New Zealander Retired in Malaysia for Warm Weather, Low Cost of Living

Ten years ago, Jill Tozer packed her bags, said goodbye to her daughters, and moved alone to Penang, a state in the northwestern part of Malaysia.

A former physiotherapist, Tozer was born and raised in New Zealand. She had been living in Christchurch for years, in a four-bedroom house that she rented. She lived with one of her daughters and her boyfriend. Her other daughter was away at university.

In 2011, an earthquake reduced much of the city of Christchurch to rubble. Tozer’s business was also affected.

“I was at a crossroads in jobs since the earthquakes had kind of finished what I was trying to set up at the time,” Tozer, now 68, told Business Insider.

“I crunched the numbers and thought, am I better off staying in New Zealand and paying ridiculous amounts for rent, unable to get a well-paying job, or coming to Malaysia and living off investment income? I figured I possibly would be better off here,” she said.

The idea of retiring in Malaysia had been on her mind for years.

Tozer had been there before to visit her friends, and she longed to return every time she came back from her trips.

“I would be back in New Zealand thinking, ‘Oh, Heather and John are still sitting on their porch, having a sundown every night of the year. And I’m inside, huddled beside the fire, freezing,” Tozer said. “And so I thought, yeah, I’d like to give it a go.”

A breezy apartment with a sea view

Tozer had moved abroad once before — to Canada — when she was in her 20s.

Even so, it was intimidating to do it again. This time, it also meant leaving her two adult daughters behind.

“But my older daughter said, ‘Mom, just go for three months, and if you don’t like it, come home and look at it as if you had a good three-month holiday.’ And I thought that’s a jolly good way of looking at it. So that’s what I did,” Tozer said.

“But 10 years later, I’m still here,” she added.

The apartment-hunting process was smooth. Within a week of arriving in Malaysia, Tozer found an apartment that fit all her requirements.

“I found an agent, and she spent two days just taking me around. I gave her some parameters. I wanted a sea view. I wanted a pool and a big enough area to do yoga,” Tozer said.

After viewing about eight different units, she decided on a three-bedroom apartment in Tanjung Tokong, a neighborhood near Penang’s capital city, George Town.

It’s 1,200 square feet, with a small balcony and two extra bedrooms for her daughters or friends to stay in when they visit. Rent is 2,000 Malaysian Ringgit, or about $450, a month.

She got the sea view she wanted, and the nearest grocery store is five minutes away.

A slower life, but with ‘plenty’ to do

Tozer is on the Malaysia My Second Home, or MM2H, visa, which was introduced in 2002 to attract foreigners who want to retire and live in the country.

There were 58,468 active MM2H pass holders in the country as of December, Malaysia’s minister of tourism, arts, and culture, Tiong King Sing, said in a parliamentary response on February 24.

For Tozer, one of the biggest perks of living in Malaysia has been the climate.

“The main reason I’m here is for the weather. I love never being cold,” Tozer said. “I love being able to leave my doors and windows open day and night. I love being able to go swimming anytime I want.”

She also says the community has been inclusive and welcoming.

“In New Zealand, as in many Western countries, older people are kind of almost invisible, but here you get more respect. People are actually nice to you, notice you, and want to help you,” Tozer said.

The lower cost of living helps, Tozer said. Her monthly living expenses, including bills and food, are often less than 4,000 Malaysian ringgit. This doesn’t include extras, like travel expenses if she decides to take a trip somewhere.

“Food for me is very cheap. I don’t eat meat, dairy, cheese, or anything like that that’s imported and expensive,” Tozer said, adding that she eats out three or four times a week.

Her life here is also much slower than it used to be, partially because she is fully retired. However, she says there are “plenty” of things to do that keep her busy.

“Yoga, swimming. Play Mahjong. Play Bridge. There’s so much to do,” she said. “It’s just so nice to be able to meet up with people without having to worry about, ‘Oh my God, how much is this going to cost?'”

Even though she didn’t know anyone in Penang when she first arrived, it wasn’t hard to find her community.

She joined expat Facebook groups and began attending meetups hosted by fellow members. She’s still friends with some of the people she met at her very first event.

Deciding what’s next

While the MM2H has made Malaysia an attractive place for expats, the most recent rule changes, announced in 2024, included stricter financial requirements.

There are now three different categories of the visa. Depending on the category of visa they apply for, applicants are required to have fixed deposits of between $150,000 and $1 million and also buy property in Malaysia.

Tozer isn’t due to renew her visa for a few more years, but says that will be when she starts thinking about whether she wants to return to New Zealand.

“I’m not sure at this point. Eventually, I might need my kids around closer. It just depends on what happens,” Tozer said.

She said her time in Malaysia has been fulfilling, and moving to a new country alone is not as scary as one might think.

“One of the reasons I came here, particularly to Malaysia, is because it’s safe. For a single woman, that’s quite a big consideration,” Tozer said. “There are lots of places I wouldn’t move to on my own, but Malaysia, no problem.”

Do you have a story to share about relocating to a new city? Contact this reporter at agoh@businessinsider.com.