How much does a trip to Malaysia cost? 2027 budget for 7 days

The totals

These totals cover everything on the ground for the whole week: rooms with their taxes, three meals and drinks every day, every train, ferry, bus and taxi, the sights on the route, a local SIM and a 10% buffer for snacks, tips and small surprises. Only the international flight is separate, and it is priced at the end. Euro figures use the European Central Bank rate of 20 October 2026 (EUR 1 = MYR 4.58).

The model trip

Two adults share one private room for 7 days and 6 nights, from 12 to 18 January 2027, following our Malaysia in 7 days itinerary: three nights in Brickfields next to KL Sentral, with Merdeka Square, the Islamic Arts Museum, Batu Caves and the Petronas Towers; the daytime ETS train to Butterworth and the ferry to Penang; three nights in George Town, with the clan houses, the Blue Mansion, Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si; then home from Penang airport. Prices were checked on 21 October 2026.

Malaysia does not require a visa for this kind of short holiday on EU passports and most other European passports, but every visitor fills in the free Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) before arrival; see Malaysia entry requirements. Where a hotel or restaurant publishes no price for the dates, the figure is an estimate marked "about", based on the rates and menus we could see; the notes below say what each one rests on.

Budget: about MYR 2,840 for two

A private double with its own bathroom, local food from hawker stalls and Indian canteens, and trains and buses everywhere.

• Rooms, about MYR 760. The YMCA Kuala Lumpur in Brickfields (double with attached bathroom, about MYR 100 a night; the guide's earlier check found MYR 98) and a private en-suite room at Red Inn Court in George Town (about MYR 130 a night), plus the tourism tax of MYR 10 per room per night and Penang's MYR 3 local fee.
• Food, about MYR 600. About MYR 43 a day each: idli or roti canai with coffee for breakfast (about MYR 8), a biryani set at Moghul Mahal in Brickfields (MYR 14 on its menu) or a plate of char koay teow at a New Lane stall, a hawker dinner (about MYR 12) and a cendol or iced drink.
• Getting around, about MYR 490. KLIA Ekspres into town (MYR 55 each), the KTM Komuter to Batu Caves, the ETS to Butterworth (about MYR 110 each in Standard class), the passenger ferry (a few ringgit), Rapid Penang buses to Air Itam and the airport, and about MYR 15 a day for city rides.
• Sights, about MYR 620. Kuala Lumpur City Gallery, the Islamic Arts Museum (MYR 20), the Petronas Towers skybridge and observation deck (MYR 127 each on a weekday), Batu Caves, Fort Cornwallis, Khoo Kongsi, the Blue Mansion guided tour (MYR 25), the Penang Hill funicular (MYR 40 return) and Kek Lok Si.
• SIM and extras, about MYR 110. A Hotlink 7-day travel pass each (MYR 25) and a little for laundry.
• Buffer, about MYR 260. Ten per cent of everything above.

Mid-range: about MYR 4,980 for two

A three-star city hotel, one sit-down restaurant meal a day and ride-hailing when the heat or the luggage call for it.

• Rooms, about MYR 1,370. Nu Hotel at KL Sentral (Superior Queen, about MYR 200 a night) and the Sunway Hotel Georgetown on New Lane (Superior King from MYR 198.75, about MYR 235 with its service charge and SST), plus the tourism tax and Penang fee.
• Food, about MYR 1,500. About MYR 105 a day each: a dosa breakfast at MTR 1924, a fuller Indian or Malay lunch, and a seated dinner such as nasi lemak and satay at Madam Kwan's in Suria KLCC.
• Getting around, about MYR 910. The same trains and ferry, plus taxis or Grab to Batu Caves and around Air Itam, a car to Penang airport and about MYR 50 a day for city rides.
• Sights, about MYR 620. The same sights as the budget level.
• SIM and extras, about MYR 130.
• Buffer, about MYR 450.

Comfort: about MYR 14,000 for two

Four- and five-star hotels, hotel breakfasts and good restaurants, and a car with driver for the longer days.

• Rooms, about MYR 4,570. Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur at KL Sentral (Deluxe King, about MYR 600 a night) and a studio suite at the Eastern & Oriental in George Town (about MYR 900 a night), with taxes.
• Food, about MYR 5,300. About MYR 380 a day each: the hotel breakfast buffet, a relaxed lunch, and dinners such as a Nyonya set at Kebaya Dining Room in George Town.
• Getting around, about MYR 1,650. Cars to and from the airports, a car that waits at Batu Caves and on the Penang Hill day, the ETS and the ferry, and about MYR 100 a day for short rides.
• Sights, about MYR 1,000. As above, with a private Blue Mansion tour for two (MYR 350) and the Penang Hill express lane (MYR 80 each).
• SIM and extras, about MYR 210.
• Buffer, about MYR 1,270.

One day at each level: Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si

Day 6 of the itinerary shows how the levels differ. It is a full day: up Penang Hill by funicular, across to the Kek Lok Si temple in Air Itam, and back to George Town for dinner. Costs are per person and include half the room.

• Budget, about MYR 160. Roti canai and teh tarik (about MYR 8), Rapid Penang bus 204 there and back (a few ringgit), the funicular (MYR 40), the pagoda and lift at Kek Lok Si (about MYR 10), lunch in Air Itam (about MYR 14), a hawker dinner on New Lane (about MYR 12), drinks, and half of the MYR 130 room.
• Mid-range, about MYR 310. A café breakfast, Grab rides shared between two, the same tickets, a seated lunch and dinner (about MYR 75 together), and half of the Sunway room.
• Comfort, about MYR 1,050. Breakfast at the hotel, half of a car with driver for the day, the express lane on the funicular (MYR 80), lunch and a Nyonya dinner, and half of the suite.

Flights and the total with flights

Etihad listed economy returns from London to Kuala Lumpur from GBP 666 for January 2027. Allow about GBP 700-900 per person (about MYR 3,800-4,900) for an economy return on your dates, booked as an open-jaw into Kuala Lumpur and out of Penang, or with a short connecting flight from Penang to Kuala Lumpur on the same ticket.

With that flight, the whole trip comes to about MYR 5,200-6,300 per person on a budget, MYR 6,300-7,400 mid-range or MYR 10,800-11,900 in comfort. Tipping is not customary in Malaysia, and hotel bills already include their service charge.