What a visitor's money does in Malaysia: every guide rated from very cheap to very expensive, cheapest first, then the things that cost travellers money without buying anything — the ATM, the taxi, the SIM.
Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) · 1 EUR = 4.7 MYR · 1 USD = 4.1 MYR
The money changers in Bukit Bintang and at the malls beat the banks by a wide margin and are entirely normal to use. Avoid the airport counters for anything more than taxi fare.
Avoid: standalone machines in tourist streets, the airport exchange counters
Use: Maybank, CIMB, Public Bank, RHB
Malaysian bank machines mostly charge nothing of their own, which makes them among the cheapest in the region. Money changers in Bukit Bintang and at Mid Valley beat the banks for cash.
A short ride in Kuala Lumpur: RM 8–18 across town — cheap
From the airport: KLIA to central Kuala Lumpur RM 70–100, against RM 55 on the KLIA Ekspres
Cheaper than the metered taxis, which are thin on the ground now.
This is the reason to come. Nasi lemak for breakfast, banana leaf rice in Brickfields, char kway teow and Hokkien mee at the hawker centres, and roti canai at any mamak stall at two in the morning. Jalan Alor is the famous street; the food courts under the malls are where office workers actually eat.
Malaysians argue about a lot, but most agree Penang wins on food. Assam laksa, char kway teow at Siam Road, cendol at Penang Road, and the Chulia Street night stalls. Gurney Drive is famous and touristy; New Lane is where locals go.
The night market moves around the island by the day of the week — ask which village has it tonight, because it is far better than the beach restaurants. Fresh seafood at Kuah is priced for locals.
Sabah eats differently from the peninsula: seafood at the Filipino night market, hinava raw fish salad, and Sabah tea from the plantations near the mountain. The night market is loud, cheap and worth it.
The cost rating is this site's own, for a visitor, from the guides' authors and the corrections readers send in. The general rules — the conversion prompt, shoulder season, the airport taxi — are in budget travel tips.
Kuala LumpurMalaysiaTowers, mosques and temples in the same square mile, and the best eating in Southeast Asia
George TownMalaysiaShophouses, street art and the food capital of Malaysia
LangkawiMalaysiaA duty-free island of rainforest, mangroves and quiet sand
Kota KinabaluMalaysiaBorneo’s coast, with a mountain behind it and orangutans inland