In this report, I will share my estimated Retire Early $1098 Month Langkawi Island Malaysia including estimated rents, utilities, groceries, restaurants, transportation, and entertainment.
Other than Georgetown on Penang Island in Malaysia, Langkawi is probably my favorite island to retire in Malaysia. Malaysia has been one of my favorite countries in the world to retire for at least 6 years.
But, a little over a year ago, I started dropping Malaysia from my top 5 places to retire overseas because mainland Malaysia raised the retirement visa requirements to be so high only the richest foreigners would qualify for their retirement visa here.
But since then I have learned that the state of Sarawak in Malaysia has maintained its low retirement visa income threshold. The good news is that with a Sarawak Malaysia retirement visa you only need to spend 15 days per year in Sarawak Malaysia. So long as that remains true, you can get the Sarawak retirement visa and can live anywhere in Malaysia or the world.
At the end of this video, I will share a link to my video about the Sarawak retirement visa.
When I first went to Malaysia in 2016. I was living in Thailand at the time and I needed to leave Thailand on a visa run. I flew to Malaysia for my visa run because it was the cheapest place I could fly to from Thailand.
At that time, I had heard from other westerners living in Thailand that Malaysia was boring. So, when I flew to Malaysia, I intended to just stay for a week or two and then return to Thailand. I first landed on the Island of Penang and really enjoyed my time in the colonial-era city there called Georgetown.
I had such a great time in Penang Malaysia, that I decided to start touring around to see if I enjoyed other parts of Malaysia. After a few stops, I ended up staying in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia for a few months, when I met Qiang Hui.
Qiang and I had a very nice time together as she showed me around. So, as I toured around SE Asia, I always returned to Kuala Lumpur to spend time with Qiang every few months. A year later, in 2017, Qiang started touring around the world with me.
But we still return to Malaysia once every year or so to see Qiang’s family. After we are done exploring Langkawi, we will take the ferry over to the mainland to the state of Kedah. Kedah is where Qiang’s parents and brothers live.
Langkawi is an archipelago of around 100 islands in the northwestern part of Malaysia, just south of Thailand. Because it is surrounded by water on all sides, it experiences a relatively pleasant climate for most of the year.
Cost of Living in Langkawi Island Malaysia
Here is my estimated cost to Retire Early $1098 Month Langkawi Island Malaysia converted into US dollars if the two of us moved to Langkawi Island on a tight budget. But we are all different, so you will have to put your feet on the ground in Langkawi Island to determine your cost of living based on how you would live, shop, eat, and entertain yourself.
Rents: To rent a local-style furnished 1 bedroom apartment, you will have to pay around $300 to $500 per month. I will use $400 per month for rent which does not include utilities. If you want a western-style apartment in a high-rise in Kuah, you could easily pay a few hundred more dollars depending on the location, how much space you want, and other amenities. I will also provide a link to my report about how to find perfect apartments around the world.
Utilities: Langkawi Island is at sea level so some westerners will be running their air conditioners for much of the year. I estimate my electric bill would average around $100 per month which includes water and gas. Once you acclimate to fans you will be able to knock 20 to 30% off your utilities.
Groceries: Based on our time here and the money we spent on groceries, we estimate about $275 USD per month on groceries for two people.
Restaurants: If we went out to eat twice per week, once for date night and once for a lunch somewhere, we would spend about $40 per week or $160 per month in restaurants for the two of us. We would eat mostly in the mom-and-pop-style restaurants and food carts rather than the expensive expat-style restaurants.
Cell Phone Data: The cost to recharge prepaid service is about $18 per month. My android phone will act as a hotspot so we can both be on the internet at the same time when we are out of the house together.
Laundry: We could send our laundry out once per week for about $15 to wash, dry, and fold, so about $60 per month.
Water: We would spend about $25 per month on bottled water.
Internet: The Internet will be about $30-$50 per month depending on how fast you need your service.
Transportation: The central part of Kuah is walkable. But some ex-pats buy a used scooter or car so they can get around and enjoy the natural beauty spread all over the island. But we would probably just use a Grab taxi to get around the island. So we would pay $30 per month for transportation.
Alcohol (Optional): Langkawi is a duty-free island so beers are only about $1.50 USD in small stores. If you watch and buy in bulk on sale you may save a little. Bars and restaurants charge in the range of about $2.50 to $4.00 per beer. So for two people, we estimate about $130 USD per month since we would drink more at home.
