A comfortable retirement works out cheaper in Malaysia — around £1,900/month for a couple, versus £2,500 in France (about 24% more).
Cost of living, side by side
| France | Malaysia | |
|---|---|---|
| Modest (couple/mo) | £1,700 | £1,200 |
| Comfortable (couple/mo) | £2,500 | £1,900 |
| Premium (couple/mo) | £3,800 | £3,200 |
Indicative monthly estimates for a couple — real costs vary by location, lifestyle and exchange rates.
France: There are no nationality restrictions on owning French property: non-residents can buy freehold (pleine propriété) apartments, houses and land on the same basis as citizens. Every sale is completed by a notaire, who guarantees legal title and collects taxes.
Malaysia: Foreigners can own property above a state-set minimum price threshold.
France: EU/EEA nationals need no visa; others (including UK citizens) generally use the long-stay visitor visa (VLS-TS visiteur), requiring stable income of roughly €1,400+ a month, private health insurance and accommodation, renewed annually.
Malaysia: The MM2H (Malaysia My Second Home) programme is the classic long-stay route for retirees.
France: France's public health system is excellent; after three months' residence you can join it (PUMA), and UK state pensioners use an S1 form so the UK covers their care. Most residents add a top-up mutuelle policy, often EUR 50-150 a month, to cover the balance the state does not.
Malaysia: Malaysia offers excellent, affordable private healthcare, with Penang and Kuala Lumpur regional medical hubs staffed by English-speaking doctors; expats typically use private hospitals and insurance, with consultations often just £10-40 and cover reasonably priced.
France: Under the UK-France treaty most UK pensions, both state and private, are taxed in France at progressive rates after a 10% allowance, while UK government-service pensions stay taxable in the UK. S1 holders are exempt from France's social charges on pension income, a valuable saving.
Malaysia: Foreign-source income including pensions remitted to Malaysia by residents can be taxable under rules that tightened from 2024, but MM2H visa holders benefit from a specific exemption on foreign income, while locally earned income is taxed progressively; take advice on your set-up.
France: Temperate in the north and west with mild, wet winters and warm summers, turning Mediterranean and hot in the south. Late spring and early autumn are especially lovely. France is safe and well-run, with petty theft mainly a big-city concern; they drive on the right, and while English is spoken in cities and tourist spots, some French is important for rural life and officialdom.
Malaysia: Tropical, hot and humid all year (high 20s to low 30s C) with no real seasons, just wetter monsoon spells; highland areas like the Cameron Highlands stay noticeably cooler. Malaysia is generally safe and unusually easy for English-speakers, as English is very widely spoken, driving is on the left like the UK, and the mix of cultures makes it comfortable for British retirees.
France: Budget around 7-8% of the price in frais de notaire on an existing home (much less, 2-3%, on a new build), mostly transfer duty of up to 5% plus the notaire's fee and registration; agency commission is often already in the price. Completion typically takes about three months.
Malaysia: Foreigners must buy above a state minimum price (commonly RM600,000 to RM1 million, higher in KL and Selangor); from 2026 foreign buyers pay 8% MOT stamp duty plus legal fees, so budget roughly 9-11% in one-off costs, with completion over a few months.
France: The Dordogne for its long-established British community and countryside; Provence and the Occitanie south for sun and Mediterranean life; Brittany for a familiar green coast close to the UK; and the Riviera for glamour at a price.
Malaysia: Penang (George Town, Tanjung Bungah) for heritage, food and top hospitals, Kuala Lumpur for a big international city base, the wider Klang Valley for suburban options, and the cooler Cameron Highlands for a change of climate; many retirees choose Penang.
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