Is 5500RM enough to make a living in Melaka?

Dear, With two kid its very difficult to save money. 5500 -Tax 300 - rent about 800 (if u stay alone 300)- 300 phone bill,water, ele bills - 1500 grocery -400 transport- other cost 500. May save about 1500

Hi how old are the two kids? If school age you cant afford to school them so you cant being them unless your wife home schools them.

But even if under school age you wont save anything. Even for a single person 5.5k is only enough to survive on. As a single person you could share a room and use buses and never spend any money you dont need to so could save a litle (miserable living really but doable). Remember one trip to hospital will wipe out any savings for a year. Those asean expats I know on similar salaries just survive. Many of these are women who look for a bf for "assistance" lol as they cant afford luxeries like a night out or a weekend away.  Many earn a lot more and are in the proper expat salary range of 15k plus. Even very young expats from asean countries often get 6/7 k a month.

My rule of thumb is 10k for a single person plus 2k for a wife and 5k per kid of achool age or 1k if younger than that. That gives an ok lowest rung of the middle class lifestyle. So 22k per month for a family of 4 if school age. School fees are expensive and this assumes a non elite school.

So do you think you can live of 5.5k? Locals with a family would struggle hard and kids would have free schooling and access to local cheap government hospitals - most earn two or three incomes each ie earn 5k but have a shop as well, sell dvds, clothes etc Two earners in family to survive.

You havent said what you do so cant say anything about salary in regards to experience.