Malaysia runs 116.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39 against 102.5 in Thailand. Visa-free entry is 90 days against 60. On the 16 measures both countries carry, Malaysia leads 8.
The difference at a glance
- Thailand has 14.1 fewer men per 100 women aged 20–39 than Malaysia.
- Visa-free entry is 30 days lower in Thailand than in Malaysia.
- The top income tax rate is 5 points higher in Thailand than in Malaysia.
- English proficiency is 179 points lower in Thailand than in Malaysia.
- The homicide rate is 4.1 per 100,000 higher in Thailand than in Malaysia.
- Life expectancy is effectively the same in Malaysia and Thailand.
- GDP per capita is 36.7% lower in Thailand than in Malaysia.
- The nomad visa allows 36 months more in Thailand than in Malaysia.
Green favours Thailand. 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 | 102.5 | 14.1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa-free entrylongest headline entry for a typical Western passport | 90 | 60 | 30 days |
| Top personal income tax rateheadline rate, not an effective rate | 30% | 35% | 5 points |
| English proficiencyadult proficiency score | 581 | 402 | 179 points |
| Homicide rateper 100,000 per year | 0.7 | 4.8 | 4.1 |
| Life expectancyyears at birth | 76.8 | 76.6 | 0.3 years |
| GDP per capitacurrent USD | $41,498 | $26,250 | 1.58× as much |
| Female labour force participationno direction is asserted | 52% | 59% | — |
| Fertility ratebirths per woman | 1.54 | 1.20 | — |
| Obesity, womenage-standardised | 28.9% | 19.6% | 9.3 points |
| Mean height, womenadults | 157 cm / 5′2″ | 159 cm / 5′3″ | — |
| Political stability0 to 100, higher is more stable | 72/100 | 54/100 | 18 points |
| Low corruption0 to 100, higher is cleaner | 58/100 | 37/100 | 21 points |
| Digital nomad visamax stay; headline route, not a guarantee | 24 months | 60 months | 2.50× |
| Never-married women, 20–39census or survey, years differ between countries | 33.4% | 33.1% | — |
| Main languagethe city may differ | Malay | Thai | — |
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 |
Thailand
| City | Men/100 women | Essentials |
|---|---|---|
| Phuketdistrict level | 84.4 | $856 |
| Pattayadistrict level | 88.0 | $694 |
| Hua Hindistrict level | 92.0 | $671 |
| Bangkokprovince level | 96.3 | $690 |
| Chiang Raidistrict level | 97.5 | $393 |
| Khon Kaendistrict level | 98.0 | — |
| Chiang Maidistrict level | 102.7 | $565 |
Malaysia spans 20.3 points across its 6 tracked cities, Thailand 18.3 across 7. The national figure is the average of neither.
Every Malaysia district by male-to-female ratio → Every Thailand tambon by male-to-female ratio →
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