Cost of living in Malaysia – 2015

Central kl rent 6 to 12 k (2 to 4 bed) per month. Outside of town goes down to 3k although you can get budget places 2k. Flat share 1k. Anything less you wont get cockroaches as they left as too unclean

Education real expat level education is 9k a month. Good is 7k. Local standard 4k. Budget 2k. Budget places are nearly all hell holes with unqualified teachers. Only one or two I would even suggest. These have bad facilities but ok managers. Rest are disgraceful. You get what you pay for.

Cars daylight robbery. Local lease 1.5k. Decent foreign car - if you have to ask how much you are too poor to have one!

Coffee 2rm to 15rm. Decent coffee 10rm plus

Food is roughly 30 to 60 rm per person at a decent place in kl. Local places 20 rm per person (mamak). In the kampung 10 rm. Can pay a lot.

Beer 20 rm plus a pint.

Wine you need a valium to buy. 70 rm plus

Levi jeans 500 rm plus for pay costing 50 rm in USA. Malaysians like to overpay. Cultural thing.

Petrol looks cheap at 1.90 a litre Wait till you pay the tol!!!!

Mobile phone. I pay 30 rm a month but I hate calling people. That is cheap many pay more. I also have a cheap phone.

Energy prices 500 rm a month for a 3 bed with kids and aircon (my boss) to 300 rm single but heavy usage of aircon. But it does depend if your thieving neighbours have wired up their place to your meter ! It happens you know. Especially if you want a cheap rent lol

I almost forgot how much it cost to live there.... Can't go back now that I've been in Canada for so long unless I get a huge pay package!!!

> accommodation prices
They depend on age, size and location of property. Its expensive in KL City and cheaper the further away you go, except for the expat enclaves, such as Mont Kiara, Damansara, Desa Park City, Ukay Perdana, etc. Cheapest unfurnished will be from RM1300 upwards. Furnished will be RM1700 upwards. Flat shares vary from RM500-1500 depending on rental being shared or how greedy the "landlord" is (can just be someone wanting others to pay their accommodation). To rent you need to pay 2.5 months rent upfront and the 1st month in advance. You should NOT pay management fees as well as rent. They should be paid by the owner, and that goes for property taxes (Assessment) and Sewerage charges.

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc.)
Inexpensive. Allow RM5-7 for a train journey depending on distance and half that when taking the bus. There are some free buses and shuttles around so check them out.

> food prices (your monthly budget per couple)
Vegetarian RM600, Meat & Milk RM900, With Children RM100 extra per child

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
Quite good prices from local insurers, but coverage limits and maximums are low. About RM1700 per year for a foreigners, but shop around.

> education prices (if you need to pay)
Vary greatly. Best schools expect RM8k per month. Cheapest about RM2k per month. There are lots of extras and enrolment fees, deposits, etc. etc. The costs go up the more senior the level of tuition. University fees are quite low.

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
Depends on usage. If you use aircon 24 hrs a day your bill can be as high as RM1500 per month. But with sensible use it can be as low as RM35 per month.

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
There are bundles available from Astro and TM (TeleMalaysia) Hypp TV, where you get internet, landline, and TV channels (packages). The cost is about RM250 per month. If you get just internet from say TIME it is about RM175 per month. Beware of any provider that sells by usage. There are very high internet limits from the providers mentioned (more than enough for most people). They charge by speed rather than volume.

> price for a good menu in a traditional restaurant
These prices have risen quite a lot around KL and how a dish costs about RM7-15. Rice and drink extra. Cheaper in Penang and outside the City. But still too expensive for the quality. MacD costs RM9 for a basic meal at lunchtime and evening and offpeak costs RM12 (normal size - upgrade RM1.50)

> price for a coffee or a drink
RM10-15 depending on what you have. RM20-25 for beer. RM30-45 for wine (bottle in supermarket from RM40 upwards which will cost you RM130-160 in a bar or restaurant. ALWAYS look out for happy hour prices and deals. But do the maths, as sometimes beer packages e.g. 3 glasses for X is more expensive than buying 3 single glasses at normal price.  Dont forget ++ tax, which means another 16% will be added to your bill in most places

> price for cinema tickets
RM9 average but noisy places with telephones going off and people chatting.

