The Fernshore Index
The factors tradespeople look at first.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Cost of living
92 of 100Strong
Price level 0.316 of United States prices (2025).
Source: Price level index (GDP), Malaysia. Checked 15 October 2026.
Work and career
50 of 100Mixed
Mixed: a residence route for remote workers exists (DE Rantau Nomad Pass), but fixed broadband is 13.5 per 100 people (2024), under the 30 line.
Source: DE Rantau Nomad Pass FAQ, version 10.0 (28 August 2026); Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Malaysia. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, United States passport
50 of 100Mixed
Mixed: a stay of a year or more is open without a Malaysian job offer (DE Rantau Nomad Pass: 3 to 12 months, renewable once for 12 more, 24 at most), the main holder must be over 18, and there is no deposit or investment. The income test is above US$60,000 a year for most roles (above US$24,000 for tech roles), so the about US$60,000 limit for a strong grade is not met for non-tech work. To be safe, have more than US$61,000. US citizens are not on the immigration list of countries that need no visa for any purpose, so a visa with reference may be needed to re-enter for the pass endorsement.
Source: DE Rantau Nomad Pass FAQ, version 10.0 (28 August 2026); Visa requirements by country (Keperluan Visa Mengikut Negara). Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, Canada passport
50 of 100Mixed
Mixed: a stay of a year or more is open without a Malaysian job offer (DE Rantau Nomad Pass: 3 to 12 months, renewable once for 12 more, 24 at most), the main holder must be over 18, and there is no deposit or investment. The income test is above US$60,000 a year for most roles (above US$24,000 for tech roles), so the about US$60,000 limit for a strong grade is not met for non-tech work. To be safe, have more than US$61,000. Canada is on the immigration list of countries that need no visa for any purpose.
Source: DE Rantau Nomad Pass FAQ, version 10.0 (28 August 2026); Visa requirements by country (Keperluan Visa Mengikut Negara). Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, Australia passport
50 of 100Mixed
Mixed: a stay of a year or more is open without a Malaysian job offer (DE Rantau Nomad Pass: 3 to 12 months, renewable once for 12 more, 24 at most), the main holder must be over 18, and there is no deposit or investment. The income test is above US$60,000 a year for most roles (above US$24,000 for tech roles), so the about US$60,000 limit for a strong grade is not met for non-tech work. To be safe, have more than US$61,000. Australia is on the immigration list of countries that need no visa for any purpose.
Source: DE Rantau Nomad Pass FAQ, version 10.0 (28 August 2026); Visa requirements by country (Keperluan Visa Mengikut Negara). Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, New Zealand passport
50 of 100Mixed
Mixed: a stay of a year or more is open without a Malaysian job offer (DE Rantau Nomad Pass: 3 to 12 months, renewable once for 12 more, 24 at most), the main holder must be over 18, and there is no deposit or investment. The income test is above US$60,000 a year for most roles (above US$24,000 for tech roles), so the about US$60,000 limit for a strong grade is not met for non-tech work. To be safe, have more than US$61,000. New Zealand is on the immigration list of countries that need no visa for any purpose.
Source: DE Rantau Nomad Pass FAQ, version 10.0 (28 August 2026); Visa requirements by country (Keperluan Visa Mengikut Negara). Checked 15 October 2026.
English
88 of 100Strong
EF EPI 2025 score 581, 24th.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Malaysia. Checked 15 October 2026.
Safety
73 of 100Strong
Global Peace Index 2026: 12th of 163.
Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 15 October 2026.
Healthcare
67 of 100Strong
WHO UHC service coverage index 80 (2023), on the strong anchor.
Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 15 October 2026.
The country
The rest of the research on Malaysia.
The country page grades every factor, with its sources.
MalaysiaQuestions from tradespeople about Malaysia.
What work pass could a tradesperson get in Malaysia?
A Malaysian employer applies for an Employment Pass. From 1 June 2026 its lowest category asks a minimum basic salary paid in Malaysia (to be safe, more than RM 5,100 a month). Immigration's foreign-worker pass lists allowed source countries; the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are not on it.
Are trades reserved for Malaysians, and is a foreign trade licence recognised?
We found no official list of jobs reserved for Malaysians and no source on recognising a foreign trade licence, so both are unknown. The Employment Pass process includes a supporting letter from an approving agency for regulated sectors; the booklet does not say which. Ask the Expatriate Services Division.
How much English will I find at work in Malaysia?
The EF English Proficiency Index 2025 scores Malaysia 581, ranked 24th, which Fernshore grades as strong. The index comes from people who chose to take EF's online test, so it does not show how much English is used on building sites or in a given trade or firm.
What do prices and rents look like, and what do trades pay in Malaysia?
Prices overall are about 0.32 of US prices (World Bank, 2025), an average, not a budget. Furnished studios and one-bedroom flats in Kuala Lumpur were advertised at RM 2,200 to RM 2,980 a month on 10 October 2026. We found no sourced pay for trades in Malaysia, so whether a wage covers these costs is unknown.
How safe is Malaysia, and what is healthcare like for a worker?
The Global Peace Index 2026 ranks Malaysia 12th of 163, a national score. WHO's service coverage index is 80 of 100 (2023). Canada says good care is mainly in major cities, with payment due at the time of service. A newspaper reports public hospitals charge non-citizens RM 120 for a specialist outpatient visit.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [C1] Price level index (GDP), Malaysia, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 31.63 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [K1] DE Rantau Nomad Pass FAQ, version 10.0 (28 August 2026), Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC). Checked 15 October 2026. Professional Visit Pass for remote workers and freelancers: 3 to 12 months, renewable once for 12 more (24 months at most); income above US$24,000 a year for tech roles and above US$60,000 for other roles; open to all nationalities except Israel; main holder over 18; stay only in Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan, not Sabah or Sarawak; most banks do not open accounts for pass holders.
- [K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Malaysia, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 13.55 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [V1] Visa requirements by country (Keperluan Visa Mengikut Negara), Immigration Department of Malaysia (Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia). Checked 15 October 2026. Page shows Australia, Canada and New Zealand among the countries that need no visa for any purpose of entry; the United States is not on that list, so a visa with reference (VDR) may be needed before re-entry for the pass endorsement. Page header dated 15 October 2026.
- [F1] EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Malaysia, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 581, global rank 24; the page does not state the number of countries. The 2026 edition was not yet published on 15 October 2026.
- [S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Malaysia ranks 12th of 163 countries (score 1.513).
- [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Malaysia: 80 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO GHO API (UHC_INDEX_REPORTED) on 15 October 2026.