Cost of livibg

As per india salary, you can accept for a minimum of 16000RM per month. Your wife can get 8000RM per month easily.

For Expenses, you can see other posts recently posted.

Your monthly expenses will be around 7000RM for a good life style.

The rule of thumb is double your existing salary and add 10%.  KKumar. is very accurate in what he writes. However, if you want to live a "status" life in Malaysia with a Mercedes car etc. then RM12k is probably more accurate and plenty of cash available upfront to get yourself set up in Malaysia, e.g. the car will cost at least RM350-650k depending on the model. In Malaysia you can spend at the level you want. Monthly housing costs can be RM20k for a luxury appartment.

One liner - Think twice before disturbing your existing stable lifestyle. I will not encourage you to make this move Its my opinion only...

Thanks Gravitas...To maintain a good car and a high-phi living style as you are now in India, you need minimum of 9000 RM per month. Abroad experience is always useful in career growth for people like us from India.

Most of my knowledge about Malaysia, got from Gravitas.

Thanks Kumar for a insightful reply. Though nothing has materialised it's just that there might be something coming up in the next few weeks, I'm pretty much decently placed out here but I would appreciate if you could help me understand the saving potential in absolute numbers. Today I save around 40 k per month and wife's income will need to be forgone unless she also gets some job out there. She has worked with digital agencies and telcos ho easy or difficult would it be to get a job if she comes and looks for one out there?

Hi Shiv, if you offered for a minimum of 16000RM, that would be good for your living style. You can save 1Lakh INR per month without considering your wife's salary.

Normal Expenses:

Fully Furnished Flat - 3000RM
Groceries - 1500RM
Car Usage- 1300RM
Cable, Internet, Mobile bills - 600RM (Most of the fully furnished flats include these)
For other expenses you can see many suggestions in Cost of living.

I don't have much idea about your your wife's work - Digital agencies and Telcos

Thanks Kumar once again for sharing such a comprehensive working. Just to give a perspective about the skills my wife posseses, she has skills if handling social media, web marketing having worked for multinational digital agencies, secondly she has also handled service marketing, loyalty program's, handles customer grievances with one if the largest telcos in India. Can she get some opportunity similar to the one I mentioned.

Secondly how is the groceries, local conveyance? Medical etc cost if one is a vegetarian person?

Look forward to your advice,

Cheers
Shiv

Hi Shiv,

I understood but frankly saying I don't have idea on this. Gravitas would be able to answer your queries.

I am working in India still, whatever the information I acquired is my search on different blogs and forums for the last one month. I will start my work in Malaysia from Nov 20th.

Hi gravitas, can you help me give me some clarity on the points I wrote in?
Cheers

One slight comment - Cable, Internet, Mobile bills - 600RM (Most of the fully furnished flats include these) - Unfortunately this is not the case. The landlord should pay the Management Fees to the Condo and the Sewage Rates and the Assessment (Council Tax). But the "utilities" etc. are for the account of the occupant.  So you will be responsible  for water bill Rm12-20 pm, Internet/Landline/TV Rm 250 pm, Electricity RM150-1000 pm (highest figures if you use a lot of air con. Gas Rm 30 pm (you can also buy bottled gas for about RMM50 a canister and not use the internal supply in some places).  Mobile RM100-200 pm depending on usage.

However, prices are escalating very rapidly in Malaysia, so best to add at least 20% to keep pace with inflation.

Transportation is hit and miss. There are some well served areas but other areas are very remote and only have local bus services. But that network is quite extensive and only costs about RM2 for a return journey. Hiring a car will cost RM1200 pm.

Best place to get groceries if Indian brands wanted is Brickfields and possibly Bukit Jalil. Many supermarkets and local shops of all kinds available. Vegetables are quite good here, except potatoes are usually not handled well. I can buy all I need for 1 week for RM50.  Milk is expensive.

Job opportunities for your wife are limited. She may be lucky to find work through contacts you make after arrival. Its very much down to networking and knowing people. Otherwise being a foreigner it is difficult to get work.

Medical, well you are able to use the Government Hospitals with a small supplemental charge above the local Malaysian's pay. Visiting a doctor is inexpensive but prescriptions and medicines are very expensive here.

Guys can someone gimme some ore insight on the minutest details about KL? How is it to live as a country?

