The noise pollution here is insane. The prayer calls from the mosques seem to reverberate throughout Penang. Seems like they are competing for who can be the loudest. This really ruined Penang for me and I cut my time short. 

Penang

The noise pollution here is insane. The prayer calls from the mosques seem to reverberate throughout Penang. Seems like they are competing for who can be the loudest. This really ruined Penang for me and I cut my time short.

We picked up 4G SIM from the airport for $5 that got us 20Gb for the 2 weeks we visited the place to see if we wanted to work here.

Penang is great.It's everything the rest of Malaysia is not: Penang is clean, super safe, people are friendly, the food won't make you sick.Penang probably is not the next nomad hotspot soon though but it could be. There's quite a lot of cafes, but not many are good for laptopping. Very few cafes have solid airconditioning, so it'll be hot. They do usually have fans though. Most buildings are small built here, so cafes can also be quite cramped and get crowded fast, especially around lunch and late afternoons. Also cafes close very early, like 5pm or 6pm.Internet is legendarily slow, doesn't matter if it's in your hotel or cafe. Internet in Penang in general is just very slow. But there's an easy fix for that: buy a 4G Hotlink SIM card and top it up every day/week with a few gigabyte. Then use your phone to tether. It'll be extremely fast at around 40 Mbps, vs the WiFi's at 1 Mbps (!).Great thing vs. for example Thailand is that people here speak almost perfect English, and compared to Kuala Lumpur people here are generally quite educated. Also about the people: Penangites are just really friendly and nice. They know you're a tourist and it doesn't matter, they're happy to help you get around and give tips where to go. Really friendly and chill people.Food is good but I'll be real here, there's kinda limited options. Everything is either Malay, Indian or Chinese. Which is nice, but gets limited fast.Some recommendations to work:- Wheeler's cafe (ask or book beforehand to make sure you sit in the aircon area upstairs)- Coffee Addicts cafe- Daily Dose (make sure you order food here though cause they don't seem to like laptops that much)To eat:- Nasi Kandar Line Clear, yes it's an alley way but nice and you won't get sick, very clean: go there ask for rice and beef or chicken and vegetables and curry sauce, it'll be $2 or $3 USD, ask for hot tea, that's how locals eat it. It's open 24/7.- Halab, a Syrian restaurant, it's not cheap (think $20 for a meal) but it's a loooot of grilled meat, good if you need protein after gym, also didn't get sick it so seems safe.I think if Penang gets some nice aircon'd hipster cafes that like laptops, fixes its slow WiFi speeds everywhere and gets more nomads coming, it could very well become a new nomad hotspot in Asia.

Beware of slow internet speed! It's also difficult to get month-to-month accommodation. Airbnb is basically the only choice. I got a great studio apartment at the Kim Haus for $620/month, which includes tourist tax of RM10 per day. Excellent location. But the internet is so slow it is unusable. And there are very few cafes that have better internet. One of the better cafes in town happens to be across the street from the Kim Haus. It's called Coffee Addicts.

I've been living here for a year. English is widely used everywhere so you don't need to learn any other language. Internet at home fiber 1Gbps super fast. Rental is both cheap and expensive, you can find places as cheap as $100 per month and as expensive as $1000-$2000 for luxury style condos. Food is excellent, you can literally eat every day out for less than $5 per meal + drink and never repeat the same restaurant. Maybe the only downside is that as it's so hot people only do exercise very early in the morning or at night or in the gyms (usually condos have a gym).

Loved Penang! I rented an Airbnb 1BR apartment in Straits Quay for a month @ $35/nt and rent is probably lower if you stay longer or live in a less touristy area. Great food, easy transportation, nice beaches, super affordable plus my host upgraded wifi to 30mbps. Everyone speaks English, thanks to Malaysia's colonial history and the people are so hospitable. I hope to move there permanently someday!

SLOW internet speed and local people mostly relies on 4G/LTE networks instead of cables. However, I need to recommend the Wheeler's: https://goo.gl/maps/Z2cLP2y9hqT2 It has the fast internet speed in town, around 20Mbps download/upload.

Putrajaya is the only place I would recommend due to its close proximity to the airport.  The Shaftsbury Hotel is modern with two convenience stores, pharmacy, restaurants, dental, and more in the actual building. There is a rain fountain in "mall" of the building that would be Putrajaya's attempt at Singapore's airport one.  The location is also literally right across from the bigger mall that has restaurants, international grocery store, movie theater, bowling, electronics, etc.  It's a safe area if you're going to be in Malaysia for a week or two.

Kuala Lumpur

Putrajaya is the only place I would recommend due to its close proximity to the airport. The Shaftsbury Hotel is modern with two convenience stores, pharmacy, restaurants, dental, and more in the actual building. There is a rain fountain in "mall" of the building that would be Putrajaya's attempt at Singapore's airport one. The location is also literally right across from the bigger mall that has restaurants, international grocery store, movie theater, bowling, electronics, etc. It's a safe area if you're going to be in Malaysia for a week or two.

