Best Airbnb Markets Malaysia in 2025

Name: Best Airbnb Markets in Malaysia
Creator: Airbtics

Based on Airbtics data from September 2024 to August 2025, this page shows the top Airbnb locations to invest in Malaysia with key statistics and information, like short-term rental regulations, number of listings, occupancy rate, average daily rate, and annual revenue. This allows you to discover the most profitable cities to invest in, buy, and own Airbnb rental properties in Malaysia.

Why Invest in Airbnb Malaysia in 2025?

** Last updated: 2025-10-04

In recent years, Malaysia has emerged as one of the best locations for investing in short-term rentals thanks to its popular tourist attractions, thriving business activities, growing digital nomad presence, and vibrant cities like George town, Kota kinabalu and Kuala lumpur. With millions of international visitors coming each year, the demand for vacation rental accommodations is growing, making Airbnb Malaysia a lucrative option for both local and foreign investors.

Due to strong demand from travelers, Malaysia offers competitive average daily rates (ADR), healthy occupancy rates, and attractive revenue potential in the best Airbnb markets. Whether you’re looking to start your first Airbnb business with a modest budget or to add a luxury short-term rental property to your portfolio, Malaysia has a profitable location to meet your budget and aspirations as an investor.

Note on Methodology: The Airbtics Market Score indicates how attractive a location is for investing in an Airbnb rental property. We determine this score based on the following criteria:

Short-term rental yield: The ratio between annual revenue and property price, as a percentage. Locations with higher Airbnb rental yield score better.
Short-term rental regulations: How STR-friendly the local Airbnb rules and laws are. Markets with more lenient regulations get a higher score.
Market size: The number of Airbnb listings. Larger vacation rental markets get a higher score as it is easier for investors to buy and sell properties.
Growth: How fast the market is becoming saturated. Priority is given to markets that are already developed but are not approaching saturation yet.
Seasonality: To what degree Airbnb performance is affected by seasonality. Less seasonal impact is preferred as investors can enjoy a more stable short-term rental performance throughout the year.

Based on this methodology, the best places to buy Airbnb in Malaysia are:

Learn more about how we collect the data and accuracy

Top 17 Malaysia Cities for Airbnb in 2025

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	Kuala lumpur	Lenient	19,904	60%	RM237	RM53,276	12.3%	34.5%
2	Johor bahru	Lenient	4,784	44%	RM270	RM45,381	12.3%	34.5%
3	Melaka	Lenient	3,994	36%	RM232	RM31,943	12.3%	34.5%
4	Kota kinabalu	Lenient	2,482	59%	RM266	RM58,643	12.3%	34.5%
5	Petaling jaya	Lenient	2,222	51%	RM185	RM35,682	12.3%	34.5%
6	Ipoh	Lenient	2,050	33%	RM266	RM33,273	12.3%	34.5%
7	Shah alam	Lenient	1,790	42%	RM194	RM30,756	12.3%	34.5%
8	George town	Lenient	1,686	61%	RM280	RM63,816	12.3%	34.5%
9	Kuching	Lenient	1,466	50%	RM247	RM46,288	12.3%	34.5%
10	Genting highlands	Lenient	1,279	31%	RM256	RM30,694	12.3%	34.5%
11	Cameron highlands	Lenient	1,127	33%	RM289	RM36,294	12.3%	34.5%
12	Cyberjaya	Lenient	960	41%	RM133	RM20,738	12.3%	34.5%
13	Penang	Lenient	831	40%	RM266	RM39,919	12.3%	34.5%
14	Kuantan	Lenient	787	34%	RM251	RM32,285	12.3%	34.5%
15	Port dickson	Lenient	774	27%	RM323	RM33,197	12.3%	34.5%
16	Langkawi	Lenient	753	44%	RM289	RM47,267	12.3%	34.5%
17	Bayan lepas	Lenient	350	44%	RM251	RM41,928	12.3%	34.5%

Find the Best Airbnb Markets with Our Interactive Tool

Use our interactive Market Explorer to find the best places to start an Airbnb in COUNTRY. Compare multiple markets side by side, apply filters like regulations, budget (property or rent prices), and market size, and even export the results to Excel.

