.
Choose Kota Kinabalu if you want to close to nature, beach. Quite lovely city
My wife's family lives in Taman Naga Emas. I've spent a lot of time in the places mentioned with the exception of Johor (her brother lives there). I 100% agree with your assessment. When we move back there, we will be living in KL (probably more in the KLCC area).
Thanks for the videos Andrew. I have been spending most of the past few years in Penang and think it is an excellent destination. Staying in the Gurney area, all the mod-cons are right there. It is affordable and the legendary food scene is really vibrant. There are good paths to hike around Penang hill and the botanical gardens. Speedy internet connection with fiber to the home common. Transport is excellent and affordable with good buses and rideshare service. Only negative is the air quality can be bad some months of the year due to slash and burn smoke drifting in. Overall, pretty ideal for me.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Glad you like it.
Awesome! Read your book over two years ago while visiting Indonesia. So last year December visited Malaysia. Got picture in front of PETRONAS Towers, toured the KLCC area attractions and rode the cable car to the hilltop mall. With a tour guide visited Malacca and the many sites and learned of the history. Stayed in the Sunway Resort Hotel which with all the sights and malls stayed busy every day. Food! Oh my, the food! With the fast internet, reasonable prices for everything, and the 10-year visa, it is all lining up as a serious second or third home-base option.
I live in Penang , Malaysia 🇲🇾 . Welcome to Penang and Malaysia ❣️
Stuck in Hong Kong, really want to move to Malaysia!
KS PRADEEP *BNO Holders
@Fareed Waseem first off, this is a dumb ass statement. Alot of you forget how big America is. You just see stuff off tv and pee your pants. Bet you've never been here, and if yiu have, it was prolly just New York like most idiots. The states is the third largest country by size in the world, so there are many many many places you can live where the schools are good and there's no crime. So stop being dumb and spreading lies. Every country has bad spots. America is huge and about 90%of the country is safe
@@Cuyt24 you bastard momma isnt safe
@KS PRADEEP you need to be rich in order to be british citizen.
We welcome you. Anyway, don't stay in Penang, Johor Bahru, or Malacca. It's too overcrowded and have poor quality of life.
Kedah origin here. Very familiar with Penang and Langkawi and now i am living alone in KL but all my family and siblings in North (Penang and Kedah), so of course Kedah is always my choice to go for retirement
Lived and worked in Johor Bahru for 2+yrs, it's modernizing and a bit like a Shenzhen in layback mode, and economically being tugged by SG. Love their Sultan! Visited Kuching in Sarawak. Stronger English/Christian heritage and low cost, tidy city, more suitable for simple retirement closed to islands and ocean.
I lived and worked at KL city, loved the place and culture, stayed at brick fields area next to bangsar.... Had visited Malacca and langkawi.. Good memories
When buying a house, be aware of heat and insect issues. Malaysia is hot and humid and had extensive mosquito problems so most houses use extensive aircon and kept windows closed - not an outdoor lifestyle as you’d think. If you are above the 12th floor then heat are mosquitos are not an issue. Above the 20th floor, excess wind can become an issue. You also need to be very aware of mosque or temple location as noise at nighttime can be an issue. Beaches with public access can also be noisy due to all night parties. Rent before buying.
Given that, I find Penang to be amazing, the lifestyle is relaxed and the food is about the best in the world. Malaysian condos are also amongst the worlds best in design and price.
I played a lot of SimCity 3000 as a kid and used the Petronas Towers as a landmark in all my cities. Just a fun memory I get every time you show pics of KL.
yes well worth the visit .. I did Penang to Singapore by buss stopping at all the cities you mentioned over a 10 day period. If I wasnt so invested into Thailand I would be seeking residency in Penang .. but i still may do.
My opinion:
KL is for business and family living
Penang(George Town) is for digital nomads and foodies.
Johor Bahru- If you commute to Singapore once in a while
Journalist boy 2022 Langkawi for retirement and laid back people like me!
@@slaw2224 Pulau Rendang and Langkawi is my favorite place to go if I want a tropical island type of vacation.
I worked and lived in KL during 2012s, visited langkawi, Malacca.. Good tourist places.. Wish to visit Penang & Borneo.. part..people are friendly there.. It's rainy, good tropical climate
Hello andrew I am a forex trader and I love watching your videos particularly the introduction clip and of course the great content you are providing for viewers like me cheers you are doing outstanding job
Welcome, Mohamed.
@Fareed Waseem Mr. Fareed, thanks for your suggestion but I am an Indian national how can I trade forex from Malaysia if i don't have the citizenship also I need to have a bank account, I am contemplating about living in a foreign country but have no idea about a countries legal rules and regulations
@Fareed Waseem which banks can offer a brokerage account that deal with nysc and Nasdaq.
