cost
Cost of Living Index
Malaysia64.1 / 100
Vanuatu100.2 / 0
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: Malaysia leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Vanuatu leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Malaysia leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Malaysia leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Malaysia | 64.1 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | Vanuatu | 100.2 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Malaysia | 61 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Vanuatu | 79.3 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Malaysia | $1,954 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Vanuatu | $2,963 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Malaysia | 9.9x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Vanuatu | 11.0x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Malaysia | $990/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Vanuatu | $284/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Malaysia | 3.8% | 100 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Vanuatu | 5.1% | 0 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Malaysia | 73.2 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Vanuatu | 88.7 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Malaysia | 70.0 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Vanuatu | 77.0 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Vanuatu wins on 13 of 22 metrics compared to Malaysia.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Malaysia leads cost, rent, and housing; Vanuatu leads safety, health, and air quality.
cost
Malaysia
64.1
Vanuatu
100.2
safety
Malaysia
61
Vanuatu
79.3
housing
Malaysia
$1,954
Vanuatu
$2,963
housing
Malaysia
9.9x
Vanuatu
11.0x
jobs
Malaysia
$990/mo
Vanuatu
$284/mo
jobs
Malaysia
3.8%
Vanuatu
5.1%
health
Malaysia
73.2
Vanuatu
88.7
health
Malaysia
70.0 years
Vanuatu
77.0 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Malaysia
1.2%
Vanuatu
2.3%
education
Malaysia
81.4
Vanuatu
92.1
transport
Malaysia
95.3
Vanuatu
90.4
safety
Malaysia
0.7 per 100k
Vanuatu
0.3 per 100k
safety
Malaysia
40.6 per 100k
Vanuatu
17.6 per 100k
health
Malaysia
5.7%
Vanuatu
17.8%
quality
Malaysia
5.4
Vanuatu
3.4
housing
Malaysia
$9,012/sqm
Vanuatu
$668/sqm
religion
Malaysia
57.4%
Vanuatu
88.2%
religion
Malaysia
2.3%
Vanuatu
33.0%
religion
Malaysia
82.0%
Vanuatu
93.9%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.