Monthly expenditure in KL

Hello Soni,

Have a look at following thread by khenhh. It has some good information regarding cost of living in Malaysia.

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=106975

Regards,
Usman

Hi it depends where you live work etc. Public transport in KL is vary bad unless you live work near train stations. Some newer areas dont have bus routes etc.

KL has become very expensive and easy to spend your salary. Basic food and living costs are far higher than they were and didn't I see somewhere that KL is now as expensive as San francisco to live in?

If sharing you can prob live accommodation wise on 1k Inc bills and food 500 rm a month. I have noticed that food prices are so high in KL it's actually shocking. I have been away 7 years and really noticed the price rises. Travel depends on where etc. If you don't drink or party much then costs are a lot less. Any form of electronic goods are expensive and designer clothes are double or triple real prices so local unbranded only (I intend to fly to Singapore or UK to get my clothes once a year as save enough to pay for flight and hotel)

Nemodot wrote:

KL has become very expensive and easy to spend your salary. Basic food and living costs are far higher than they were and didn't I see somewhere that KL is now as expensive as San francisco to live in?

If sharing you can prob live accommodation wise on 1k Inc bills and food 500 rm a month. I have noticed that food prices are so high in KL it's actually shocking. I have been away 7 years and really noticed the price rises. Travel depends on where etc. If you don't drink or party much then costs are a lot less. Any form of electronic goods are expensive and designer clothes are double or triple real prices so local unbranded only (I intend to fly to Singapore or UK to get my clothes once a year as save enough to pay for flight and hotel)

I would ignore this post.

San Fran is far more expensive then KL.

Comparison - San Fran & KL

KL is only expensive if you compare it to countries such as Cambodia or Thailand (parts of Thailand atleast). Compare it to Sydney, Singapore, even San Fran - it is very cheap.

Room share 600 or 1500 alone
Utilities 200-250
food - 500-1000 a month
going out 1000-2000 (clubs, bars, Shops)

= 4750 if on the higher end...

p.s - i am from sydney, have lived in kl and now I am in Singapore.

everything depends on how shrewd you're

By staying in flats in/nearby KL and take public transport to and from work place, you should be able to live with monthly expenses below RM 3,000. This is much lesser than you could afford.

i agree with jenne....... the best u can live by between 3000 to 3500 max.

Hi Soni,
I too interested listening Cost of living in KL..
am also shifting to KL next month..
if you dont mind send me some details u collected to below mail id..
[email protected] thanks in advance.

Thenraj. R

Hi Everyone,

  I got an offer to work in kuala Lumpur. As they are offering me RM 5300/-. Is this sufficient for 2 person to live here. Following are the details as they send me..
Pay details are below:



Gross pay per month: RM 5000 X Rs 18 ( Exchange rate) = Rs.90000  Per month. 



2 Years contract, job with Terrabit Consulting Sdn Bhd.



Minimum Expenses/cost of living:

RM 1000 to RM 1300 for Single person living in Kuala lumpur.



Savings Per Month:-



RM 4000 X Rs. 18 = Rs. 72000 Per Month  ( Avg)



Please fill the necessary details in the job application form and send it back.





Other  are:
1. Visa sponsored

2. Air ticket – only for applicant.( One way)

3. Medical insurance- Only for applicant.

4. Initial accommodation- 1 week during arrival time. Assistance will be provided in finding the accommodation in Kuala lumpur.


Waiting for everyone's response..

Regards
Anish

Hi,

with 1000-1200 you want to survive in KL?
good luck.

anish, ur joking right :-) i have made some posts on cost of living. minimum 8k to live a decent life here. with 5k, u will have zero savings. house itself will b more than 1500. do some more research and then post ur questions.

carlyle1979 and caipirinha08 thnx for replying.. but this was the offer they offered me. By mail he gave this detail as i shared it with all.. n m not going to to survive in KL with this..