Gravitas wrote:

> food prices (your monthly budget)
Vegetarian RM600, Meat & Milk RM900, With Children RM100 extra per child

> price for a good menu in a traditional restaurant
These prices have risen quite a lot around KL and how a dish costs about RM7-15. Rice and drink extra. Cheaper in Penang and outside the City. But still too expensive for the quality. MacD costs RM9 for a basic meal at lunchtime and evening and offpeak costs RM12 (normal size - upgrade RM1.50)

> price for a coffee or a drink
RM10-15 depending on what you have. RM20-25 for beer. RM30-45 for wine (bottle in supermarket from RM40 upwards which will cost you RM130-160 in a bar or restaurant. ALWAYS look out for happy hour prices and deals. But do the maths, as sometimes beer packages e.g. 3 glasses for X is more expensive than buying 3 single glasses at normal price.  Dont forget ++ tax, which means another 16% will be added to your bill in most places

I remembered when still working in KL (having both my spouse and I working), we never cook at home but ate out all the time. But it was fine. That was more than 5  years ago. If we did buy stuff, we noticed that the cost of buying raw materials and the time spend on cooking and eventually the ultimate savings didn't make much sense. You could save if you did buy your raw materials from "Pasar borong" (wholesale market) but it that's too far away from Bandar Utama (where we lived). Unless one has a huge family, I wouldn't bother much about cooking at home everyday.

My City is Kuala lumpur (all estimates in RM)

>accommodation prices = 16 to 1800 for 2 BHK

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc.) : RM 300

> food prices (your monthly budget) : 200 per person

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance) : could be costly ab 500 +

> education prices (if you need to pay) : kids schools 1500 to 2500 international schools

> energy prices (oil, electricity) : Gas 30, Electricity 150, Petrol 2 per litre

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone) : Internet 200, cable TV is not gud here, mobile 50

> price for a good menu in a traditional restaurant : 30 per person

> price for a coffee or a drink : 5 -10 per drink

> price for cinema tickets : 20

How much does it cost to live in Malaysia?

> accommodation prices
1000-2000 for 2/3 bed apartment in suburbs
2000+ for furnished, pool, gym + security guard
Ignore anyone saying less than 2k is bad condition and dirty for 2k you can get a nice place with pool and gym if you are prepared to look around

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc.)
LRT Suburbs to Masjid Jamek RM2.40
LRT Suburbs to KLCC (depending on which line) RM4
Bus RM1 per journey

> food prices (your monthly budget)
RM300-400 per month for 1 person per month
Includes fresh meat daily, rice, vegetables + staple goods bought locally

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
RM500 per year

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
1 litre of fuel RM1.70 - gets about 10km
Weekly RM50 for 1 hour commuting each day + travel on weekends

>car expense
car loan/payment RM200-RM500 per month with local proton car (if you pay for non local car expect to pay 100% extra)
car parts/workshop RM100-RM500 depending on size or condition of part (again non local cars will be a lot more and you will pay extra for labour/work - one of the many disadvantages to owning a non local car)
Tolls RM50-RM100 per month depending on the route you take - can be avoided if you are savvy and learn the roads

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
Internet, homeline and TV RM200
Mobile phone RM30
Electric RM200 - 2 people using aircon every day
Water RM40 - 2 people

> price for a good menu in a traditional restaurant
Mamak (often far better quality than the 'nice' places in KL and fresher food!)
RM10 per person for 1 main + 1 desert + 1 drink
RM20 per person if you want larger meal/more drinks

'Nicer' Restuarnt
RM20 per dish
RM5 per drink

> price for a coffee or a drink
RM1.30 teh tarik (tea with milk)
RM2 teh ais (iced tea)
RM2 tinned drink (coke, 100plus etc)
RM5-RM10 - "nice" coffee in a "nicer" place (e.g. old town or starbucks)

> price for cinema tickets
RM12-RM14 per person

The figures above are based living in Ampang in a local suburb- The above will significantly increase (from either 10% increase for some items or 100% increase for others) if you live in expat or expensive like bangsar or damansara.

