Cost of living in Malaysia
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Living Costs
Before moving to malaysia, i tried to get a clear picture about the cost of living in Malaysia. But I wasn't able to get a clear idea through online materials. I was at a disadvantage during the salary negotiation.
Now having lived here in malaysia, i thought of listing down the expenses i have incurred/noticed to help others to get a sense of living costs in Kualalumpur, Malaysia.
Income Tax
Tax is comparatively high in malaysia with very less standard deductions on the income. Apart from the Income tax, there is a 12.5% service/government tax in all the Big restaurants.
For latest details, check out the malaysian government's Tax department.
http://www.hasil.org.my/english/eng_index.asp
Current Applicable Rates
Housing Costs in Malaysia
Property Price/Rentals
Basic Double Storey Houses costs around RM 300,000 in the outskirts to around RM 500,000 close to the city. The rent for the same varies from RM 1000 to RM 1600. The housing costs around a million ringgits in high demand areas and the rent costs upwards of RM 3000.
The Basic Condo Prices, for a 1000 Sqft, vary from 160000 in the outskirts to RM 300000 close to the city. The rent for the same varies from RM 1000 to 2000.
Upscale Condos in high demand areas costs upwards of RM 500,000 and the rent will be from RM 3000 & above.
Most of the rental house/condos are available as unfurnished and the rent goes up depening on the furnishing level.
Check out http://www.iproperty.com.my/ for property/rental listings
Transportation Costs in Malaysia
Public transport is very inadequate for a normal living and owning a car is a must. Mostly a car per working adult is a must. so working couples will need to own two cars to avoid lot inconvenience.
The cost of ownership of a car is very high and it could be among the worst place to own a car. Petrol costs RM 1.80 per litre and most of the roads are toll roads. It will cost easily around RM 100 for a average home to office/shopping in a month.
On Road Prices of some of the cars available in Malaysia
Toyota Camry 2.0 - RM 150,000
Toyota Altis - RM 110,000
Toyota Yaris - RM 100,000 above
Honda Accord 2.0 - RM 145,000
Honda Civic 2.0 - RM 125,00
Hona Civic 1.8 - RM 110,000
Honda Jazz - RM 105,000
BMW 3 series - RM 250,000 & above
BMW 5 series - RM 500,000 & above
Nissan X-Trail - RM 140,000
Citroen C5 - RM 195,000
Mitsubishil Lancer 2.0 - RM 115,000
Hyundai Getz - RM 65,000
Malaysian made cars are comparatively cheaper than the imported Models.
Perodua Myvi 1.3 RM 50,000
Proton waja 1.6 RM 65,000
Proton Perdana - RM 95000
The Used car prices of european make cars are considerably cheaper than those of japanese make.
Check out http://www.autoworld.com.my/ for detail listings and prices
Food Costs in Malaysia
Groceries
Milk -1 litre - RM 4
Bread - 1 Pocket - RM 4
Egg - 12 Eggs - RM 4
Onion - 1 kg - RM 2
tomatoes - 1kg - RM 3.5
Chicken - 1 kg - RM 7
Fish - 1 kg - RM 15
Rice - 5 kg - RM 25
Oil - 1 litre - RM 10
Grapes - 1 kg - RM 10
Apple - 1 - RM 1
Orange - 2 - RM 1
Eating out
Nasi Kandar, Indian Restaurants - RM 10 per person ( avg )
Chinese Restaurants - RM 15 per person
Big Restaurants - RM 30 per person
Pizza Large - RM 30
McDonald Burger - RM 10
KFC chicken Meal - RM 10
TGI Friday/Chillis - RM 40-50 per person
Eating out at hawker stalls are very common in malaysia and costs are generally cheaper compared to restaurants.
Entertainment Costs in Malaysia
CABLE TV - RM 100 to 150
Movie tickets - RM 10
DVD - RM 30 to 60
pirated DVD costs - RM 8
Theme Park - a day pass - around RM 50
Utilities/Services Costs in Malaysia
Utilities
For a limited usage in a month,
Mobile - RM 150 - 200
Landline - RM 100
Broadband - RM 80
Electricity Bill - RM 80 - 100
Water Bill - for normal usage - RM 0 ( yes that is right..zero )
Appliances
32 Inch LCD TV - 2000 - 3000
Refridgerator - RM 1000 - 2000
Washing Machine - RM 1000 - 1500
Home Theatre System - RM 800 - 2000
Sofa - RM 2000 - 5000
Mattresses - RM 1000-4000
Bed Frame - RM 1000-3000
Healthcare Costs
Visit to a clinic for fever/cough - RM 50 - 100
Visit to a Hospital - RM 100 - 200
Mostly the medicinesare imported from either europe/US/australia...so the cost will be in comparable to those countries.