Hi Soni
First thing you should be aware of is that you will be taxed at a flat rate of 26% per month for first six months of your stay in Malaysia. Once you get Malaysian Resident status, your taxes will return back to normal and will fall somewhere between 12 to 14% per month. Now about the cost of living.. Largely it depends on the particular area where you live. If you can let me know your workplace address, I might be able to suggest some suitably located residential areas from where you will be easily connected to your workplace and rest of the city. Food here is not that expensive even if you eat out. So if i was you, i wont bother cooking, but this again is a personal choice. As I see you are coming from Chennai, me having lived there for 2 years prior to coming down here, gives me an idea of what kind of food would you prefer. An average south Indian based meal will cost you around 2-5 ringgits per meal. Sharing accommodation here is easy. Can easily rent out a shared accommodation for around 500 ringgits. Transportation is not too good here. You will have to base yourself near to a bus stand or a train station.
I know there are quite a few parameters to consider, so you will have to let me know your work place location to make a more precise budget for you.
Cheers..!

anish, bottom line is 5.3 is not enough in my opinion. mr cool guy has some valid points on saving and since ur biggest cost will b accomodation, it might b worth mentioning where is ur workplace. accordingly get a place closeby or one accessible by train. u might not even have to buy a car then, which is the second biggest expense.

Dear Mr. Coolguy_dth (name not found),

Me and my wife want to relocate to KL and do telecom business.
I have to register a company in KL and get resident visa. Will you please assist me in this case?

Also, please advise me where to live in KL? I mean, most safe place to live in KL. My job will be mostly home based.

What sort of doc will be required to buy a car paying installment?

Looking for your kind assistance bro.

Thanks and regards,
Wahid

Wahidmeer
I dont have much idea as how to register your company here in KL. As far as your residence is concerned, as you said that your work would be mostly home based, living a little off from the city would be something that i would recommend. Some areas like Cheras offer condos that have very scenic environment and are quite affordable too. A fully furnished condo would cost you between 2k to 4k per month.
For car, again m not sure and i hope other expats here would be able to answer. My car is company provided so I dont care about the documents really.. hahaha..
Cheers

Hi,

all Expert.. need some information.
getting offer from Euro Packaging..
Salary 7500 RM pm
Tax will be provided by company
Accomodation wiil be provided by company
No transportation .
what is the cost of leaving for two person and 1 kid of 5 years.
can i save some money

pls let us know where your accommodation is. this will define the school. the biggest expenses here are school and housing. you will want to choose your school to be close to your accommodation.

Hi,

I am from Mumbai and am planning to move to KL. I have been offered a salary of RM 8k. There is also a bonus component which is 2 months salary i.e. 16k per year. Standard medical coverage, ;EPF etc are also included in the package.
I will be moving with my wife and kid ( 3 months old) and will be planning to rent a apartment close the office which is at Jalan Dewan Bahasa, KL.

Can some please advise if the offer is worth accepting?

thanks,

Hi SVK
In itself, the offer looks good but it depends on how much you are earning in India.
You should compare with that. And also ask your employer for a car (if possible)!!
Cheers

hi svk, agree with cool guy. worthwhile offer. i would add that u shud check after taxes + epf, how much will u have approx in hand or net. then compare with india salary.

u can think of staying in ampang or bukit bintang. should get something within 2500 range. look at some of my previous posts on typical expenses and do ur own calculations.

Hi Carlyle
Thanks for agreeing with me. Just to add my two cents more, I feel that if he tries to base himself a little off the main city center area, he would be able to save more. e.g. I live in Taman Connaught behind Giant hypermart and I have rented a fully furnished 960 sq ft, three bedrooms condo only for 1600RM. Its a university area and is safe as well. The best part is we have LRT station very nearby. Hence city center area is always easily accessible..
Cheers..!

Thanks Carlyle & Coolguy for your suggestions. Much appreciated.
How far would be Ampang / bukit bintang from the office loacation ( i.e. Jalan Dewan).  I will be looking out for some fully furnished apartments / condo, but i dont want to travel much. May be 30 mins travelling time is what i am looking for. Can you please suggest?

Jalan Dewan Bahasa is in Pudu right if I am not mistaken. If I am correct then Bukit Bintang will be closest to you but still rentals are quite high in that area. As I mentioned earlier, if you are okay with a lil travel everyday, Taman Connaught will be a good option. Its only around 10kms from your office location.
Are you getting a car from company?
Cheers..!!

it all depends on ur rent budget. the closest train station is hang tuah. there are 3 different trains that come to this station. considering the crazy rush hour traffic in the area of ur office, i wud suggest either stay close by or stay near a train station that connects to hang tuah. so if u have a restricted budget, i would suggest looking at other condos that are close to a connecting train station. do a google search for the rail system in klang valley and u should be able to get a complete map.