Some people may disagree with my figures and opinion however this is based on 2 years of actually living here and spending this much. Before I moved here I fell under the illusion that everything was so expensive and cost of living was high - then I realised that peoples taste was expensive and they chose to spend more (which is not my style) If you are not fussed about buying fancy things and are happy with local food then you can live here on a very low budget.

My City is Kuala lumpur (all estimates in RM)

>accommodation prices = RM2000-RM2500 for 3 BHK

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc.) : RM 300 - RM 600

> food prices (your monthly budget) : 200 - 500 per person 

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance) : RM 100 - RM 200 each visit + Medicine, RM 100- RM 2000 Dentists

> education prices (if you need to pay) : kids schools 1500 to 2500 international schools

> energy prices (oil, electricity) : Water 40, Electricity RM 150-RM 250, Petrol 2 per litre

> common bills (Internet, telephone, mobile phone) : Internet 250, mobile internet 30 (up to 1GB), Mobile RM10-60 (based on how long you talk on your phone!) and Fixed line (could be free if you get Unifi, and up to RM 100 based on your talks), Maxis one plan internet mobile + unlimited talk: RM 128 monthly + 2GB data

> price for a good menu in a local restaurant : RM 5-10 per person
> price for a good menu in a western restaurant : RM 15-30 per person
> price for a good menu in an expensive restaurant : RM 50 - RM 500 per person

> price for a coffee or a drink : RM 2 -10 per drink

Don't know where Gravitas is buying his food from:
For 4 Australian steaks, we paid 100RM at Bangsar Village supermarket the other day!
- Food budget for a family of 4 (good products only and good supermarkets, cold storage, Jasons, Bens or the Grocers) Budget 3,000-4,000RM a month. Imported meat only - organic veggies, antibiotic free chicken... I guess you can pay half of this if you go to the wet market (meat is not in fridge, veggies are full of pesticides).
No way you can buy food for 900RM a month for 4 pax (or in that case you only eat rice and local greens).
- Cheese - Very expensive - Piece of Brie or Blue cheese - minimum 35RM.
- Wine - Mini 65RM for low-average wine - Decent wine, over 100RM.
- Chocolates - Very Expsenive - Small box of chocolates is mini 80RM.
- Electricity - Very Expensive - 1,500RM a month for a 4 bed modern house (aircon only working at night and only in bedrooms).
- Cable TV + Internet - 250RM per month
- Mobile phone - 60RM/month plan 1GB
- Water - The only cheap utility here - 35-70RM/month
- Petrol - Cheap, less than 2RM a liter
- Taxi - Reasonable but in a very bad state most of the time (10-12RM for 5km ride in peak hours).
- School - Extremely expensive - 55,000-75,000RM a year for a reputable International School.
- School bus - 600-800RM per trimester/kid
- Rent: Depends on where you want to leave. A 4 bed modern house in Bangsar is 14K, a 3 bed appartment in Mont Kiara is between 4-6K, KLCC a bit more expensive.
- Down payments for almost everything: 3 months for a rent, 1,500RM for a phone line and a semester for school + deposits.
- Health can be expensive so you better have a good coverage (ex: knee surgery 30,000 RM, orthodontics for kids 10,000RM, doctor's visit 150-300RM, MRI 2,000RM...).

KL is definitely getting more expensive every year and is bit by bit closing the gap and getting closer in terms of costs to Singapore...