Just want to know, why Johore Bahru near Singapore is not a place in your list?
@@KAL0001 I would take Johor over any other spots and I know my money would be safe in Singapore.
Have you heard about the SM2ndHome (ie Sarawak) visa. Easier and cheaper to get then the MM2ndHome visa. On that visa you can live anywhere in Malaysia, but have to go back to Sarawak once a year for 15 days.
hi! is it still available and has the price gone up?
I'm still amazed by how MODERN (yet) AFFORDABLE Malaysia is. It's really a gem of a country. I could really see myself in Putrajaya and Cyberjaya.
or get property in the Biggest Construction project in Asia..Iskandar Malaysia in Johor... probably at a nice bargain..
yeah those fact are right. as malaysian living up north close to langkawi, interconnection within states of malaysia and other countries are great by location. our local food culture are well diversed and great.. plus cheap! welcome to malaysia
Thank you for your videos and podcasts. So great and educational. There are so many great countries to visit and to live in!
Sent this to one of my Crypto friends from the P'pines I know, and she does not disagree with these choices!!
Thanks for this video. I have lived and worked in Malaysia, KL and Klang from 1989 and 1991. It was my first stop into SEA. It was a magical experience, had very good friends there. Recently thinking about going back and restart again.
In the past few years there has certainly been a progressive development. There are also very interesting development happening on Borneo and East Borneo on the Indonesian part of the island.
Would love to have more info about the future outlook.
Thanks
Mike
1989 and 1991?man, that so long ago. KL would have looked very different. Even I, as a local still can't figure out the new roads being constructed if I do visit KL every 2-3 years once.
@@MrAntonychong - KL was indeed very different and I went to many local food stalls to enjoy BaKuTeh, Roti Channai, Hokkien Mee Hoon.
Kota Kinabalu on bornea island is the best place for live in Malaysia, you get beaches, mountain, jungle, intl airport, you should have a look on it you will be surprises, in my opinion its underrated in ASEAN. Cheers
I am a big fan of Ipoh - charming small city with great culture and street art. The Banjaran Hot Springs resort is remarkable!
Indeed it is, Dan.
We are retired in Ipoh from SG. Perhaps you like to check out some Ipoh related (food paradise, the latest news, etc.) facebook.com/groups/1433925016838968/?ref=share
I would love to see similar video about Georgia. Tibilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi... which cities would you prefer and why.
@Manny Pacquiao & Amir Khan Why so? :)
Stayed at my friend's in Kuan Tan and I really liked it. Laid back small city with a nice beach. Great food also. Love the Malaysian durian!
it spell Kuantan btw
Penang, great street food, plenty speak English, lots to do and see, and very affordable. 4 wks in 2018.
As long as you are still young around 40 well versed with the cities in Peninsular Malaysia and the ability to grasp the opportunity to be in as many places as you can doing business, then you are the perfect guy to be lucky to partner with.
I must say, as a Malaysian, I'm a bit surprised with the selection especially no. 3 and no. 4 although I do not object nor questioned the choice. Great choice though.
Still, I would've placed Johor Bahru as no. 3 due to its infrastructure and proximity to Singapore.
For No. 4 it would've been a tossed up between either Kuching or Kota Kinabalu, although I might be leaning more towards the latter due to its beaches, roads, proximity to Labuan and because it is also host an international airport especially to the Far East region.
I would like to promote my hometown, Seremban City, Negeri Sembilan. Very close to KL, land is much-much cheaper than KL and is mostly landed. If you want to get yourself involved in high tech and eco-friendly industries that is 40 minutes to KL International Airport, 1 hour 15 minutes to KL, 30 minutes to the beach in Port Dickson, 1 hour 15 minutes to Malacca and 3 hours to Singapore by car. With a high traditional heritage surrounded by hills. A very beautiful city.
Hi Andrew. I've visited Malaysia in 2010 and 2013. I quite liked the Shah Alam area, around 30 minutes from KL, if I remember correctly. Please check it out and perhaps do a review of the area. Let's not forget that Malaysia also boasts an F1 Grand Prix track (Sepang) 😎
Yeah and the F1 track isn't doing well now.
I am Malaysian live in Kuala Lumpur City.. All tourist are welcome we proud to all of you from any country
Johor Bahru (JB) might not be a place conventional western tourists would enjoy visiting, but there are quite a large number of expat living here down south. JB is an industry type city, but also hosts many international offices - RO, call centers and R&D. JB has an international airport, a world-class beach coast resort just 40mins away from the CBD, the 18th busiest seaport in the world, and the city-state Singapore as a neighbor. In terms of cultural and recreational, things are developing nicely with the opening of a new opera house, Legoland, several city gardens. the city will be connected to a high-speed rail connecting SG to KL in the future, and an MRT line to SG in 2024 which will be awesome.