First time I was in KL was in 2015 as a backpacking student. I stayed for 2 weeks at an airbnb in Bangsar South and I loved it. Met up with Uni friends, made new friends and I really like the relaxed atmosphere, despite being in a huge city.Fast forward, 3 years later, I went by myself to KL for a 3 days stay on a visa run from Chiang Mai. I stayed in a hotel near Bukit Bintang. I actually really didn't like it - I think because I was by myself, in a fairly wild part of the city and got so used to all the conveniences of Chaing Mai prior to coming here. I couldn't wait to leave this hell hole.... Ironically, as a student, I loved the crazier parts of the city, but maybe as we get older, that changes.But then, 6 months later, I decided to give it another go, coming from Penang. This time with my girlfriend and back to the area where I first got to know KL back in 2015. We booked an apartment in Bangsar South. Swimming pool, gym, 1gbps internet connection, walking distance to supermarket, convenience store and metro to go exploring. Was an absolutely great month and ended up extending our stay by another 15 days until our visas expired. Cannot wait to go back after corona.

Kuala Lumpur is a modern metropolitan filled with fun loving people and excellent choice of food, available around the clock. Night life could be a little boring in downtown area but the suburbs are where the fun is in the evening. Internet speed is world-class, modern roads and highways, good connectivity and comfortable to live and work. Safety at night is a bit compromised so extra care is needed when travel alone. Most of the people speak reasonably good English. Alcohol is cheap and conveniently available.

Great city. I got a lot of work done. Luxury residences are overbuilt so the key to reserving sight unseen is determining how many units they have open (more=bad) and how many people aren't paying their maintenance (which you can determine from requesting a photo of their elevator interior which posts the debts.) Empty buildings with lots of debtors mean poor maintenance and perks like restaurants and pools being in disrepair or closed.

You can settle for a few months in the two Jaya areas (burbs) where modern conveniences are around (food deliveries, malls, nature parks, etc). Cyberjaya is a more youthful Jaya with college students, 24 hour bookstore, etc. You can still find families around though. It's rather quiet and "boring" to some though. It's good for relaxing, working out at the infinity pool gyms, and taking a travel rest.

Been Many times and it it wow. And if you have been anywhere in Asia you will know what I mean when I say - its modern. I didn't know why so I asked - they have oil off their shore - thus have $$$. And is still affordable - I like it more than Singapore even. Great hotels, great food, great taxi service and great internet.

Kuala Lumpur is one of the dirtiest and dodgies cities we've ever been. Everything looks broken down, messy or unmaintained. It seems completely mismanaged (or not governed at all) by the city government. It's relatively unsafe, with high crime, and especially if you're a woman, you'll get followed and harassed if you're out in the evening or night. To top all that off, it's boring with not many reasons to go here except shopping in malls.

Fantastic internet, pretty good co-working spaces, ridiculously affordable especially considering such a large city with all of the modern amenities, and all of the fun and nightlife you can ask for. I can see KL being one of my standard go-to places.

KL was a great place when I went. Affordable (and quality) apartments, good and affordable food (although spicy), and especially, very, very welcoming people. I will certainly come again!

I think KL will be the next hub for nomads. It's affordable, safe, convenient, has decent Internet and has decent weather. (Yes it's hot during the summer but it gives you a good reason to be inside and get your work done) Mostly it's quite chill, not as hectic and messy as other major SEA cities like Bangkok, Hanoi and Jakarta. There's not that much to do, but Malaysia has wonderful nature and getaway places, accessible with cheap AirAsia tickets from KL.

It's funny how 15-20 years ago, KL was almost devoid of travelers - presumably because "Muslim country", 9/11, whatever. THAT was actually a time when not only was everything ridiculously cheap; the locals were happy, friendly, courteous, always giving you a huge smile. I have so many happy memories of back then. Fast-forward to 2019: Yes, KL is now "on the map". Yet the cost of living is exploding; much of the city's heritage has been bulldozed away; a high-rise is going up at every corner; and more and more people are visibly stressed, frustrated, hostile. As a foreigner, I encounter silent treatment every day; have people shut the elevator door in my face; rarely get a Please or Thank You or even Excuse Me; the little annoyances just keep mushrooming. But all in all, and especially for those who never experienced the fun and relaxed KL of yesteryear, it's still a relatively safe and affordable place. Nowhere near as pricey as Singapore, and also not as prone to power cuts and violent crime and accidents as Thailand or Philippines. I see private doctors, and they are excellent, London/Cambridge-trained and yet affordable. Also, phone apps work quite well when it comes to payments, booking a Grab car or ordering food / groceries. And of course, the sky is blue and the sun is shining all year round.

Mostly great weather year round and some of the best food in the world at cheap prices. Probably the best standard of living for the cost in an international city.Good but not excellent public transport.Some questionable reviews being left here by people who possibly never visited,

It's hot and always cloudylack of good & delicious foodgood co-working spaces are available with good internetif grab doesn't work for you, use gocar

An Islamic consumerist utopia.Boring, dangerous, and overall average.Alright for a week or two if you're a couple or male. Hell on earth if you're female (DO NOT GO OUTSIDE ALONE AFTER 8PM IF YOU'RE MORE THAN 2KMs FROM THE CBD).