Kuala Lumpur

Accommodation prices  - Accommodation is getting costlier, minimum rental is about RM 4,000 per month for 2BHK condominium in Bangsar

Public transportation fares (tube, bus etc.) - for a distance of around 5 KM with ok traffic, around RM 10. Metro is reasonably priced and cost max of RM 4.

food prices (your monthly budget)  - around 2,500 per month (considering vegetarian food and no meat) for a family for 3

education prices (if you need to pay) - For Montessori, monthly fees ranges from RM 800 to 1,800. For 1st, 2nd standards it may go up to RM 60,000 per year (international school).

energy prices (oil, electricity) - for 2BHK condominium, it will be around RM 150 per month

common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone) - If you subscribe to astro for internet, phone and TV, minimum around RM 300 and mobile around RM 100

price for a good menu in a traditional restaurant - around RM 50 at descent restaurant (veg meal)

price for a coffee or a drink - descent coffee RM 12 and 1 pint for RM 20 to 25

price for cinema tickets - RM 18 for normal ticket and more expensive is RM 50 per ticket

I lived in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur for 2 years, so my estimations will be from my experience there.

ACCOMMODATION
Cheap room in condo: <RM800
Decent room in a condo: RM800-RM1300
Master bedroom in condo: RM1300+

PUBLIC TRANSPORT
I think RM1-4 for a trip on the LRT or Monorail. Grab a swipe card to load money onto. Taxis are cheap too. From Bukit Bintang to Bangsar it cost around RM10 with good traffic. Add RM2 if you use the MyTeksi app.
Taxi to/from the airport: RM70+

FOOD
I allowed for up to RM1500 per month eating out for all meals.
Local: <RM10 (includes drink if eating at a mamak)
Food court: RM10-20
Restaurants: 20-30
Nice restaurants: RM30+

ALCOHOL
Beer and mixers: RM20
Better to buy spirits duty free at KLIA.

HEALTH
Went to doctor a few times RM20-100. They try to sell you all the drugs, including vitamin C, so watch out for that.

EDUCATION
I didn't study in KL, but I know that the more affluent kids attended universities like Taylor's and KDU.

ENERGY
Extra RM50-100 on top of monthly rental. Depends how much you use your dryer and All/C though.

COMMON BILLS
Mobile: RM60 per month for 5GB on Umobile.

CINEMA
I think less than RM10, even at the big cinemas at KLCC and Pavilion.

Will all due respect it would be more helpful to add data to numbeo.com which tracks prices. In this blog its too difficult to pinpoint prices as even areas of cities differ. That said, i stay in Penang and prices are higher than KL because its believed that factory workers have more money to spend and in many cases I can attest to prices being as much as 30% higher than KL. Also, inflation is rampant in Malaysia. In my 15 years here in Penang and KL, I have watched prices steadily and artificially rise. It used to be once a year increases at Ramadan, then twice a year to include CNY, now its once a month. I have counted 58 items I no longer buy at all. Example, honey was RM4.90, now the same bottle is RM12.90. Some items go up 50% in one year. Also, prices have remained the same for years on many items but the contents weight steadily decreases, like a bag of peanuts. Same box or can or bag but less inside. Peanuts were always RM9.90/kilo, now RM23/kilo. Beef is out of sight at RM45/kilo. Other prices like net, electric, gas have remained relatively stable for years. But as the government abandons subsidies, watch for sharp increases from now on. The idea of Malaysia becoming a "high income country" is dependent on salary increases which never come. Many prices of common items like toothpaste, vitamins, any pharmacy items are now equal or much higher than the same US items even though they are made locally. Im gauging overall inflation at at least 30% a year now. Mahathir controlled prices very well and starting with Badawi prices have zoomed into space.

The leaders in the inflation are the expat enclaves such as Bangsar, Ampang, and Mont Kiara where exotic supermarkets sell goods at up to 6-10 times what they cost in value supermarkets elsewhere in KL. An example is Hock Tune (Ampang) which sells red bell peppers for RM20-25 for which the normal price is no more than RM4. This rip-off culture is patently clear by the entries above based on Bangsar prices. But everywhere in the world is the same if you want products that you have back home.

