Malaysia Travel Expenses

TOTAL EXPENSES

•    1,490.31 MYR including plane tickets
• 20,521.64 PHP
•       475.06 USD

ACTUAL DAILY EXPENSES (7 days; minus plane tickets and travel taxes)

•     100.81 MYR per day
• 1,388.09 PHP
•       32.17 USD

Gong Xi Fa Cai! I’m back from my weeklong vacation in Malaysia and I can’t wait to share my experiences there as I get to celebrate Chinese New Year with my friend and her family (Chinese Malay is one of the many groups in Malaysia, an info for those who are not aware of this country’s diversity), well, minus the firecrackers since it has been banned by Malaysian law way back.

The first thing I want to do is a post-accounting of my travel expenses as inspired by Nina Fuentes of justwandering.org and Carrie and Zach of La Aventura Project. I feel proud of myself that I was able to note every detail of my expenses there. This practice made me realize that there are other unnecessary expenses I could shed off (tips for my next trip) without compromising fun and travel opportunities.

I used the local currency (Malaysian Ringgit/MYR) in the computation then converted it to my own (Philippine Peso/PHP) as incorporated in the table below. I based the exchange rate on 1 MYR to 13.77 PHP; of course, exchanging my currency at local money changers gave me lower rates but I didn’t mind since I don’t have millions to think about. :) I categorized my expenses into nine and its corresponding details as seen below.

Transportation (International)

• My plane tickets are not promo fares and I even booked my return ticket a mere 2 weeks before my trip thus soaring the price. Cebu Pacific often offer promo fares so if you have clear travel plans months ahead, it’s good to grab these discounts. Tip: Plan ahead and book discount fares.

Transportation (Domestic)

• Malaysia has cheap and convenient transportation modes. I’m lucky to have my Malaysian friend with me as she knows all about Kuala Lumpur train and bus routes! Tip: Travel with a local and experience local culture firsthand.
• Kuala Lumpur trains offer postpaid cards which is convenient as there is no need to pay for every ride. Tip: Estimate how much you will need for the entire trip and reload as necessary. You don’t want those unspent load credits.
• Taxis are affordable with a flagdown rate of 3MYR. We took taxis to and from train stations. Tip: Taxi rates in Malaysia double after midnight. Be a Cinderella and save bucks!
• Kuala Lumpur’s international airport is situated about an hour and a half from the city. Buses are available for only 8MYR one way. Tip: Ask around where to buy the tickets. English speakers are everywhere in Malaysia.
• I included my transportation expenses to and from the Manila airport. I headed to the airport during a weekday rush hour so I decided to take the train (faster and cheaper and I only have a single backpack to worry). At the last station, I took a taxi straight to the airport. This saved me around 200PHP. From the airport, I took metered airport taxis costing me 270PHP. I prefer this option because it is cheaper (gas prices to and from the airport if I ask someone to fetch me is surely pricier) and convenient (no need to haggle with other cab drivers waiting at the departure section). Tip: Take trains if possible and metered taxis are cheaper, more convenient and less of a headache.

Travel Taxes

• This part includes Philippine International Travel tax (1,620PHP) and Airport tax/Terminal Fee (750PHP). With the sad state of our international airport, I wonder where all these taxes go. But starting February this year, Terminal Fee will be reduced to 550PHP. I didn’t pay for any taxes or fees at the Malaysian airport. Tip: Demand an explanation from the Philippine government regarding airport taxes. 

Souvenirs

• There is no way I can avoid this part of my expenses. Since I am concerned about my luggage weight, I opted for small and light souvenirs such as magnets, bookmarks and coasters. Tip: Shop at KL Sentral’s Central Market and along the Jonker Street of Malacca.

Snacks and Drinks

• I splurged a bit here. I love hanging out in coffee shops, people watching, chatting with my friend, or just reflecting about my experiences. Tip: Try local coffee shops. They are cheaper alternatives to international brands and you get to taste local drinks. Malaysia’s local white coffee is a must-try at Old Town’s Coffee Shop located everywhere in Kuala Lumpur and Malacca.

Accommodation

• I splurged for our accommodation at Malacca which is personally acceptable as my friend graciously hosted my stay in Kuala Lumpur. We stayed at Baba House along Heener street, a beautiful and traditionally designed hotel with free breakfast. For 158MYR a night, it is expensive compared to budget hotels and inns located near the center of Malacca but my friend generously shared the accommodation expenses with me and that halved the hotel cost. Tip: Book at least a day before especially during holidays and explore other budget hotels if you want to cut down your expenses. Share room with a friend.

Meals

• I get to save a bit in this part, especially for breakfasts, because I stayed in my friend’s house and every morning her mom treats me to traditional Malay and Chinese breakfast. But generally, meals in Malaysia are cheap. In Melacca, I treated my friend in a posh restaurant and spent only 29MYR or 300PHP. Tip: Try the Malaysian traditional breakfast food called Nasi Lemak.

Entrance Fees

• I spent for an entrance fee only once and that is when we went to Aquaria. It was an alternative for our Petronas Twin Towers entrance as tickets for that day ran out when we arrived there. Tip: Buy your Twin Towers tickets at least a day before.

Others

• Where do I start? Hahaha! I am ashamed that I spent 85MYR for a traditional Chinese fully-body aromatherapy massage (I admit that having a relaxing massage is one of the luxuries I cannot give up especially when I’m in a new place) and 50MYR for a little gambling at Genting Highlands’ casino. I also forgot to bring my painkillers so I bought a pad of that when my migraine attacked me on our way to Malacca. Tip: Don’t forget to bring medicines and gambling is bad for your pockets!
• Malaysia has no culture of tipping. I’m a happy traveler!

There you go! I hope I was able to help you estimate your budget in case you plan to go to Malaysia. If you’ve been there, feel free to share other tips and lessons learned from your experience.

More about Malaysia, hotel reviews and food reviews in my next posts.

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