Stay in luxury Airbnb with all mod cons for less than $700 per month. Eat for less than $5. It’s clean and has everything you need, including great supermarkets and restaurants. Stay away from KL if you want history etc, but if you’re an expat this ticks every box.

I hope less people will come to KL so i have more of the city to myself LOL. Where else can you get fresh made roti canai with teh terek for less than US1.00 for breakfast? Where else can you stay at a 5star hotel for 1/3 the cost of overpriced Singapore. Please, tourist, stay away and leave KL to expats who appreciate the good side of a typical crowded Asian city.

Whanted to write a review, wrote about 200 words than pressed the arrow key and left the page and the review was gone. Fix this shit. You obviously don't give a rats ass about UX

I am confused why anyone wants to visit Kuala Lumpur, it’s a dirty, messy and crime infested city.

It’s hard to love Kuala Lumpur. Because everything here is average. Malaysia’s food is marketed as a mix of all cultures’ cuisines, that’s nice and all but that mix of the same cultures is tastier in any food court in Singapore. Because in KL the food is average. Malaysians are also far behind in cafes, you’ll see Starbucks rated 5 stars, while arisanal boutique cafes are rated 2 stars on Foursquare. Why? Because they have a prehistoric obsession with big brands and consumerism. The coffee in the few artisanal cafes is outstanding. Everywhere else? Average. A day in KL means you’ll be going from mall to mall. Chinatown still has some remnants of local street authenticity, but even that’s starting to be bulldozed by malls its edge. Admittedly Kuala Lumpur has come far since a decade ago, its citizens are getting close to middle class (that is if you're not one of the millions of illegal immigrants). But where Kuala Lumpur now thrives in money, it still lacks in class. And that makes it, well, average.

Nice and laid back city with good infrastructure. 4G coverage was good

Kota Kinabalu

Kuching is a great place to base yourself, it's a vibrant yet quiet little city with access to all sorts of outdoor activities. I stayed at the Borneo Seahare Guesthouse for about 5 months. It is run by a western guy called Ben and his wife Syeda, they really helped me out with everything I needed and gave me a very reasonable rate on a private room. The internet was good and the place had everything I needed including a full kitchen for me to cook. Based right in the city center with loads of shops, restaurants and bars close by.  I can highly recommended Kuching its a wonderful city and I will be returning next year for sure! 

Kuching

Kuching is a great place to base yourself, it's a vibrant yet quiet little city with access to all sorts of outdoor activities. I stayed at the Borneo Seahare Guesthouse for about 5 months. It is run by a western guy called Ben and his wife Syeda, they really helped me out with everything I needed and gave me a very reasonable rate on a private room. The internet was good and the place had everything I needed including a full kitchen for me to cook. Based right in the city center with loads of shops, restaurants and bars close by. I can highly recommended Kuching its a wonderful city and I will be returning next year for sure!

Great place, I stayed at bug n boats.....epics.s go to gua tempurung

Ipoh

Johor is a dirty, ugly city across the causeway from northern Singapore. It's a very busy crossing both ways. I've been here many times to shop with my wife and MIL but have nothing to recommend. It was at least a cheap place to get glasses. Last time I went the 1MDB project had been launched to great fanfare in Johor. It was supposed to the the project that would unseat Singapore. It turned out to be a big scam and lots of people lost money, especially the Malay taxpayers.  Other parts of Malaysia are fantastic (Borneo, Penang, KK, KL). Johor is kind of lousy. Got sick a few times eating there. 

Johor Bahru

Johor is a dirty, ugly city across the causeway from northern Singapore. It's a very busy crossing both ways. I've been here many times to shop with my wife and MIL but have nothing to recommend. It was at least a cheap place to get glasses. Last time I went the 1MDB project had been launched to great fanfare in Johor. It was supposed to the the project that would unseat Singapore. It turned out to be a big scam and lots of people lost money, especially the Malay taxpayers. Other parts of Malaysia are fantastic (Borneo, Penang, KK, KL). Johor is kind of lousy. Got sick a few times eating there.

Arrived yesterday, at Dreambase coworking now. A fascinating city in the sense that is seems strange, eerie, and sullen. It feels like the city was abandoned for 30 years and what remains is the population that decided to stay. Many random empty, lonely buildings. Patches of busyness dispersed in between patches of nullness. Everything feels just a little bit too far to walk. Grab works fine here for getting around. Extremely affordable. But so far it definitely doesn't feel like the place to be if what you're looking for is night life, socializing, and entrepreneurial communities. Internet speed is great. Weather is good. Things are quiet.

Best Cities To Remote Work In Malaysia

Penang

Kuala Lumpur

Kota Kinabalu

Kuching

Ipoh

Johor Bahru

Malacca

Langkawi

What Makes These Cities in Malaysia the Best for Remote Work?

How To Choose The Best City in Malaysia For Your Remote Work Needs ?