RE Emicoti's reply. This is an example of what I would call in my reply 'expensive taste' and should NOT be advised as an average - only use this advice if you are planning on buying lots of the same style (imported meat, expensive cheeses and chocolates...

Gravitas nails it on the head perfectly here "This rip-off culture is patently clear by the entries above based on Bangsar prices"

Subang Jaya: Landed house with four bedrooms,clean and with appliances and a lovely garden, plenty of furniture included, 2k.

Internet 150 Rm.

Mobile phone Maxis/128RM.

I don't spend a lot on groceries (mostly go to Aeon Big or Mydin) and live alone and cheaply but I do eat out a lot at nice restaurants because of my job...1000RM/month.  My breakfast is typically nasi lemak, 5RM with a drink but for dinner I tend to splurge, 30-40RM.

Electricity is about  120-160 RM

Water and filter is low, not sure yet how much.

I was able to buy an old Honda accord for 3000RM off of Mudah but just sold it and am getting a motorbike for 3000RM new.  I can walk to work and use taxis if I need to.

My job pays for health insurance and I have no education needs, no children and absolutely hate going out for partying.  A good book is entertainment enough for me.

I do have veterinary care to attend to and had complete exam and bloodwork done on my dog for 70 RM (a steal!).

Holidays are cheaper from here.  I just flew to Medan from Subang for 290RM roundtrip and spent five lovely, cheap days in Sumatra.

I think I have great value for the money here and can find everything I want or need much easier than any other country I have lived in.

Hi everybody,

Thank you all for your contributions to this thread !

Priscilla

Some real big variations here, hard to pinpoint a proper budget, looks like it would just boils down to each individuals tastes and budget. If you want to live cheaply you can, if you are used to all nice stuff it will probably cost you more in KL than in UK/USA.

1) Any salary called sufficient today wont be, going forward. Its almost sophomoric to say that but inflation is wild and salaries remain fixed. You are losing ground every minute.

2) Whatever anyone says for a budget, double it. Your proposed salary is RM5000 and you add up every expense you can think of and its RM4500. You think you are ready to take the job? WRONG.

You didnt think of these which were absolutely not in the budget:
1) you or your spouse broke or lost the phone. Need to buy one today.
2) You begged your wife not to buy anything this month but she forgot and bought three pairs of shoes and you cant get a refund.
3) You broke a tooth. Trip to the dentist
4) You ate something weird. Trip to the Dr.
5) Your kids tore their clothes. New clothes.
6) Someone stole the new tires off your car. New tires.
7) Your kid bothered you to death for a new phone, and not a RM59 phone, either.
8) Air Asia had a deal and you couldnt resist. There goes three months of savings.
9) Your car blew the aircon compressor. And then the alternator.
10) You splurged in a bar after forbidding yourself from even going at all. Uh-oh.
11) Used your rent money to invest in a little business project from home. Sales are still zero.

Do things like this happen all the time? Of course. (And being single vs. married doesnt save you from anything. The money-chopping Gods are circling for everyone 24/7). And you pay for them not from your salary but from your savings, while still therefore believing that your salary is sufficient. When the savings are zero, you will begin trading one thing for the other, like skipping food to pay for the Dr and lost phone, until you go mad.

If your budget is RM4500, figure its really RM9000 and thats just today. Next year, not good enough.

For those who think its impossible, a doubling of budget, I can tell you that my firm, real, all-inclusive, all-in budget is RM1600. But I have never spent less than RM3500-4000 and I have no luxury life and also nothing to show for that extra spending either. Why higher expense? Because all this mysterious crap keeps happening. I didnt figure for that RM300 summons, or broken motorcycle or stolen laptop or broken appliances like a new washer, new PC, toaster, etc. You cannot figure those things because you dont know if and when they ever happen. But they do.

So, if you budget RM4500 and have a RM5000, RM7000 salary, thats fine go ahead and take it. And then, with your endless, gigantic savings account to draw from, you can disregard my post Hey, look how easy life is, after all.