Explore Interactive Tool

Best Cities for Airbnb in Malaysia by Budget

Affordable & Mid-Range Airbnb Markets: $500,000 & Below

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	Kuantan	Lenient	787	34%	RM251	RM32,285	12.3%	34.5%
2	Johor bahru	Lenient	4,784	44%	RM270	RM45,381	12.3%	34.5%
3	Ipoh	Lenient	2,050	33%	RM266	RM33,273	12.3%	34.5%
4	Shah alam	Lenient	1,790	42%	RM194	RM30,756	12.3%	34.5%
5	Cameron highlands	Lenient	1,127	33%	RM289	RM36,294	12.3%	34.5%
6	Port dickson	Lenient	774	27%	RM323	RM33,197	12.3%	34.5%
7	Kuching	Lenient	1,466	50%	RM247	RM46,288	12.3%	34.5%
8	Cyberjaya	Lenient	960	41%	RM133	RM20,738	12.3%	34.5%
9	Melaka	Lenient	3,994	36%	RM232	RM31,943	12.3%	34.5%
10	Kota kinabalu	Lenient	2,482	59%	RM266	RM58,643	12.3%	34.5%
11	Petaling jaya	Lenient	2,222	51%	RM185	RM35,682	12.3%	34.5%
12	Bayan lepas	Lenient	350	44%	RM251	RM41,928	12.3%	34.5%
13	Kuala lumpur	Lenient	19,904	60%	RM237	RM53,276	12.3%	34.5%
14	George town	Lenient	1,686	61%	RM280	RM63,816	12.3%	34.5%
15	Genting highlands	Lenient	1,279	31%	RM256	RM30,694	12.3%	34.5%

Emerging vs Established Airbnb Markets in Malaysia

Top 10 Emerging Short-Term Rental Markets in Malaysia

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	Shah alam	Lenient	1,790	42%	RM194	RM30,756	12.3%	34.5%
2	Bayan lepas	Lenient	350	44%	RM251	RM41,928	12.3%	34.5%
3	Kuantan	Lenient	787	34%	RM251	RM32,285	12.3%	34.5%
4	Johor bahru	Lenient	4,784	44%	RM270	RM45,381	12.3%	34.5%
5	Kuala lumpur	Lenient	19,904	60%	RM237	RM53,276	12.3%	34.5%
6	Genting highlands	Lenient	1,279	31%	RM256	RM30,694	12.3%	34.5%
7	Kuching	Lenient	1,466	50%	RM247	RM46,288	12.3%	34.5%
8	Penang	Lenient	831	40%	RM266	RM39,919	12.3%	34.5%
9	Ipoh	Lenient	2,050	33%	RM266	RM33,273	12.3%	34.5%
10	Kota kinabalu	Lenient	2,482	59%	RM266	RM58,643	12.3%	34.5%

Top 3 Established Short-Term Rental Markets in Malaysia

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	Johor bahru	Lenient	4,784	44%	RM270	RM45,381	12.3%	34.5%
2	Kuala lumpur	Lenient	19,904	60%	RM237	RM53,276	12.3%	34.5%
3	Melaka	Lenient	3,994	36%	RM232	RM31,943	12.3%	34.5%

10 Best Places for Airbnb Arbitrage in Malaysia

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	George town	Lenient	1,686	61%	RM280	RM63,816	12.3%	34.5%
2	Kota kinabalu	Lenient	2,482	59%	RM266	RM58,643	12.3%	34.5%
3	Kuantan	Lenient	787	34%	RM251	RM32,285	12.3%	34.5%
4	Kuching	Lenient	1,466	50%	RM247	RM46,288	12.3%	34.5%
5	Johor bahru	Lenient	4,784	44%	RM270	RM45,381	12.3%	34.5%
6	Ipoh	Lenient	2,050	33%	RM266	RM33,273	12.3%	34.5%
7	Kuala lumpur	Lenient	19,904	60%	RM237	RM53,276	12.3%	34.5%
8	Langkawi	Lenient	753	44%	RM289	RM47,267	12.3%	34.5%
9	Petaling jaya	Lenient	2,222	51%	RM185	RM35,682	12.3%	34.5%
10	Shah alam	Lenient	1,790	42%	RM194	RM30,756	12.3%	34.5%

Starting an Airbnb in Malaysia? Check out our guide on how to start an Airbnb in Malaysia (Startup cost, profitability, and nationwide vacation rental statistics)
For short-term rental market analysis, visit our Airbnb Analytics app.

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