"I have rented"

Be careful three years ago my place 1500. Now 2500. New places down road smaller with worse views 3,000 rm.

Inflation!

I have contacted by a concern about the salary expectations. The Office is located @ KualaLumpur. I want to relocate to KualaLumpur with My Wife & 2 Childrens(8 Months old & 4 Years Old - Need to admit in LKG in a school with CBSE curriculum). So, how much salary per month (in Malaysian Ringgits) would be sufficient to live a decent lifestyle.

Hi Saravanan
Are you from Chennai? And how much experience and in what field have you got that experience in?
A descent lifestyle in KL is a much varied term. All depends on individual. If you ask for my personal opinion for supporting wife, school going kids and living expenditures with a descent lifestyle, where in I can save some as well, I would ask for min 25K. 30K would be nice...!
Purely my personal opinion.. Wait for other members to pitch in with their cents..!
Cheers..! And best of luck..!

got your plot soni ?

am also from chennai now working in kualalampur, malaysia

i hope you are settle down in malaysia


reply with more details


thanks

Hi experts of this blog
I got an offer to work in shah alam campus in teaching field for 10000rm  per month before tax, in hand after 11% tax I may get 8900rm...I need to know the as of nowmay2013 expenses,  for family of total 3 ,please do help me ....as iam. Desperate thanks in advance

No worries

Nazheb, U can live a happy life in Kualalampur in which part of kl u got , and also the expenses wont come if u buy cook and roam it wont come more than 4000 R.M cooking also,
Even am also from india..

So reply with ur more details..

Thanks
Kumar

jayakumar, u really seem to b some kinda genius. i have been following some of ur comments with interest. i have no idea what ur talking bout and i bet the others dont either.

jahanzeb, u may wanna clarify what do u mean by family of 3? guessing u have a kid. if yes, how old? the reason i ask is because schooling is quite expensive here. nonetheless, i think 10k is a decent package for a teacher or professor. what r u teaching btw?

i wish people in this salary range who come to kl share their experiences. and dont just ask questions and then disappear.

good luck mate!

Jahanzeb
I might wanna remind you of the flat 26% tax till you become a resident here. Broadly six months of continuous stay in Malaysia..
Rest you will definitely get help with your other queries here..
And Yes I agree Carlyle.... Jaya is really a Genius..
Cheers..!

do employers offer expats any car allowance or cab allowance...esp..expats? any idea?

Need to know before i ask for an offer....and studios..normally how much do they cost...if i have towork near bukit damansara

Thanks all of u,,, for such a reply,,,,coolguy,carley and j.k--iam in msu in shah alam, teaching medicos ...the company never said abt that 26% thing plz explain...and me family is three with small kid whose schooling will start late ....I need shah alam section 13 side home'can u help me wth more details..I will ever be great full to u three guys thankz

26% tax. not sure where the company got 11%. but the 11% could refer to epf ie. employee provident fund. double check with company.

places to live could b subang jaya or shah alam itself. check out www.iproperty.com.my. go for condos only.

26% tax sure for expats.. unless your company pays 26-11=15% back to you.. I dont know how this works out.. Depends on your contract with them. Please double check with them.
propertyguru.com.my is another website. Get an idea for rental rates there and settle for an agent. Usually they wont charge you anything. I must add that you will have to pay 2 months rent as security, half to one month rent as utilities cover and one month advance rent. Agents will help you negotiate with the owners. Again.. they wont charge you normally.. coz they charge owners only.
Cheers..!

Hi again Coolguy!

Do employers give car allowance in big firms/intl firms?

Is it a norm?

if I am an expat and will not be driving, what is that something I should probably ask...- a travel allowance which covers at least partially the cab expenses??

thanks

Hey Yeskay
I can answer that for my case.. I have a mixture of field work and office work, so the company has to provide me with a car and it is mentioned in my contract too..
So all depends back again on your employer. Normally bigger firms have very strong HR policies and they adhere to them. But hey may have different policies for expats. Usually they should provide you a car...
If not then ask for min 1000RM as taxi allowance...!
Cheers..!