Help!

Hey everyone..

Im moving to Kuala Lumpur on the 1st June for work and have no idea what to expect.

They will be paying for 3months rent and then I will need to find somewhere to live...is it easy to look for something..and is it expensive to rent in kl?

Also I heard alcohol is very expensive...how expensive is expensive..and things like bars..restaurants..healthcare...

any other tips anyone else can give me would be a great help..thanks

x x

There are plenty of affordable food options in KL so that shouldn't be a problem. Housing costs really depend on where you want to live and condo vs a bungalow etc. Alcohol is "very" expensive as it attracts a big import tax. Beer is very affordable though.

Where you live shoudl be dependent of where your work location will be as transport can be an issue if you do not have your own car & traffic can be a headache to say the least.

Good luck with the move.

I forgot to add, the likes of a Chilean red wine is about 40 MYR per bottle and a 6 pack of Tiger will be around 22 MYR.

Malaysia isn't expensive

Malaysia is one of the most affordable countries

Malaysia is VERY expensive for alcohol...

I doubt you can find a 6 pack of Tiger for RM22 - even in a supermarket it will be about RM30 (RM5 / can).  The can sizes are SMALL - 300 / 33ml I think.  even if you can find the 6 pack at RM22 then that is £4.56 (UK money).

A pint of Beer outside at a pub can cost up to RM35 a pint these days - that's more than £5 a pint!  In the UK a pint can be had for less than £2...

If you don't belive how expensive booze is in Malaysia just do some google searches for "world beer prices" pr similar - it is one of the most expensive in the world.  It's not all tax however - business that sells alcohol make extreame profits...

A large bottle of Tiger or Carlsberg normally costs RM14 in KL - in Thailand a large bottle of beer is RM4 or less.  It's cheaper to go out of Malaysia over the Thai border, have drinks and then come back - including all the costs - than to go out and get drunk in bars in KL.

Private healthcase is also very very expensive... government healthcare is actually very good and much cheaper for expats.  I recommend staying with government hositals should you need any treatment. :)  Food is cheeeeeap! But not "western food" which is often overpriced and not up to quality...

Sorry there was an error in my last post - a pint of beer at the Green Man pub in KL cost me RM35 last time I was there and that is a whopping £7.25 (British pounds) / $10.40 (US$)...