Health Insurance per person - RM 150 - 200 is advisable, which covers the accident/hospitalization charges. Still most of the insurance wont cover the visits to the clinic/hospital. Only hospitalization is covered.
Salary Levels
A typical malaysian starting Salary in Kualalumpur
Sales clerk - RM 1500
Fresh graduate - RM 1500 - RM 2000
Teachers - RM 2000 - RM 3000
IT Engineers - RM 3000 - RM 4000
Doctors - RM 6000 - RM 8000
Drivers - RM 1200 - RM 1500
Technicians - RM 1500 - RM 1800
Admin Clerks - RM 1100 - RM 1300
Malaysian Jobsites generally lists the jobs along with the salary offer. Browsing through a good site like www.jobstreet.com.my will give a rough idea about the salary levels offered for different jobs.
On the average, a salary of RM 4000 is enough for a basic living in malaysia. Anything above RM 6000 ensures a decent living and with RM 10,000 per month, the life could be really comfortable.
How much is enough for a decent living in Malaysia
That is the question everyone visiting this hub seems to be interested in. But that is a question which has no straight answers. Everyone's lifestyle is different and the definition of decent living varies with people. So here is my best effort.
On the average, a salary of RM 4000 is enough for a basic living in malaysia. Anything above RM 6000 ensures a decent living and with RM 10,000 per month, the life could be really comfortable.
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Comments
Nice hub, the picture looked amazing.
I got an offer of 4300 RM in KL, is this a enough amount to live in kuala lumpur? if i use sharing accommodation then how much will be total cost per month with food.
Hi, i have a family with a son & wife as dependents, how is the offer 7000MR per month.
Hi FRIEND,
I got an offer to work in malaysian college as a lecturer for 5000MR.I want to know how much I can take home after deducing all tax's etc.,?
Please give me in detail
thank you
Hi,
I got an offer in Malaysia at KL for 2900 RM, Is this an decent salary?can i able to have an decent life with this?The recruiter said the transport to my office is free and they mentioned that i need to spend around 600RM for food and accomodation.
Do i need to demand more salary to them or i can go ahead with this.
Plz suggest.
Thanks,
Tony
Greetings!!!
How r u doing?
If you can you assist me on below query, will help me lot -
I have recently got a opportynity for Malaysia - cyberjaya.
They offer me gross monthly salary 6500 RM + Conveyance 3000 RM, Is this amount is enough for me or with family?
I am Indian citizen and not sure what would be the amount I will get after tax deduction..
1) Could you please help me what would be the after tax amount I will get in hand/take home per month.
2) Is that amount is good enough to live near by cyberjaya as my office is in Cyberjaya.
3) Which is the best place to stay If my office is in cyberjaya? How much is the average RENT for a 1 BHK.
4) Can I take my family along with me in future?
if you can share some more information.
Thanks you very much!!!
Gagan Biswas
Dear Oruvan,
What is the usual practice in Malaysia about 13th month salary/bonus? Is it mandated or discretionary? Are the MNCs
usually paying the 13th month to their employees?
Thanks.
Hello, i have been offered 13500MYR per month to live and work in PJ at KL.
I need to save 1 lakh INR a month in Malaysia after income taxes and other living based expenses including a new car on EMI [lets say proton gen 2 / perdana sedan], renting an apartment which is fully furnished with ameneties like pool, gym, jogging track etc; buying groceries and cooking at home 5 days a week and eating out on weekends, basic utilities like, paying for a mobile bill, High speed internet connection, Cable TV and thats it.Please throw some ideas here at the same time if i am being offered around 15 lakhs INR per Annum in India, does it make sense to take this offer then?
Hello Shariff, I don't know about this company...i would think 7000 as a good enough money for a Single
Hello...EPF is not mandatory for foreigners..if you want, you could opt for it and withdraw the money back when leaving the country.
Dear Oruvan,
Would EPF be deducted from my salary even though I am on Work Permit? If yes, can we withdraw this when leaving the country.
Thanks.