Thanks Gravitas. What us a good minimum salary I should expect without which I shouldn't be entering Malayasia and what % of it will I end up saving if I'm livibg a decent lifestyle which includes decent stay, proper food, once I a while gung out etc..,

Gravitas any particular place in KL where Indians mostly live and what would be the rent for a decent house if not a luxurious one?

Brickfields is nearest Indian quarter to KLCC. You wont get a house there as none built. Condo unit will cost you from 2500 upwards as far you want to go. Minimum salary to come to Malaysia - RM7500-8000 and you can probably save RM3000 per month. That is if you cut down all your expenses to the minimum.

I certainly would think twice about coming to Malaysia as it is now a cheap IT labour centre. The poverty is a bit better than in India, but not always. Brickfields is a mix of modern buildings and a new shopping mall and high (over) priced condo units for wealthy Indian Malaysians. But behind the scenes it has the YMCA and a lot of social problems. Only place apart from Chow Kit that I dont feel safe.

Thanks gravitas for your info. How is safety for family Eric?

Gravitas, cab you advice if my wife who is also educated, teachers training certificate from ministry of Finabce ( India) plus has experience if working with digital agencies, telcos like Docomo in the customer service. Can she manage to find herself a job? Secondly I will be applied for a sales/ biz dev role with a Swedish based MNC, what us the salary I should settle for?

Shiv24 - do you really think you will get the Business Development role?  All other questions are therefore irrelevant. But no, your wife will have a very hard time getting a job unless there happens to be a place say at GIIS in Brickfields (GIIS = Global Indian International School). Ask yourself this question. What special skills have you or your wife got to offer that would make you employable in Malaysia?  If the skills are run of the mill, then there will be plenty of Malaysians who will be considered first. Business Development at the low end is a job for people with local language skills. This is because they need to understand the local people to whom they want to sell something. Why would a foreigner be considered?

Biz dev role is not in KL but in neighbouring markets. Prospective employers are looking for guys with skills in mobile money which I have & not sure how many Malaysians have this skills. Secondly guys who I'm taking to are my current biz partners , have fare bit if idea about me and skills I gonna to table. Secondly yes I agree my wife might find it difficult but it would nice if you could give me some insights on the kinda of roles she could apply for

What exactly is Mobile money? 

For your wife, she could check out Michael Page and Robert Walters websites, to see if there are any openings for expats with her skills.

Thanks., mobile money is for guys who do not have access to basic banking and telcos are offering them wallets which can be used to store money, transfer, pay bills, mobile top ups, merchant payments, e commerce transactions etc, I have developed these services in India, I work fir one if the largest telcos in India which had a customer base of 140 mn I head the product & marketing function for mobile money biz unit

Gravitas can you also give me an idea if the tax structure, saving potential, crime rate, is it a safe country, how do locals accept expats etc? What should be the minimum salary u should settle for? I have a total work exp of 14 years

Shiv24 wrote:

Thanks., mobile money is for guys who do not have access to basic banking and telcos are offering them wallets which can be used to store money, transfer, pay bills, mobile top ups, merchant payments, e commerce transactions etc, I have developed these services in India, I work fir one if the largest telcos in India which had a customer base of 140 mn I head the product & marketing function for mobile money biz unit

Promoting yourself now ??

Not really happy hour. I  was genuinely trying to explain my skills to gravitas

@shiv, u shud pay gravitas for the advice she is providing u ;-) has the company made u an offer? i wud say, double your salary in india and convert into ringgit. use that as baseline.

taxes would roughly be between 12-17%

life is good in kl and u will like it. good population of indian expats.

ur wife will most probably not get a job but she might get lucky.

good luck!

Tax steps on annual salary are:
                                2014                                                   2015
0-5,000                    0%                                                       0%
5,001-10,000           2% (RM100)             5,000-10,000      1%
10,001-20,000         2% (RM100)             10,001-20,000    1%
20,001-35,000         6% (RM300)             20,001-35,000    5%
35,001-50,000       11% (RM1,200)          35,001-50,000   10%
50,001-70,000       19% (RM2,850)          50,001-70,000   16%
70,001-100,000     24% (RM6,650)         70,001-100,000   21%
Exceeding 100k     26%                          100,001-250,000  24%
                                                               250,001-400,000  24.5%
                                                            Exceeding 400 000  25%

NOTE: Non-resident individuals are subject to income tax at a fixed rate of 25%, reduced by 1% from current 26%.