Entertainment (Optional): We would budget about $150 per month for entertainment for the two of us.
|
Langkawi Island, |
Expense (USD) |
|
Rent |
400 |
|
Groceries |
275 |
|
Utilities |
100 |
|
Restaurants |
160 |
|
Cell |
18 |
|
Laundry |
60 |
|
Water |
25 |
|
Internet |
30 |
|
Transportation |
30 |
|
Recurring Total |
$1098 |
|
|
|
|
Alcohol (Optional) |
130 |
|
Optional Total |
$1228 |
|
|
|
|
Entertainment (Optional) |
150 |
|
Optional Total |
$1378 |
This cost of living is for 2 people but is just an estimate on the low end. For a full understanding of what it would cost you to live here, you must do an exploratory visit and put your feet on the ground. Also, visit Numbeo Langkawi and add anything you spend money on in your home country that is not mentioned in the table. Our costs of living are generally much lower than a new traveler’s because we are great bargain hunters but there are a few people that live cheaper than we do.
Never move anywhere until you have visited first personally to verify the living costs for your lifestyle and needs. I am not guaranteeing these prices. These are just my notes and estimates from the time of my visit and this post. Your costs will likely be drastically different depending on your lifestyle and the time since this post.
More typical ex-pat living costs in Langkawi Island range from about $1500 to $2500 per month. But people spending that much also have higher incomes or pensions. They often report spending more on entertainment, eating out, and alcohol. Many also have more expensive cars, houses, or apartments.
If you are going to try to retire cheap offshore, make sure to read my report, the Two Biggest Risks of Retiring Early for Cheap Offshore, which explains why you should have emergency funds available for unexpected large expenses.
$425 Month Ex-Pat Style Apartment
I did a quick search and found this furnished apartment in the Kuah area (where we would live) of Langkawi island where many locals live. I found it on this webpage. This one is furnished, so if you want to pay a little more you can get one furnished at $425 USD per month but you will need to sign a one-year lease and make a deposit to get such a monthly rate.
If this one is gone when you read this, you can see if others are on this same website here. Here is the general process we follow to find apartments to stay in as we travel around the world: How to find perfect apartments around the world.
Where We Stayed
We were only staying for a week so we just rented this hotel on the beach for a week when arrived on Langkawi Island. We paid about $34 per night. It was more than we normally like to pay but it was at the time when they were first letting foreigners enter Malaysia in what was then called the Langkawi Travel Bubble.
Langkawi Island Nightlife
There were restaurants and a few bars at night on the beach where we stayed called Cenang Beach. I suggest just walking down the beach and looking for a place to hang out that looks fun to you between Langkapuri Inn and Kalut Cafe and Bar. Our favorite was bar the Kalut Cafe and Bar. Since we stayed in this area and never got over to the Kuah area at night, we don’t really know how the nightlife is over there.
Natasha Mangrove Nature Tour
This Natasha Mangrove Nature Tour, weather permitting, includes Mangroves, Bat Caves, Kilim Geoforest Park, Feeding the Eagles, and visiting the Monkeys. Tours are available daily from about 9 AM to 4PM. Book in advance for the best prices.
Langkawi Island Hoping
The tour starts at here at Langkawi Island Hopping and visits Pulau Beras Basah Island, Pulau Singa Besar, and Pulau Dayang Bunting. On the third island, we visited a freshwater lake located in the middle of the island which is itself surrounded by the Andaman Sea which is salt water.
Langkawi Cable Car
The cable car in Langkawi is a must-see. It is a gondola that takes you to the top of the mountain for a spectacular view. Here is where you go t catch the cable car: Panorama Langkawi. If you feel like a small uphill hike after the cable car, you can go nearby to see the Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls.
Langkawi Temple Tour
Malaysia is famous for being a Muslim majority that welcomes people of all faiths. While in Langkawi there is no better way to understand this than to see all of the different kinds of temples you can visit. There are some very beautiful temples on Langkawi Island.
Langkawi Thean Hou Temple (Chinese Temple)
Wat Koh Wanararm (Buddhist Temple)
Wat Tham Kisap (Thai Buddhist Temple)
Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam (Hindu Temple)
Langkawi Island Favorite Restaurants and Markets
Restaurants and Bars:
Warung DE Cenang: $6 USD for 2 people for Dinner. We shared one drink and got free house filtered water. Lovely food.
Sushi King: Qiang downloaded their App and got a 20% discount because we went during happy hour 3-6 PM. It was about $12 USD for both of us to stuff our faces.
Yasmin Syrian Restaurant: Delicious Middle Eastern Food. Both veggie and meat options. $7 to $10 meals.
