In short
Kuala Lumpur is the most underrated city on this list. Modern metro, English spoken everywhere, recent buildings, a major airport, hospitals of a very high standard.
Life is organised in towers: most recent housing includes a pool, a gym and security, and fibre is the norm.
It is the city in this selection where you lose the least time to daily logistics.
What it really costs
An apartment in a recent building with amenities costs less than a bare studio in most European capitals.
Food covers three cuisines — Malay, Chinese, Indian — at very low prices in the hawker centres.
Public transport is enough if you live near a line; otherwise ride-hailing apps stay cheap.
Working here
The internet infrastructure is the best on this list alongside Dubai. English as a working language removes the administrative and commercial friction.
Coworking spaces are plentiful downtown and in the business districts.
The time difference with Europe matches Bali, slightly more constraining than Thailand.
What nobody tells you
The city is not built for walking: heat, humidity, broken pavements and urban motorways. Getting around on foot is a constant disappointment.
Smoke from regional fires degrades air quality in certain periods.
And social life takes more effort than in Chiang Mai or Bali: there is no ready-made nomad community to join.