Thanks gravitas & Carlyle for all information. I might bother you guys again if the offer goes through if not I shall always remember the sweet gesture extended to me. Gravitas the tax structure is a but confusing to me, I could do a Skype chat with you if you are fine doing that provided they make me an offer. Cherrs

Once an individual becomes tax resident i.e. after 182 days in Malaysia, then they pay normal tax rates and receive the first RM9k as a tax free allowance.

It would be best to take a look around the tax site and get information direct from there.

http://www.hasil.gov.my/index.php?lgv=2

If you have specific questions about what is not clear you can just raise them.

Gravitas so as I understand will end up paying tax @ 25% and the same shall be paid back to me by the government after completion of 182 days? Secondly will I get a certificate that states I have earned & paid tax in malayasia which can produced to tax authorities in India too

I shall go through the link and raise Rhodes points only which are not clear.

Your tax contributions would be equilibrilized over the whole tax year (Jan-Dec). Can't leave Malaysis for more than 14 days for social reasons or the qualifying period starts from zero again.

Tax claims are filled in March/April each year and any overpayment is returned about May/June.

These people handle things like issuing statement that you are tax resident in Malaysia called "Certificate of Residence":

http://www.hasil.gov.my/goindex.php?kum … amp;sequ=1

Cant see why you would want to show Malaysian tax affairs to Indian tax office, unless you are earning in both countries. Then the returns would be separate. But if you say got paid commission or bonus from Indian parent company in India, that might be a situation.  There is a Double Taxation Treaty between India and Malaysia I believe. But that is only to avoid paying tax on the same earnings twice.

I am assuming that the company has a well established corporate structure in Malaysia already?  If not they will need one to employ you here, as that is the only way to get a work permit (employment pass) for you. On the other hand, you will need them to have one, to avoid the perpetual nightmares of bureaucracy and not being able to speak the language e.g. tax forms are only available in Bahasa Malayu and a licence is required for just about everything.

Gravita just thank I g you would be not enough however would like you to know my salary would in KL,no earning inDia wanna sure once tax paid in KL the same income wouldn't attract tax on India I suppose? Are you saying for e.g if my salary is 20k bhd/ month 25% of the same will go as tax, on competition if 182 days tax rate might lower down? An I correct in my understanding?

My prospective employers are MNC headquartered in Seeden with offices across the globe in KL. My reporting would be to the APAC head who us based out of India with a dotted line reporting to the local regional head too.

They will need a corporate structure in Malaysia for you to get a work permit. You are not permitted to work without one and live on Malaysian soil. They can open a representative office if they want, or even a Labuan company.  Immigration is rather complex and tight here.  No legal corporate base in Malaysia - no ability to apply for a work permit (employment pass).

That already have one.

Sounds good. They can help you with all the rigmarole if you decide to take the job.  If you say where they are based, I can suggest some places to live, so you can look at the general standards of housing and community, the surroundings and of course what prices. These vary radically.

Selangor Office

Name:Ericsson (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (9093-K) Street address:3420 Persiaran Sepang Locality:Cyberjaya Postal code:63000 Region:Selangor Darul EhsanCountry:Malaysia Phone:+60 3 8314 6000 Fax:+60 3 8314 6139

OK well that is about 40 km south of KL City Centre. It is relatively new part and all the major IT/Telco companies have a presence there. It could be a little remote from the world if you like to socialize in the evenings as it is also quite a traditional area, close to the Administrative and Government area of Putrajaya.

The train services are at Putrajaya and the good news is there is a fast link (KLIS Express) to Sentral Station/Brickfields (main Indian quarter). The train is actually part of the route from KLIA airport. The only issue would be getting from the station in Putrajaya to your office in Cyberjaya and it does not operate 24 hours. It is quite expensive RM17 each way I seem to recall. There may be some shuttles organised by the company, this is quite usual given the local transport conditions. Otherwise a car is a necessity. Well its always a necessity in Malaysia.

As you would be travelling against the general rush hour traffic you could live in Brickfields or in the very nice expat communities of Damansara, Bangsar, or Mont Kiara.  A lot of people I know do commute from those areas. It would take about 35 minutes. There is much more nightlife and amenities in those communities. Otherwise it will basically be standard Malaysian hospitality and franchise restaurants.

How about staying ckoser to the place where the office is located? What kind if rent do I need to pay? How us local transport system? Is there enough connectivity? Since my wife might have to be at home till sgevfibds herself some job would like to make sure she isn't bored sitting at home alone at the same time should be safe considering I will travel atleast 10 days if the month