Malaysia runs 116.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39 against 101.7 in Philippines. Visa-free entry is 90 days against 59. On the 16 measures both countries carry, Malaysia leads 9.
The difference at a glance
- the Philippines has 14.9 fewer men per 100 women aged 20–39 than Malaysia.
- Visa-free entry is 31 days lower in the Philippines than in Malaysia.
- The top income tax rate is 5 points higher in the Philippines than in Malaysia.
- English proficiency is 12 points lower in the Philippines than in Malaysia.
- The homicide rate is 3.6 per 100,000 higher in the Philippines than in Malaysia.
- Life expectancy is 6.9 years lower in the Philippines than in Malaysia.
- GDP per capita is 69.7% lower in the Philippines than in Malaysia.
- The nomad visa allows 12 months less in the Philippines than in Malaysia.
Green favours the Philippines. Country figures. Cities inside one country differ, often by more than the countries differ from each other.
Head to head
Each row is named for the thing more of which is better, so a longer bar always wins.
Longer is better. Bar length is the rank among all countries we hold that measure for, not a share of the pair.
Every country measure, side by side
National figures throughout. What a city inside either country costs, and how its own sex ratio runs, is the table below this one.
| National men per 100 womenthe city figure is above | 116.6 | 101.7 | 14.9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa-free entrylongest headline entry for a typical Western passport | 90 | 59 | 31 days |
| Top personal income tax rateheadline rate, not an effective rate | 30% | 35% | 5 points |
| English proficiencyadult proficiency score | 581 | 569 | 12 points |
| Homicide rateper 100,000 per year | 0.7 | 4.3 | 3.6 |
| Life expectancyyears at birth | 76.8 | 70.0 | 6.9 years |
| GDP per capitacurrent USD | $41,498 | $12,577 | 3.30× as much |
| Female labour force participationno direction is asserted | 52% | 50% | — |
| Fertility ratebirths per woman | 1.54 | 1.89 | — |
| Obesity, womenage-standardised | 28.9% | 11.6% | 17.3 points |
| Mean height, womenadults | 157 cm / 5′2″ | 154 cm / 5′1″ | — |
| Political stability0 to 100, higher is more stable | 72/100 | 53/100 | 19 points |
| Low corruption0 to 100, higher is cleaner | 58/100 | 36/100 | 22 points |
| Digital nomad visamax stay; headline route, not a guarantee | 24 months | 12 months | 2.00× |
| Never-married women, 20–39census or survey, years differ between countries | 33.4% | 28.6% | — |
| Main languagethe city may differ | Malay | Tagalog / Filipino | — |
Data updated August 6, 2026.
Sex ratio by age
Men per 100 women in each five-year band, with 100 as parity. National census age×sex tables, which is the one figure on this page no cost-of-living site holds.
Every city we track in both
A national sex ratio is an average of places that do not resemble each other. These are the cities behind it.
Malaysia
| City | Men/100 women | Essentials |
|---|---|---|
| Kota Kinabaluunit level | 105.3 | $523 |
| George Townunit level | 106.8 | $614 |
| Kuala Lumpurunit level | 120.6 | $698 |
| Ipohunit level | 124.4 | — |
| Malaccaunit level | 125.3 | — |
| Johor Bahruunit level | 125.6 | $678 |
Philippines
| City | Men/100 women | Essentials |
|---|---|---|
| Angeles Citycity level | 97.4 | $578 |
| Dumaguetecity level | 97.8 | $507 |
| Baguio Citycity level | 100.3 | $558 |
| Naga Citycity level | 100.6 | — |
| Puerto Princesacity level | 101.6 | $546 |
| Cebu Citycity level | 102.0 | $682 |
| Bacolod Citycity level | 102.7 | $536 |
| Iloilo Citycity level | 102.8 | $495 |
| Metro Manilametro level | 102.9 | $689 |
| General Santoscity level | 104.6 | $444 |
| Cagayan de Orocity level | 104.8 | $578 |
| Davao Citycity level | 105.2 | $550 |
Malaysia spans 20.3 points across its 6 tracked cities, Philippines 7.8 across 12. The national figure is the average of neither.
Put Malaysia and Philippines on the same board
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