Again it depends on your lifestyle choices.

You don't need an expensive phone/laptop, one can be bought cheaply.
You dont need a car but if you do then naturally you need to have the budget for one.
Not everyone has kids but they are costly - budget accordingly.

Health care crops up now and then, moreso the older you are. I would have thought the basics are quite cheap in Malaysia, dentist/doctors/physio visits similar throughout Asia. I used to think I could get by maybe until my 50s without health care abroad if I needed(early 30s now always been fit and active), but after a recent unexpected operation that wasn't covered by my private health cover, it made me realise what a big consideration it should be. Health cover seems to be going up by circa 5% P.A here in Australia the last 2/3 years so its something that needs to be budgeted for.


If you were honest would you say that you just badly under budgeted, it would seem that way to me if your costs are 120% more than you anticipated?

I agree with what you are saying to have double your expected expenditure as income, but my reasoning behind it is
for the fact of increasing costs and prices.  If I was to move abroad I would establish a budget to the upper side
of estimates for certainty and I would perhaps double it or at least add 50%. I wouldn't plan to spend this it would be invested and/or saved to cover rising costs in the future and rising costs as you age. If one budgeted correctly in the first place I think 50% put aside would be more than sufficient. On top of that a small lump sum should be available for unforeseen events, family members die need to travel to funeral, things get stolen, marriage/wedding etc etc, maybe 10K USD.

cvco is spot on.

Also I note that most people say "I earn 10k and only spend 5k." "How much do you save?" "Nothing...."

Most people are hopeless at creating  a real budget and being realistic. I have a monthly balance sheet that shows me how much I really spend and if most people did this they would be shocked.

Apart from 'everyday' expenses like rent, food, electricity. internet, mobile, car, tolls, petrol cinema, beer etc

There are "capital" costs eg clothes, new computer/phone/TV, holidays,medical that have to be allowed for. Most people seriously underestimate these especially.

Then the big one. 30% of your salary needs to be treated as deferred pay to pay for retirement. This needs to be invested in real assets and left alone.

Right.
Well....its not about my lack of honesty or bad budgeting, its simply what you said--the unexpected surgery. Thats what (and all) I meant.

Of the items that I budget for, im careful and prudent and have no lifestyle to speak of. I have a cheap phone, never had an iphone, drive a Proton Wira (which is very close to having no car) which I only drive in emergencies,  and a bike. I have no debts and no payments and I cook at home, no bars, no gym memberships, and eat at mamak stalls. Pretty simple life, yet high expense anyway.

And speaking of phone lifestyles, my HTC phones are each 8 years old. And Windows, to boot. Because tech has moved on, I just bought my first Android phone--a Phicomm C230W which costs RM188. Not RM1188, 188---because all my associates use Whatsapp and Instagram and all that, and its not available for the old HTC. What can I do? Careful as I was about the spending, its still ANOTHER RM188 I couldnt budget for in advance and that was the entire point of my post.

And yes medical. I have no insurance and cant get any while here. So I pay cash. Just a few visits and procedures cant destroy a budget. Do what, nothing? Skip them? Be sick?

Yes, the BASIC expense for living in Malaysia is OK, not high, but the unscheduled expenses and inflation are eating people to pieces. This makes it very difficult to answer the question about how much it costs here and if a certain salary is sufficient.

And food! I never did shop at Hock Choong or Cold Storage. I shop at nite markets, wet markets, Tesco and Jusco and thats it. Every couple of months im giving up another thing I used to buy because the price jumped too much. Food is the worst money vacuum of all, and when I make trips to US I bring back as much as possible because its cheaper than Malaysia.

Everything over the modest budget is going to unexpected events that I have little control over. 15 years ago it was so cheap and easy, even urgent things. Not anymore.

Rent      700
Food     600
Net/phone/handphone  130
electric   50
gas         5
water     7
car/bike/insurance/roadtax/gas  110
Sub total  1600
Additional food and med and unexpected 2000
Sub total  3600
Scheduled and unscheduled travel, 600
Total 4100  And thats what I actually spend, careful as i am.