Qiang Shi Fu Cenang Seafood Restaurant: Great Chinese food. $3 to $6 USD meals.
Kalut Beach Bar: Our favorite nightlife spot on Cenang Beach. Fire dancers on the beach. Opens at around 11 AM. Closes around 1 AM. Happy Hour 5-6 PM. Buy 2 Tigers get one free.
Favorite Markets:
Pekan Kuah Night Market: Kuah night market every Wednesday and Saturday night from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM.
Kuah Market: The largest fruit, veggies, fish, and meat market in Langkawi. Open daily from 6.30 AM to 2.00 PM and from 4.00 PM to 7.30 PM.
Temonyong Night Market – Thursday: 6 PM t0 11 PM. Mom and pop prepared food and some groceries.
Kedawang Night Market – Tuesday: 6 PM t0 11 PM. Mom and pop prepared food and some groceries.
Langkawi Island Livability Factors and Retirement Desirability Score
Here are some of the factors I think about when I consider a place for early retirement potential. After I discuss each factor I will assign an overall retirement desirability score to Langkawi Island.
Walkability: Medium Desirability. I love living in walkable areas of the world where you can walk to restaurants, grocery stores, nightlife, the beach, and other interesting things to do. The central area of Langkawi Island called Kuah is fairly walkable. We would not need a car if we lived there. But if you are a nature lover and plan on spending a lot of time all over the island in nature, you may want to get a small car or scooter.
Internet: High. If you need a stable Internet connection then Malaysia is one of the better SE Asian countries for you.
Food: Medium. There is not a large selection of international restaurants on Langkawi Island but it is actually fairly good for an island with a population of only about 65,000 people. But Langkawi is a tourist island so it supports more diversity in foods than a typical town of this size in Malaysia. Also, Malaysia is known mostly for its excellent homegrown food, so overall, I am assigning medium desirability for food on Langkawi Island.
Transportation: Medium. If we decided to stay in the Kuah area of Langkawi Island, we would walk everywhere. But you can also buy a used scooter here for around $800 USD if you plan on staying more long-term and want to explore more of the island. Plus, if you stayed in the Kuah area (like we would), you would be able to go ride your scooter over to the night markets and the beach at Pantai Cenang.
Weather: High. In terms of weather, temperatures on Langkawi Island are fairly stable year-round. Nights typically average in the high 70s (F) and days typically average in the high 80s (F) year-round. Most of the rain falls in the months of April through November (8+inches month, 200 mm), with August through October being the most rain (12 inches, 300 mm).
Things to Do: Medium. Fishing, biking, kayaking, scuba, snorkeling, island hopping, bar hopping, cooking, yoga, restaurants, running, coffee shops, sailing, and hiking.
Healthcare: Medium. Hospital Langkawi should be able to stabilize you in an emergency and take care of common ailments. But you will need to be transferred to one of the better-equipped hospitals on the mainland for more unusual or difficult procedures. For an island with such a small population, I am assigning Langkawi’s healthcare a medium score.
Expats: Medium. Expats are living in Langkawi because of its relaxed lifestyle and close relationship with nature. If you like a small-town relaxed atmosphere you will enjoy living in Langkawi. There is also a Langkawi Expat Facebook Group where you can ask questions about adjusting to your new life overseas. Many Malaysians speak English if that is important to you. Make sure to make friends with both locals and ex-pats for a richer experience living here. I explain why in my report, The Top 10 Mistakes International Retirees Make.
Real Estate: Medium. I never recommend buying real estate until you have lived somewhere for at least 2 to 3 years. I have a report explaining Why Retired Expats Should not Buy Real Estate Overseas for the first 2 to 3 years of living somewhere new overseas. Make sure to read that before deciding to buy real estate overseas.
Visa: High. For your exploratory visit to Malaysia, citizens of many countries can obtain a 90-day free visa stamp upon arrival at the international airports. If you decide to retire in Malaysia, you may want to consider the Sarawak Malaysia Retirement Visa, because the mainland Malaysia Retirement Visa has gone out of reach for most people. My video about the Sarawak Retirement Visa is located near the top of this report.
Langkawi Island Overall Retirement Desirability Score: Medium for me. I think I would get bored eventually because it is such a small town atmosphere. But for retirees who like the small-town lifestyle, this could easily be high desirability for you. The nature here feels very untouched.
But you won’t know for sure how it feels to live in Langkawi Island or what it will cost to live your desired retirement lifestyle until you do an on-the-ground exploratory visit here.
Thanks for reviewing my report, Retire Early $1098 Month Langkawi Island Malaysia.
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