Physician Salary: Boston vs Kuala Lumpur
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇺🇸 Boston
United States
$279K USD
$279K USD
$279K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
VS
USD Difference
+487%
Boston vs Kuala Lumpur
🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
RM216K MYR
$48K USD
$125K PPP
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Boston | Kuala Lumpur | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | $279K USD | RM216K MYR | — |
| USD Equivalent | $279K | $48K | +487% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $279K 🏆 | $125K | +123% |
| 25th Percentile | $223K USD | RM173K MYR | — |
| Median | $279K USD | RM216K MYR | — |
| 75th Percentile | $349K USD | RM270K MYR | — |
| Annual Mean | $301K USD | RM233K MYR | — |
What Does This Mean?
Boston offers a Physician salary of $279K USD, while Kuala Lumpur offers $48K USD — a difference of +487% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Boston's salary is worth $279K in US purchasing power terms, versus $125K for Kuala Lumpur. This means Boston offers better real purchasing power for this role.
PPP adjustment accounts for differences in local prices — for example, housing costs 3x more in San Francisco than in Warsaw, so a San Francisco salary needs to be much higher to provide an equivalent standard of living.