Hi I got job at i2s Business Solutions Sdn Bhd25-6-1, 6th Floor, Jalan 3/50 Diamond SquareOff Jalan Gombak53000 Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaPhone: +60-3-40215105 Fax: +60-3-40215106 URL: www.i2sbs.com
Is this a trust worthy company ?
is 7000 Malaysian Ringgits enough for a single person who spends on food and travel only.
Hey EvanoOruvan !! can u provide some thoughts..
Hello, i have been offered 13500MYR per month to live and work in PJ at KL.
I need to save 1 lakh INR a month in Malaysia after income taxes and other living based expenses including a new car on EMI [lets say proton gen 2 / perdana sedan], renting an apartment which is fully furnished with ameneties like pool, gym, jogging track etc; buying groceries and cooking at home 5 days a week and eating out on weekends, basic utilities like, paying for a mobile bill, High speed internet connection, Cable TV and thats it.Please throw some ideas here at the same time if i am being offered around 15 lakhs INR per Annum in India, does it make sense to take this offer then?
Hello MJ, Thanks for visiting my hub and for your appreciate words.
Hello Deepak, I believe 11,500 is good salary to live in Malaysia..but you have to work it out based on the above info about how much you could save...its really based on lifestyle..if you have any particular question which is not mentioned about, please post it..
Hello robert, sorry for the delay...living in langkawi is cheap...but langkawi is just a tourist spot with fine beaches and hotels..no other facilities available in big cities...
Hello MJ, Thanks for visiting my hub and for your appreciate words.
Hello Deepak, I believe 11,500 is good salary to live in Malaysia..but you have to work it out based on the above info about how much you could save...its really based on lifestyle..if you have any particular question which is not mentioned about, please post it..
Hello robert, sorry for the delay...living in langkawi is cheap...but langkawi is just a tourist spot with fine beaches and hotels..no other facilities available in big cities...
Hey Dude: i believe this is the best forum available on net for people who are migrating to Malaysia. Very informative covering almost all the aspects.
Good Work. Keep it up...
Hi,
I have got a 11500 RM per month offer from Apar Technologies for CIMB client. I live in india and Married too. How much I can save per month in malasiya?
How much a tour guider could get per month?
Hi there....so a local IT Engineers with a salary of RM 3000 - RM 4000 does not live a decent life? what about living in small islands on the west like pulau langkawi?is it cheaper?
thanks
robert
Hi I got job at one IT firm Kuala lumpur They are offering me 7000 MYR location is Kuala lumpur. Are these organisation pay regularly? , this of 1 yr contract and I will work for another client at their premise. I heard that they wont pay regularly , is this true? In india i am earning good with 2 yrs of exp. Please suggest me , ASAP . I am about to fly within 10 days
Regards
Avinash J
Hi I got job at i2s Business Solutions Sdn Bhd25-6-1, 6th Floor, Jalan 3/50 Diamond SquareOff Jalan Gombak53000 Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaPhone: +60-3-40215105 Fax: +60-3-40215106 URL: www.i2sbs.com
They are offering me 7000 MYR location is Kuala lumpur . IS this amount is good enough to survive and save @ malaysia , any body heard about this company?, how good is it? are they pay regularly. what is the cost of living , if i share accomodation with some one . I am single.
Anand, It is a good enough salay for a single...possible to save some.
Hi I got job at i2s Business Solutions Sdn Bhd25-6-1, 6th Floor, Jalan 3/50 Diamond SquareOff Jalan Gombak53000 Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaPhone: +60-3-40215105 Fax: +60-3-40215106 URL: www.i2sbs.com
They are offering me 7000 MYR location is Kuala lumpur . IS this amount is good enough to survive and save @ malaysia , any body heard about this company?, how good is it? are they pay regularly. what is the cost of living , if i share accomodation with some one . I am single.
Please reply me ASAp.
I will be thankfull to all of you
Regards:
Anand
how much wil be the cost of living for student life?
hi, got offer of indian company magnus infotech. is this company is fake or right?
pls tell me any one ASAP.
Hi,
I have got an offer from a Malyasian Company...They are offering me RM 6000 per month...Is it good salary for an IT Engineer with 4.6 years of experience?Please tell me how much I can save after tax and a simple living in Kuala Lumput??Its very urgent...They are in hurry...
Jayanta
hi to everyone.. i got an offer in johor. they will pay me 4000RM all in. meaning i have to pay for my house and food. is this already good start to work? how much will be left for me in a month? how much is the rent of a furnished flat? i am expecting it to be less costly comparing to KL.
