I love Malaysia. I have very good friends there. The culture is really interesting. There's a mix of Malay, Chinese, and Indians. They each bring their own food, languages, and cultures to the country. Malaysian food is as good as Thai food in my opinion. The infrastructure is good and so is the weather. This guide will refer to the situation in Penang, Malaysia.
(Rated from 1 to 3; with 3 being best)
Affordability: 2 - 2.5 (Housing is 2 or lower, everything else is about 2.5.)
Hassle: 2 (3 for visa, 1 for housing, 2.5 for everything else.)
Affordability:
Per bed, housing is moderately affordable. Housing would take up a larger portion of a budget in Malaysia than in Thailand. An average 3 bedroom apartment might cost as low as US $300 per month. A hostel bed could be found for around US $6.
Gas and water are very cheap. Electricity is moderately priced. Free Wi-fi is available in some spots and Internet cafes are available.
For grocery shopping there are wet markets and modern grocery stores available. Prices range from the same as the US to maybe half the price depending on the item. It's possible to eat out at a vegetarian buffet restaurant for about US $1.50 - $2.
Public transportation is well priced. City bus rides start around US $.50 and go up from there depending on distance. A bus from Penang to Kuala Lumpur could cost US $20. It's possible to walk around a lot of the northern part of Penang. Other areas are possible, but more tricky. Discount airlines fly throughout the region.
Health care is affordable. You can get a dental cleaning for US $30.
Visa free (in both senses) entry for 90 days. That adds transportation and housing costs that need to be factored into the budget.
Hassle:
The visa situation in Malaysia is very easy, which is a large reason it is my top destination. You can enter for 90 days as a tourist without any cost or administrative burden. It might be possible, but not necessarily advisable to step across the border and come right back every 90 days. A more reliable option might be to spend some time in other countries between visits to Malaysia.
However, housing is a hassle. There are few one bedroom apartments. Most seem to be three bedroom places. That means you need to pay three times as much for an apartment. Finding shared housing is not that easy. Also, one year leases are standard here. Short term housing is much more expensive. A number of properties request tenants of a particular race.
Good communications options. Internet can be unreliable sometimes. English speakers are common and Malay is not a difficult language.
Indian and Chinese cuisine is vegetarian friendly. No problems finding good cheap food at all.
Plenty of reliable banks and ATMs around.
Weather in Penang is constant year round.
Conclusion:
Entering Malaysia is really easy. In fact, everything about Malaysia is great except for housing, which does put a damper on its ERE prospects.
