The short answer: by my own estimates, a website in Malaysia in 2026 costs roughly RM 1,500 to RM 5,000 for a simple template based business site, RM 5,000 to RM 15,000 for a custom designed small business site, RM 10,000 to RM 35,000 for an e-commerce store, and RM 30,000 and up for larger or custom built projects. On top of the build, budget for a domain, hosting, licences and maintenance every year, which I'd estimate at RM 1,000 to RM 6,000 a year for most small business sites. These are my estimates from working in the market, not published prices, and your quote will depend on scope.

I'm Rustam, and I run Frame the Pixel, a web design and WordPress maintenance studio in Kuala Lumpur. I don't publish fixed prices because every project differs, but I know how frustrating it is to ask "how much?" and get "it depends". So here's what it depends on, with honest ranges you can budget against.

Why website prices in Malaysia vary so much

You'll see offers from a few hundred ringgit to well over RM 50,000. Both can be fair for what they are. The difference comes from:

Who does the work. A template set up by one person is a different job from a team doing strategy, design, copywriting and development.
How much is custom. A theme with your logo and colours is quick. A design made from scratch for your brand takes much longer.
How many page types. Ten pages that share one layout cost less than five pages that each need their own.
Content. Writing copy, translating into Bahasa Malaysia or Chinese and arranging photography all take real time.
Features. Booking, payments, member areas, multi language, integrations with your CRM or accounting software.
What happens after launch. Some quotes include training, a support period and maintenance. Many don't.

Website cost in Malaysia by type of site (my estimates)

Three woven rattan baskets in small, medium and large sizes on a timber floor, representing website design price ranges in Malaysia

These are my own estimate ranges for professionally built sites in 2026, in Malaysian ringgit. They're not quotes and not anyone else's prices.

Simple business site using a template

My estimate: RM 1,500 to RM 5,000.

Around 5 pages: home, about, services, contact, perhaps a gallery.
A ready made theme customised with your branding.
Contact form, WhatsApp button, Google Maps.
You supply the text and photos.

Good for: new businesses, sole traders and anyone who needs a credible presence quickly.

Custom designed small business site

My estimate: RM 5,000 to RM 15,000.

8 to 20 pages, with a design made for your brand.
Help structuring and editing content.
Basic on page SEO, speed optimisation and mobile testing.
Training so you can edit it yourself.

Good for: established SMEs, clinics, professional firms, property, education and service businesses that win work through the website.

E-commerce store

My estimate: RM 10,000 to RM 35,000.

WooCommerce or a hosted platform.
Product setup, payment gateway (such as FPX, cards and e-wallets through a local payment provider), shipping rules.
Customer accounts, order emails, basic stock management.
The range depends heavily on product count, variations and integrations.

Good for: retailers and brands selling online in Malaysia or across the region.

Larger or custom built sites

My estimate: RM 30,000 and up.

Custom functionality, portals, booking systems or complex integrations.
Multi language with separate content.
Bigger teams and longer timelines.

If a project sits here, expect a discovery phase before anyone can quote accurately. That phase is usually paid for separately, and it's money well spent: it turns a vague idea into a written specification you can take to any developer, which protects you as much as it helps them price the work.

Redesigning an existing site

A redesign usually costs about the same as a new build of the same size, sometimes more, because the old URLs, content and integrations have to be moved over carefully. It can cost less if the content is already good and only the design needs work.

The running costs people forget

Hands lifting the lid of a plain cardboard box to reveal smaller boxes nested inside, like the hidden running costs of a website

The build is a one off. The site then costs money every year to keep online, secure and working. These are my estimate ranges for a typical small business WordPress site:

Domain name: roughly RM 50 to RM 150 a year for a .com or .com.my. Malaysian domains are managed by MYNIC through accredited registrars.
Hosting: roughly RM 200 to RM 1,500 a year for shared or managed WordPress hosting. Busy stores need more.
Premium themes and plugins: RM 0 to RM 1,500 a year in licences, depending on what the site uses. Page builders, form plugins, backup and security tools often renew yearly.
Business email: if you use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, that's a per user subscription on top.
Maintenance: updates, backups, security and fixes. I've broken my own estimate ranges down in detail in website maintenance cost in Malaysia, and compared Malaysia with the UK and Europe in website maintenance cost per month.

Add those together and most small business sites land somewhere around RM 1,000 to RM 6,000 a year to run properly, by my estimate. Skipping maintenance saves money right up until something breaks. My post on signs your WordPress site needs maintenance shows what that usually looks like.

What should be included in a website quote

When you compare quotes, check each one for:

Number of pages built and number of unique page designs.
Who writes, edits and uploads the content.
Whether stock photos or photography are included.
Rounds of design revisions.
Basic SEO setup: titles, descriptions, sitemap, Search Console, redirects from an old site.
Speed and mobile testing. Google's Core Web Vitals are a fair benchmark.
Privacy basics. If your forms collect personal data, the Personal Data Protection Act applies, so ask about a privacy notice and consent.
Training and a support period after launch.
Who owns the domain, hosting and site files.
What maintenance costs afterwards, if anything.

For a longer list of what to ask before hiring, see how to choose a web design company: 10 questions to ask.

Where very cheap websites usually cut corners

I take over a fair number of sites that were cheap to build and expensive to fix. The usual problems:

The domain belongs to someone else. Often the original designer. If they disappear, so does your control. See my web developer disappeared.
Nulled or unlicensed themes and plugins. They can't be updated safely and sometimes contain malware.
No backups and no updates. Fine for a year, then a hack or a broken update.
Old PHP. Hosts eventually force an upgrade, and code that was never updated breaks. PHP.net lists which versions still get security fixes, and WordPress publishes its own hosting requirements.
Slow, heavy page builders with dozens of add ons. If that sounds familiar, read Elementor slowing down your website.

None of this means you must spend a lot. It means asking what you're getting.

Can I build it myself to save money?

Yes, and for some businesses it's the right call. Hosted builders and AI site tools make a basic site easy. The trade offs are time, design control, SEO and being tied to one platform. I wrote an honest comparison in should I use AI to build my website.

How to set a sensible budget

Decide what the site must do: enquiries, bookings or sales.
Pick the matching range above.
Add the yearly running costs.
Keep 10% to 20% aside for things you'll think of halfway through. Everyone does.
Ask for a written scope with each quote so you can compare like for like.

If AI search matters to your business, it's worth asking whether the build includes structured data and crawler access for tools like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews. My AI ready websites service covers that.

Get a quote for your project

My website design and development service builds WordPress sites for businesses in Kuala Lumpur, across Malaysia and abroad, with the domain and hosting in your name from day one and ongoing maintenance available if you want it. Tell me what the site needs to do and I'll give you a written scope and price. Get in touch here or email contact@framethepixel.com. I work 9am to 5pm Malaysia time (GMT+8).

FAQ

How much does a simple website cost in Malaysia?

By my estimate, around RM 1,500 to RM 5,000 for a professionally set up template site of about five pages, plus yearly running costs.

How much does an e-commerce website cost in Malaysia?

My estimate is RM 10,000 to RM 35,000 for a typical small to medium WooCommerce store, depending on products, payments, shipping and integrations.

What are the yearly costs of a website in Malaysia?

Domain, hosting, licences and maintenance. My estimate for most small business sites is around RM 1,000 to RM 6,000 a year in total.

Why do website quotes differ so much?

Different scope. Check pages, content, design work, SEO, training and maintenance in each quote before comparing totals.

How long does it take to build a website?

My rough guide is two to four weeks for a simple site, six to twelve weeks for a custom business site, and longer for e-commerce or custom builds. Content readiness is usually the biggest factor.