Great video from Nomad Capitalist
I would like to mention that most of the large shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya (city) - examples are KLCC mall, Midvalley and Gardens Megamalls, Sunway Pyramid mall, One Utama and the Curve shopping malls, KL Sentral mall, IKEA and Sunway Velocity shopping malls - are connected with the LRT / MRT / BRT train stations - the daily unlimited travel pass for tourists is only RM 5 Malaysian Ringgit or equivalent USD 1 dollar !
Good advice.
Daily unlimited pass in malaysia is only rm5?! That's too cheap! I"ve been to london and their oyster unlimited pass is £8! You don't even have to convert, it's already so much more expensive😕
Great channel.
Keep up the awesome work!
KL rocks
I lived in the Bangsar area of KL, the apartments are nice and its easy to get around on the metro. Penang is ok, I wouldn't live there tho, feels too small with nothing really going on.
Hi Mr Henderson..many visitors enjoy n love Malaysia becuz of its variety of golf courses n scuba sites. Many Japanese visitors used to fly in (pre covid time) for a swinging "fun in d sun weekend".. great golf n yummy food weekend before flying back ...golfing in Malaysia is very affordable.
Cheers
Thanks for sharing
I'm brazilian and I stayed for a month at Langkawi on a nice villa (yes, it's very spacious!).
My opnion: the island has a very chill vibe, amazing roads and nice viewpoints. The nature is astonish with lots of wild animals, waterfalls, beaches and dense jungle. But really only a couple public good beaches on the main island and not much infrastructure for living.
In general I find it's worth it to visit and to stay for a couple of weeks (and consume the duty free items).
Thank you for sharing!
My wife and I are ready to get off the hamster wheel that is CALIFORNIA. I'm 48 and she is 36, Trying to reverse engineer the amount of money needed to make it to 67 and take full retirement from SSN roughly 2500 a month. If we liquidated everything we have we would come up with roughly 400k tomorrow. Do you think that would be enough for two people to live off in Penang for 20 years until retirement benefits kick in. Thoughts?
Thank you very much. Looking to get to Malaysia soon.
Woow! Good luck🙌
We went to KL, Selangor & Johor Baru on August 10, 2019 for a vacation. I wanna explore more of other states & federal territories in Malaysia!
Forgot to mention Iskandar, Johor.. It is a fast developing area. New houses & apartments, new environment, good walkability to shops & is nearby the Malaysian - Singapore border. Travelling to other regions is both cheap and extremely convenient (pre-covid).
First time to Kuala Lumpur. So far so good. Plan to travel to Penang this week.
Enjoy, KL is a fantastic place!
We welcome you. Anyway, don't stay in Penang, Johor Bahru, or Malacca. It's too overcrowded and have poor quality of life. Try Putrajaya, Cyberjaya or Kuala Lumpur suburban.
Penang has poor quality of life? Never expected to hear that. In what way?
Melaka is ok
@@rezag8369 traffic is hell
Been to the 1st three places twice so far. I could easily settle in Langkawi. Checks off so many boxes for my nomad capitalist lifestyle. Only „downside“ is, you have to invest at least MYR 1mio in real estate as a foreigner under MM2H, I think. If I would want to have the city life again for the weekend, I‘d fly to KL and be there in 2hrs. I‘m wondering how Johor Bahru and Kuala Terengganu is.
I've seen many UA-cam videos recently on JB & KT.
Johor Bahru unlikely to hold your interest apart from being a gateway to Singapore. Kuala Terengganu is very religiously conservative (ie. no nightlife) and less sophisticated locals than in the other places. KT can be a gateway to some of the best islands in Malaysia though.
If you want to settle in JB, lookout for the newer development area of Nusajaya. It's like SG and Australia kind of feeling. Sparse and under populated but the amenities and specialist hospital are easily available. And just 20mins into SG
Good stuff only 1 tip - Ipoh pronounced as “Eee poe”
Usually people will talk about KL, Penang and JB when it comes to Malaysia because it's more popular based on it tourist place. In my opinion, Negeri Sembilan is also not bad for expats to live there especially in Nilai or Seremban. Nilai is very near to the airport (15 minutes drive) and if you want to go KL,it only takes 30 to 40 mins from Nilai. Negeri Sembilan can offer you guys both rurals and urban environment.