Hi friends.
i got one offer from KL ,malaysia. they have offered me 3500RM + accomodation + transport. I have 2.5 yrs exp in IT industry..Shall i accept that offer or can i ask more? Please suggest me because now i am in big confuse..
Hello Santosh, i would think 7500 is good enough for a decent living..but for a clear decision you should compare the new offer against your current salary at your current location...
1500 - 2000 for house
800 - 1200 for car ( plus the down payment of 10% if you are buying a new car)
2500 - for food
you should have some money left to save....also remember medical expenses are quite high here.
hi everyone, please somebody advise me if a 4500RM is good enough for a position SAFETY ENGINEER? the location of work would be in Johor. how much would be the rent of a decent house would cost since im planning to bring along my wife there. and also if you can give me an idea how much is the average cost of food per month?
I got an offer in kul lampur, for 1900rmg takehome with accomodation ,it is possible to live in kulalumpur with this amount,
Thanks very much, i did read through your blog and must say very informative. Either ways wanted to ask you again, sorry if am being a pain by asking the same questions which have been asked before by some people, If i have a salary of around RM 7500 per month after tax, will a family of THree which is father, mother and infant baby be able to live a comfortable life which includes complete furnished accomodation, buy a car and save some money. Am planning to migrate to Cyberjaya hence need this reconfirmation from your end. If we have to relocate we will have a infant with us as well. All am looking for is comfortable fully furnished accomodation, good standard of living with no compramise, take care of our infant baby and wife and also save some money out of the RM 7,500 i receive post deduction of tax. Please advice
EvanoOruvan well done, your posted info will be very good. I will say all stated in, is more or less very accurate.
Yea......
It is really cost!
I've been in Malaysia a few weeks now and KL for part of that.
The prices seem accurate but of course by living here you can get cheaper. Cinema ticket is only 6RM if you go on a wednesday. Magazines are expensive at about 50RM each for a UK publication. You can eat in the food court, meal and drink for about 5RM, but you do need to know how to order the food, they won't have menus. Internet cafe will cost about 1-2RM per 1/2hour too.
Hahaha!
We say: " La came".
I use Kam as a short version of my first name Kamel.
Thanks for your help again!
I am gonna check if I can find a real estate agency next to KL Sentral.
Hello Kam...you could check out http://www.iproperty.com.my/
that is a very good site...you could check for rentals in bangsar through that site...the rental listings in this site is very comprehensive......you could directly call the owner/agents to view the units....In KL, you dont need to pay a commission if you go through an agent...only the property owner pays the agent commision... also there are new apartments right next to KL sentral..you could check there too.....good luck.
P.S. In french, KAM means dope...is it right?
Hello!
I finally decided to come to Malaysia and I ve been in KL for 2 days now. I am at Le Meridien Hotel (paied by the company) and I have to find an appartment ASAP. But I have no idea how to look for one. No agencies here? Do U know any websites?
My housing allowance is 1500 MYR and I am willing to go up to 1800 idf necessary (I have a 1500 MYR Housing allowance + 4000 MYR per month).
I work right next to KL Sentral.
Any recommendations? Thanks for your help. I have no idea where to start and don t know anything about the city except KL Sentral.
Some colleagues recommended me to look for something in Bangsar as its supposed to be not far and next to a train station.
Any suggestions?? :)
Hello "Desert", yes..the data is recent....10000+ is a good salary for a living in malaysia...i have update the tax info above..you can also check out the official site from the link above.... ..for a salary of 10000+, monthly tax deductions will be 1000+...i have never been to johor...so not sure how good is city...Penang/Kualalumpur/Ipoh cities are good...
I assume what you say is very much true indeed then I need to experience living there too! Thank you very much for the post.
I believe Singapore is more expensive than Kuala Lumpur.
and one more thing wat is the salary govt tax in malasiya ... i mean the rate
Hello ... !
excellent blog...i learned a lot from here...but is all tis info is updated as of 2009 stats...
i'm currently working in UAE and got an offer from Malasiya base location Pasir Gudang Johor... rite now i'm in negotating stage they r offering me 10,000 + ...but no family status and no return tckt to my country...
i have a spouse and 1 yr old boy in my family will tis be enough... and how is the place good for the family ?? please help i have no relatives/ frnds there i'm only dependent on the internet searching...
please ackonwledge asap
Hello Omveer...puchong is well outside of Kuala lumpur...rentals possible for 600..if you are a single and like to share a house with others..you could save some money...you have to add up your expenses based on the above info and decide for yourself.
