Property Affordability Index Malaysia 2026

Which Malaysian states offer the best value for property buyers? Ranked by price-to-income ratio using DOSM income data and real new launch prices.

The most affordable state for property is Kuala Lumpur with a price-to-income ratio of 3.8x. The least affordable is Putrajaya at 32.3x. The international benchmark is 3–5x.

State Affordability Rankings 2026

Ranked from most affordable to least affordable based on price-to-income ratio.

Rank	State	Median Income (RM/mo)	Median Property Price	Price-to-Income Ratio	Rating	Projects
🥇	Kuala Lumpur	RM10,234	RM472k	3.8x	Affordable	86
🥈	Terengganu	RM5,878	RM330k	4.7x	Affordable	4
🥉	Selangor	RM9,983	RM619k	5.2x	Stretched	302
#4	Melaka	RM6,210	RM438k	5.9x	Stretched	29
#5	Pahang	RM4,753	RM380k	6.7x	Stretched	21
#6	Penang	RM6,502	RM531k	6.8x	Stretched	39
#7	Perak	RM4,494	RM395k	7.3x	Unaffordable	34
#8	Johor	RM6,879	RM610k	7.4x	Unaffordable	79
#9	Perlis	RM4,713	RM438k	7.7x	Unaffordable	2
#10	Sabah	RM4,577	RM450k	8.2x	Unaffordable	3
#11	Negeri Sembilan	RM5,226	RM558k	8.9x	Unaffordable	41
#12	Kelantan	RM3,614	RM384k	8.9x	Unaffordable	7
#13	Kedah	RM4,402	RM550k	10.4x	Unaffordable	37
#14	Sarawak	RM4,978	RM818k	13.7x	Unaffordable	10
#15	Putrajaya	RM10,056	RM3.9 mil	32.3x	Unaffordable	2

How We Calculate the Affordability Index

The Formula

Price-to-Income Ratio = Median New Launch Price ÷ (Median Monthly Household Income × 12)

A ratio of 3.0x means the median property costs 3 times the median annual household income. Lower is more affordable.

Data Sources

1.Income data — DOSM (Department of Statistics Malaysia) Household Income Survey, the official government dataset.
2.Property prices — NewProjek project database of new launch developments across Malaysia.

Demographia Scale (International Benchmark)

<3.0x — Affordable

3.0–5.0x — Moderately Unaffordable

5.0–7.0x — Seriously Unaffordable

>7.0x — Severely Unaffordable

Key Findings

Most Affordable

Kuala Lumpur

3.8x ratio

Median: RM472k

Least Affordable

Putrajaya

32.3x ratio

Median: RM3.9 mil

National Median

9.2x

Avg. Ratio

Across 15 states

Below 5x Ratio

2/15

States Affordable

Where median household can afford

Affordability by State

Horizontal bars show the price-to-income ratio. Shorter and greener bars indicate better affordability.

3.8x

4.7x

5.2x

5.9x

6.7x

6.8x

7.3x

7.4x

7.7x

8.2x

8.9x

8.9x

10.4x

13.7x

32.3x

Frequently Asked Questions

What is property affordability index?

The property affordability index measures how affordable housing is in a given area by comparing median property prices to median household income. A lower ratio means housing is more affordable. The internationally accepted benchmark (Demographia) considers a ratio of 3.0 or below as affordable.

Which is the most affordable state to buy property in Malaysia?

Based on our analysis of new launch property prices and DOSM household income data, Kuala Lumpur is currently the most affordable state with a price-to-income ratio of 3.8x. This means the median property costs 3.8 times the median annual household income.

What is a good price-to-income ratio for property?

According to the Demographia International Housing Affordability scale: below 3.0x is 'Affordable', 3.1-4.0x is 'Moderately Unaffordable', 4.1-5.0x is 'Seriously Unaffordable', and above 5.1x is 'Severely Unaffordable'. In the Malaysian context, a ratio below 5.0x is generally considered manageable for most households.

Negeri mana paling mampu milik untuk beli rumah?

Berdasarkan analisis harga projek baharu dan data pendapatan DOSM, Kuala Lumpur merupakan negeri paling mampu milik dengan nisbah harga-kepada-pendapatan 3.8x. Ini bermaksud harga hartanah median adalah 3.8 kali ganda pendapatan tahunan isi rumah median.

How is the affordability index calculated?

We calculate the price-to-income ratio by dividing the median new launch property price (from our database) by the annual median household income (from DOSM's Household Income Survey). For example, if the median property price is RM400,000 and the median annual household income is RM80,000, the ratio would be 5.0x.

Indeks Mampu Milik Hartanah Malaysia 2026

Indeks mampu milik hartanah mengukur kemampuan rakyat membeli rumah berdasarkan nisbah harga-kepada-pendapatan (price-to-income ratio). Nisbah ini dikira dengan membahagikan harga median hartanah baharu dengan pendapatan tahunan median isi rumah, menggunakan data rasmi dari Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia (DOSM).

Pada tahun 2026, negeri paling mampu milik ialah Kuala Lumpur dengan nisbah 3.8x, bermaksud harga rumah median adalah 3.8 kali ganda pendapatan tahunan isi rumah. Sebaliknya, Putrajaya mencatatkan nisbah tertinggi pada 32.3x.

Mengikut piawaian antarabangsa Demographia, nisbah di bawah 3.0x dianggap mampu milik. Di Malaysia, 2 daripada 15 negeri mempunyai nisbah di bawah 5.0x, menunjukkan cabaran pemilikan rumah yang masih perlu ditangani di beberapa negeri.

Can You Afford to Buy a House?

State-level data gives you the big picture. Check your personal affordability based on your actual income, savings, and commitments.

Check Your Personal Affordability