2nd this^^ Though i'm 100% more a KL person , but bias since i grew up there lol. I feel Malaysia is so so so underrated. It's almost perfect in the sense that it's a foreign country u can get away with with just english, everything's cheap. There's luxury if you want it, malls up the wazoo. Only con would be the price of cars and alcohol i guess but heyy Proton's getting pretty good

Of all the places in the world, I certainly did not expect Bangi to show up on this list!

How does Bangi compare to living in, say, KL or PJ?

Much better. I've turned down jobs in KL/PJ because it's not worth moving there. KL actually ranks very low in terms of quality of life, imo. Too angry, too much traffic, not enough parks, far too expensive for no reason. People buy homes in KL because it's close to offices, and people make offices in KL because it's close to other offices. Infrastructure in KL is very bad; roads and public transport don't suffice. The reason that so many companies like HappyFresh and Pop Meals are HQed in KL is because buying groceries is such a pain point.

Bangi is a middle upper class area, similar to Bangsar in quality of life and cost. Much less alcohol but more suburban. It's a university town, so there are smart and beautiful people, many of whom decide to become a fashion designer instead of an engineer, hence the booming young businesses around here.

A lot of events happen in Cyberjaya too. Cyberjaya is a bit out of the way for KL folks, but half an hour from Bangi.

A second choice would be Kuala Terengganu. A major enough city but not too crowded. Parks, great fresh food, nice people, and really nice islands. All the benefits of city and beach life at half the cost of KL.