Do consider Ipoh, just 2 hours north of KL
The Banjaran resort there is very nice.
Another chinese majority city
Kl is nice but they need to tighten up thier public transport schedule. Always waiting for a connection vs Singapore. Pollution not bad but it's there. Langkawi is sterile compared to most beach places. Locals aren't the friendliest. Maccara is beautiful at night and the night market is fun. Not a fan of the local food. Panang is the clear winner as a Malaysia base. Fabulous blending of the Indian and Chinese influences. Locals are the friendliest without exterior motives. Great connecting flights.
I agree with your Penang comments.
Am surprised you passed on Kuching. Spoke to a native from there who said it offered great quality of life for business and personal.
I can see why Johor Bahru is not even mentioned..... for me personally, JB is a hidden gem..... if you know where to look...
Yea.... JB used to be a boring sleepy town but not anymore. It may not have the vibes like KL and Penang but if you know where you uncover the gem, you will still be able to enjoy this city.
@@MrAntonychong because JB is bigger than Penang
One of the best parts about this channel is I have never seen EXPOSED, DESTROYED, or OWNED in any of the video titles.
i like tge vivid color of ur video
Ipoh is really nice, great night market, good shopping, tasty food very diverse.
Thank you your videos and book have helped me very much
Can I ask? What is your favorite place in Malaysia? What is The most beautiful city in Malaysia in your opinion? I'm single where do I meet females? How is medical care in Malaysia? Is the politics stable?
In Malay, Ipoh is pronounced “iiiii - poe” - short i sound. Not “eye-poe.”
Kuching is great. Much better food than Peninsula. Traffic is not to bad. Shopping is plentiful. Wide array of private heath care. Real estate is cheaper.
However, public toilets are murderous!!!!!
Seen some videos recently on Kuching - looks good.
@@tinglestingles smaller city, easy to get around, parking can be difficult around peak seasons
The food is good but not THAT great. Certainly not better than Penang.
HASMAWATI HASHIM thanks for the information
Try Kuala Terengganu City. Calmest and coolest. You can go to Thailand. to Kota bahru . From there the destiny goes
to Thailand.
From Kota Bahru to Thailand.
I’m surprised the state of Perak is still under the radar... aren’t there cities there that are up-and-coming? I heard that Taiping city in Perak has been ranked as one of the most sustainable cities in the world. And Ipoh city in Perak is also culturally vibrant like Penang.
indeed. Cost of living in Perak is much lower compare to Penang and KL, Ipoh and Taiping is colonial history architectural building, very calm and much cool environment. ideal for retirement folk out there, food paradise too, personally in term of food variety same bar as Penang but much cheaper price too.
salhadey saleh is there a cooler climate there? Any hills or mountains in Perak?
@@lordkingston indeed. Ipoh is surrounding by ranges of mountain (titiwangsa ranges) and Taiping is surrounding by Bintang ranges. Really nice view there. you can search at google to validate my point. cheers
Well, the income requirements now makes it almost impossible for middle class like me to get into Penin Malay now 😪
How do you deal with the heat and humidity? Do most people just move from one air conditioned space to another?
I'm malaysian..I have no Aircond in My home. MOst Houses in Malaysia have ceiling fan...And its compatible and cooling the air...But if you are someone who cant stand with the hot and humid..aircond is affordable...And if you are turn on the aircond 24 hour your bill is going to RM 300 to 400 a month
Oh my good god Penang looks _gorgeous_ and with a Chinese wife, that would work well for us. Thank you for the suggestion!!
Why did you leave out JB????? fairly large city next door to Singapore. For expats looking at cheaper alternative to Singapore you can't go past JB. The city has lots of condo development, new malls, hour drive to Desaru. Soon also fast train (RTS) to Singapore and speedy rail link to KL
Would also add Johor Baru or Bandar Iskandar, (local Alexandria) into your list 😀
Whao! You are speaking about Malaysia, place i was born and brought up.
Greetings from Tokyo
Most japanese like to live in penang. Good city to live in.
Thanks Prof.
Super interesting
I am only 34 seconds into the video mid-opening branding, and if Labuan isn't on this list, I will be very surprised.
Did you enjoy your surprise?
@@tinglestingles It wasn't on the list, but it was mentioned at the top for it's benefits.
Haven't been to Labuan, but heard from many sources that it doesn't offer much sightseeing or leisure activities except for booze and girls
@@rezag8369 3% tax rate on trading companies and 0% tax rate on holding companies makes for a good reason to live there though.
Jeremy Barlow Yes that’s the only good thing about Labuan
Is the government in Malaysia stable? Bumiputra is not really spoken here but is a great idea. Hope you look other facts with the social factors.