Hi,
I got an offer from an IT company to work on contract in Malaysia (Kulalampur) as Sr. SAP Consultant with IBM. Can you please suggest how much salary should I get to live a decent life in Malaysia??
helloo i m getting a job in malaysia at 3000 rm in a it company in this location
25-3, Jalan Puteri 2/1, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor Darul Ehsan.
. Will i have a dscent life or a very hard living or i can lead a easy going life.
Hi.. i feel Mumbai in India is costlier than Malaysia... Good data about malaysia.
Hi,
I have 5+yrs of I.T. Exp. I have an offer to work in Kuala Lumpur on RM 6000/month salary. Will it enough for living in Kuala Lumpur and saving ?
Please suggest the best for me.
Thanks
Thanks again :)
Hello kamel...for a gross salary of 6500 MYR, net monthly tax will be around 600-700.
Thank you very much .....
Hello,
One last question: For a gross salary of 6500 MYR, How much do you think the net of tax salary would be?
Thank you.
Hello,
One last question: For a gross salary of 6500 MYR, How much do you think the net of tax salary would be?
Thank you.
Hello King,
You could get an apartment for RM 2000...checkout the site iproperty.com.my it will give you a good idea...Groceries could cost around RM 1000 and for eating out...RM 1500-2000. If you want to buy a car, monthly emi could be around 700-2000 depending on the car.
9000 RM is a good money for a decent living. But whether it is a good salary or not depends on the salary you are getting currently and cost of living at your current place.
Just to add one other thing, if you can be kind enough to specify, i meant 9,000MR net of tax ....
I am offered a job at Cyberjaya for about 9,000MR per month. I have a newborn and we plan to stay at Cyberjaya. Will a salary of 9,000MR be good enough for a very comfortable life at CJ ?
If you could also give me some ball park figures as to how much will it cost for fully furnished appartments/ town house, food bills for TWO adults and one infant, etc, etc ..... will help
Hello!
Thanks for your quick answer! :)
And Thank you for your blog which helps a lot of people!
Kam
Your office location is right next to the major train network. You could get a two bed room apartment for RM 1500 to 2000 nearby. If you have a car, you could get an apartment for RM 1000 little away from your office. Also i think car is a must. It will be too hot in the daytime with torrential rain almost every evening. Life wont be fun without a car....the train networks are not like the one in Paris...the services are limited...6000 MYR is a good enough salary for a local resident...But for an european, i believe it is too much of trouble to come and live in malaysia just for the equivalent of 1000 Euros...unless ofcourse you like malaysia and want to spend some time here.
Hello!
I am French, I have 2 years experience working as a logistician and Business controller, and I am negociating for a local contract in KL, working as a member of a project management team. My office will be at <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> Plaza Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 5, <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> 50470 Kuala Lumpur.
They offered me only 4000 MR. I asked for 6500 (not negociable in my opinion). Do you think it would be enough without a car? As I would still have the taxes of course... How much do U think the rent would be if I live next to the office?
Do you think I could live in Malaysia, pay taxes, take taxis, eat out, and get a 2 bedroom appartment without having too much worries with a salary of 6000 MYR?
Thanks for your help!
Kam
Hello Balaji...your office location is right in the heart of kualalumpur. If you want to stay very near to office you may have to spend RM 3000-4000 just for rent. Staying "1 peakhour drive"away from office will cost around RM 2000. Negotiate for a company car...otherwise you will end up spending a lot in settling down initially. Oil & Gas being the lucrative industry, you could bargain for more...anything around 7K should be good.
Dear Reader
I am in the salary negotiation stage with one of the staffing firm in Malaysia. The exact loctaion of the office is Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur.
I have totally 5 years experience, out of which 1.5 years in Polymer Industry and 3.5 years in recruitment ~ Oil and Gas, Infrastructure and Manufacturing Industry.
Please help me out in understanding the package that need to be negotiated.
acad..it is interesting to see you in a different form...thanks for sending me the link...
good info
I would think RM 6000 is a good amount to pay the mortgages and other expenses in a month...RM 10,000 would be comfortable.
So what will be the minimum amount reqd. for salaried class for a decent living?
anas babu mk says:
2 days ago
,,hi,
can i search a job at Malaysia with visiting visa