The POINT is that in all these salary and expense threads, the focus is always on that 1600 which you can see its pretty far from the reality. ADD kids and wife and more of a normal life and that 1600 can easily become 8000 or 10,000 or 15,000. Add international schools and off we go again.

So what is the truth of expenses in Malaysia? Well i spend 4100 and live close to the bottom so it doesnt cost much less than that. But see how it goes? My bed is 12 years old and gives me a whale of a backache. Its RM2000 to replace it. My TV is also 12 years old and nearly dead, i dont even have a flat screen and thats another RM1000. Since January I have spent RM5000 on the car, all unplanned. What day will my 12 year old frig drop dead? Where in the threads did all these type of expenses appear?

Old car, old tv, old phone, old and beatup everything. Thats what 4100 a month buys, after taxes.  Go ahead and tell me about my poor lifestyle choices and spend-crazy ways!

Sounds like you would have a better standard of living in Greece. All the best with your endeavours.

Come on CVCO - you've got a monthly post that says:

"Additional food and med and unexpected 2000" -

RM30 per day is sufficient for simple lifestyle with no vices. RM50 per day will provide a couple of extras.  Multiple this by 30 for an estimate of what its possible to live on. RM100 for a fun, middle class type of life. Add to this accommodation, travel, schooling, insurances, holidays, utilities, entertainment,, education.......

It is always important to see whether posters are on the foreign worker scheme or in professional skilled jobs as the expenditure tends to change depending on this. Then there are retirees.........

Foreign workers typically earn RM100-1400 a month in the hospitality industry. They send money home as well......

b4bmm wrote:

Sounds like you would have a better standard of living in Greece. All the best with your endeavours.

Greece is great you don't have to pay any taxes (!), can't get into debt as cash only plus bartering economy and anyone with a 100 EUR is a rich man!

But more seriously food in UK is actually very cheap now (in UK for visit) and if you go to local markets and keep eye on prices I can live just as cheap food wise in UK. And beer is cheaper here   

Cars are way cheaper (so are car loans) then internet, phones etc same price. Only rents are cheaper in KL

Foreign workers? They share beds in filthy hostels so whats the rent, RM100 a month, if that? Yes, if I were living in a decrepit hostel, or for free in a shack on a construction site I could send money home too. Tell me, on their salary can they pay RM700 a month rent and send money home?

Its true, a person can live at any level, including paying no rent and living under a bridge. And more to the point, who among you is willing to live under a bridge, in a hostel or in a tent in the jungle on a palm plantation? I'll guess nobody so lets leave foreign workers out of this.

My point is that when its asked 'what does it cost to live' and 'is this salary sufficient' the whole story isnt being told and wont be told until the expat shows up and starts spending. We cant say 'net is 150' and call it a day and believe anyone has been helped by that info.

YES there are lifestyle choices. I know many expats who dont gauge a place by the cost of a sack of rice but by exotic phone data plans, living in bars, new condo in Bangsar/KLCC, driving a Land Rover and shopping in the best markets.

Gravitas post makes the case for asking an expat how they want to live, low, med or high. I have a friend who lives above the Beach Club in a condo which costs RM14,000/month which he says "is a really good deal!!" How does someone answer him about what it costs to live in Malaysia?

I live low because Im saving for certain purposes. There are no loans in Asia for me, have to pay cash. So I scrimp. Most expats I know dont plan to stay in Asia after their contracts so many dont care so much whats spent as long as their former lifestyle is maintained. Its not just about lifestyle choices but distinctly different needs.

The second point is that regardless of whats being spent now today, there is no person among 27 million here who doesnt believe you have to soon add zeros to everything. Fifteen years from now discussion about "the good old days" wont be RM4000 that I spend, it will be RM10,000, and that RM4000 wont even be believed as having ever happened at all.