SUbang jaya very nice city and affordable 30 mins from Kl
Not a big fan of Kl. Found it to be unfriendly, food choices are unhealthy and mostly fried, our cab driver coughed and spat out of the window multiple times whilst driving, it’s a tough city to navigate around and public transport sucks. I can see why you recommend it however as business taxes are low and it’s definitely improved a-lot. But it’s nowhere near developed enough to the point where I could call it home.
Thanks Andrew. BTW why don’t you think Johor Baru appeals to Ex Pats? Does it have much to recommend it other than it ‘s proximity to Singapore?
Not really. But that's just my opinion. JB is not a bad place, just not particularly remarkable, just meh
Interesting topic, never been to Malaysia but had a friend during first year of university from Malaysia who had spoken very positively about the country. Mind you that was in 2012 and since then did not expect the country to grow as rapidly as it has. One funny side story is the guy wanted to purchase a luxury car in USA and ship it back to Malaysia as he had stated that import taxes were very high on luxury vehicles to Malaysia. Not sure this issue has changed since 2012.
Lol! I would not want to drive a LHD vehicle in Malaysia where they drive on the opposite side of the road. I suspect it might not be possible to import a LHD vehicle into Malaysia.
@@Tom-tk3du I see lol. I did not realize that but always learn something new every day!
Unfortunately it is true. Our vehicles here are roughly around 100% more than the manufacturer / factory price. Depending on the engine capacity too.
The bigger the capacity, the higher both the one time excise duty & yearly roadtax.
Cool coffe shop
Kind of upset when "every Malaysian city" didn't include the Malaysian Borneo for some reason.
The Malaysian Borneo states of Sarawak and Sabah are the first & second largest states in the country.They also have the most diverse ethnic group and culture in the country too.
Particularly Kota Kinabalu (KK) has several competitive points which easily fit one of the top in Malaysia.
Apart from the standard comparison as mentioned, KK international airport is the second busiest after KL in the country. The advantage is two & half hours closer to anywhere from West coast of North America, East Asian countries and Australasia. KLIA is good for the other side of the world, Europe, Middle East, Africa, South Asia & East Coast of North America. However it always compete with Singapore Changi airport because of close distance. When Air Asia started only two planes, the first and most profitable route in Malaysia is between KL - KK.
A 15 minutes boat ride opposite the city, you can reach to several islands protected as national park. The American reality challenge tv series Survivor shot their first episode here at the island called Pulau Tiga. The tropical island holidays named KK one of the best among Bali, Phuket, Cebu & Danang in South East Asia.
Its sunset named top six in the world. Also named one of the top ten places to retire in the world other than Penang here in Peninsula.
30 minutes car ride from the city up to the hill, you will reach high altitude from cool to cold temperature in the tropic. Part of the Crocker Range to Mt. Kinabalu (4095 meter) national park, the Malaysian first UNESCO site.
A two hours boat ride you will reach Labuan a tax-free island here in the country.
A three & half hours car ride you will reach Brunei where its currency is slight lower than Singapore dollar.
KK simply has alot to offer.
Good info. Been to Malaysia three times but never ventured further than KL and Genting ( not for the casinos but for the thrill of riding the cable car). Just want to know 2 things. Is it easy to find halal foods and mosques in KK? Thanks
Wrong. Now penang is a malay majority state (slightly). But, if at the island side, still chinese the majority.
Now that you've been stranded in Malaysia due to the MCO (and various subsequent iterations thereof) do you still like and appreciate the country as much now as you did pre-lockdown?
@Fareed Waseem Are you a Malaysia fanboi or something? I was asking Andrew a simple question. No need to get offended.
I don't understand y nomads wouldn't wanna live in Johor Bahru, it's u can literally live your everyday life in Singapore without buying a small million dollar apartment
Thank you
Langkawi was being billed as a beach destination for the arab world. Nothing wrong with that, just something to consider.
As beach destinations go its not bad, but its certainly not in the top of any lists either.
Please do a video on being a nomad LGBT Person. That’s an extra layer that I’d love to hear about...
I'm thinking that avoiding the Philippines, most majority Muslim countries, many African countries & a lot of Eastern Europe will be some of the advice, as well as being careful as to which Latin American countries you visit. I suspect sticking to Canada, Western Europe, Australia & New Zealand with a few outlier countries in every region will be th advice.
Thailand is best for LGBT.
@@stevenoliver9728 yeah, recently Thai parliament pass the law to recognize same sex marriage. So it would be new heaven for LGBT community.
a very nice pick of places other than kl 😍
Saaaayaaang ada Malaysia...