(Oh! At the end of 1999 I looked at houses and condos. A nice, modern, well-equipped condo in a good neighborhood in KL was RM20,000 average, and almost any typical house in PJ was RM80,000 average, with no restrictions on foreigners and 10-13% rental returns. See? You dont believe it. I still have the emails to home about all that, still sitting in the box)

Now after all my dumb posts we can finally answer the question. "Is my proposed RM7500 salary sufficient?" Yes, it is, if you live on the Lower side AND you have at least a 20% annual increment, AND you dont change your lifestyle too much from the starting point.

In all the threads in all the forums, nobody ever asks the guy, "whats your increment?" Nobody asks because there seldom IS an increment. My local friend works for XYZ in KL and she was told last year not to expect an increment in the foreseeable future. So she, like others, loses ground everyday and they are going to be sorry. Five minutes after she was told that, she began a campaign to transfer to any XYZ in US, Europe, doesnt matter, just get out of here ASAP.

Greece? No no. Im Greek ancestry but Im an American from Los Angeles. Since you mention cost of living in Greece, I was last there in 2008 and prices were shocking. A single cup of coffee was RM30; four of us went out for a simple, nothing lunch in an average place and the bill was E60..whats thats, RM250? I kept looking at the bill, this cant be, this cant be. Otherwise I love Greece but with its turmoil its hardly a good choice. US is an even worse choice, frankly.

Nemodot wrote:

cvco is spot on.

Also I note that most people say "I earn 10k and only spend 5k." "How much do you save?" "Nothing...."

Most people are hopeless at creating  a real budget and being realistic. I have a monthly balance sheet that shows me how much I really spend and if most people did this they would be shocked.

Apart from 'everyday' expenses like rent, food, electricity. internet, mobile, car, tolls, petrol cinema, beer etc

There are "capital" costs eg clothes, new computer/phone/TV, holidays,medical that have to be allowed for. Most people seriously underestimate these especially.

Then the big one. 30% of your salary needs to be treated as deferred pay to pay for retirement. This needs to be invested in real assets and left alone.

Excellent post which I missed. I need to take lessons from you about being concise and quick.
"Also I note that most people say "I earn 10k and only spend 5k"; "How much do you save?" "Nothing...." All cases can be rested on those words.

I dont waste posts to preach to or argue with the choir. Newcomers need to know that whatever deal they have today wont likely work pretty soon. What will they do? That would be second and third incomes because increments cant be counted on.

Sometimes I follow a facebook group, FSSG, which are foreign spouses. Their biggest problem is money and how to get jobs. They came, married, had kids, bought a house and went broke. They work against the government to increase foreigner rights and one thing they (apparently) accomplished was free/lower cost medical for foreigners married to Malaysians. FSSG is the perfect example of the problem--you come here on the belief a salary and expense is OK and soon find its not.

Being married only amplifies the problem of the single expat, nobody is spared. If you are starting a business, thats one thing. If you are here on a fixed income declining in value, it MAY be unwise to come at all unless you have a plan to increase that income. I have no idea what people can or will do--make candles and cookies at home? One intrepid expat I knew started jewelrymaking in her bedroom and eventually did so well she quit her job. But thats not likely the fate of most expats.

We wouldnt have to talk so much if inflation was 0% and people still got increments because then you have increasing wealth in one form or the other. Isnt the idea to increase your life, not just barely survive all the time and in a foreign country, no less?

"How much does it cost to stay in KL, is RM7500 sufficient?" Ok fine, sufficient for what, buying a house and getting rich or surviving by eating rice and salt from the boot of your car? Unless one has a plan to increase income it can be argued ANY amount is insufficient going forward. Likewise, it can also be argued that even RM1000 is enough provided you have a plan to increase it.

I cant count the expats ive known who went broke here. How do you go broke in a third world country? Well, they had no plan to increase income while maintaining a comfortable lifestyle. The money kept declining until (at least one I knew) he had to borrow the money for a plane ticket home. He went that broke and dont think it cant happen to you.

Thanks Nemodot, great post from you.