GPGT - Living In Malaysia Isn’t “Cheaper” Than Singapore

[Philipkee]

Wow you obviously have short memory I abandoned the KSL condo plan for one year already, anyway do share where to get RM3 Mee Rebus in Johor so that I can verify what you say.


Sent from Starship USS Enterprise

Not sure if the shop is still there.

Come out of causeway, go past B point and shell, turn left at the car wash. Go straight down. There is a second car wash and traffic junction. Cross the junction and turn right into the parking a lot.

A few single storey shops there. One of them sell cheap nasi lemak and mee rebus iirc. But it's in small packets.

 

[Red dragon]

	Kuala Lumpur	Singapore
Mee rebus for breakfast at a nearby coffee shop	RM7	SGD3
Big Mac Value Meal at McDonalds for lunch	RM15.60	SGD8.65
Grande Cappuccino at Starbucks	RM13.80	SGD6.60
3-course dinner at a mid-range restaurant	RM80	SGD77

	Kuala Lumpur	Singapore
iPhone 12 as gift for their partner’s birthdays	RM3,399	SGD1,199
Levi brand jeans for themselves	RM300	SGD99

https://www.therakyatpost.com/livin...er-than-singapore-according-to-this-youtuber/

Forgot to compare cigs, car, petrol, house

 

[TopGun]

Yes but if seen from the premise(at the start of the article) of those earning in sgd and yearning to spend in MYR, the chart just proves their point about how it is actually cheaper in bolehland. That's why so many of them like to come here to work. I don't think those people(bolehlanders working here) would have made such comments if was from the perspective of a typical bolehland wage. Otherwise they wouldn't have left in the first place, no?

That's to say, the point he is making is irrelevant to the point those bolehlanders working here are trying to make.

IE:

Bolehlander working in sg: "Now that I'm earning in sgd, MYR prices are so much cheaper! Maybe I should buy most of my stuff from there or even go back there to live(ie cross the bridge everyday to work)".

Video: Purchasing power of a person working in MY is weaker than that of a person working in SG.

It doesn't refute the point that it is cheaper for those earning in sgd to be living and spending in bolehland.

As such, his point should be answering whether it is actually cheaper for such people(earning sgd) to be spending in bolehland vs spending here.

I actually watched the video before reading the article. Perhaps the context differed slightly.

 

[TopGun]

I eat at those macik roadside stall. Curry puff 3 for 1RM, nasi lemak 2.50RM, mee rebus 3RM, add drumstick 2RM. Their local malays eat it, but it doesn't stop me from eating it.

Even their coffee shop, chinese sell more ex by abit. Chicken rice, CKT, Wontan Mee, all 4-5RM. My usual breakfast CKT, kampung soft boil eggs, kaya toast, tea, only RM8 thereabouts.

I dont know why some people are quoting RM7 and up for a simple dish. If you want to stay in JB central to be chopped, then it's your prerogative.

Most Malaysians earning RM can't afford to pay RM7 for a dish on a daily basis.

The comparison was probably meant to be made between two cities i.e. KL and SG. Certainly in MY, people have the choice to move out of KL into states with lower cost of living, where you could travel into KL for work. If you not not work in KL, you probably won't be drawing the KL pay either.

If most Malaysians earning RM can't afford to pay RM7 for a dish on a daily basis, this just showed how disparity in purchasing power.

 

[capcow]

Why only compare to KL? They are other better places in MY

 

[networked]

Kum gong compare kl price is like compared orchard price with hawker.

 

[middleclass]

Of course not. Google for the concept of PPP, Purchasing Power Parity.

It explains why international brands and products will cost the same almost everywhere.

 

[lavender81]

Divide by 3 still cheaper

 

[wadsad]

this person maths fail?

dunno how to divide by 3?

 

[nit3ex]

i will go there eat their cai png

 

[trento]

Mee rebus.

3 times 3 is not 7

 

[tomasulu]

Won’t save much unless you lower your standard of living. Singapore is expensive in several areas - maid, private housing and car ownership. Don’t hire a maid and sell off your car and you can significantly lower your cost of living.

 

[1.koln]

Why only compare to KL? They are other better places in MY

They want to compare similar urban city type purchasing power and expenses (KL vs SG)

 

[uselessbum]

I actually watched the video before reading the article. Perhaps the context differed slightly.

That's why I said that the chart proved the point of those earning sgd that bolehland stuff is cheaper. Since the thing that sparked the conversation in the first place is that of bolehlanders working in sg then the context for the video should remain the same. Higher purchasing power is a moot point because isn't that the whole point of them coming here to work? Even the start of the article also mentioned that in the form of the exchange rate.

Just like when sinkies say that bolehland stuff is cheaper, they are commenting from the perspective of earning sgd but spending in myr. That's why so many like to go over there to buy stuff. If ask us to earn bolehland salary then of course we won't be saying such things liao.

That's to say, the video on purchasing power is based on a different context. In the first place, mixing purchasing power and "cheapness" is problematic because they are two very different things. The former brings in local salary in relation(ie affordability) to local prices while the latter is just purely about price. So if one were to talk about "cheaper" in the traditional(ie price in absolute terms) sense then bolehland would indeed be cheaper than sg. After all, when shoppers compare prices between countries to see which cheaper, they don't take into account local salary do they? They just compare prices in absolute terms and make their buying decision based on that, they don't care whether that price is actually cheaper for those living and working in that foreign country because it is irrelevant to their personal goal of getting the cheapest for themselves.

TLDR:

Both are correct depending on context.

Bolehland is cheaper in absolute terms(price alone)
Bolehland is "cheaper" if you are earning sgd.(purchasing power)
Bolehland is not necessarily "cheaper" if earning typical bolehland salary.(purchasing power)

 

[harky]

Their retail salary how much

 

[yummie]

tis is e power of jhks working in sg. their kkj also auto becum 3x longer when they go back jhland

 

[sunsetbay]

Their retail salary how much

Kitchen crew at upscale shopping mall, only pay RM1700~

Mid valley southkey JB

Meanwhile in SG, kitchen crew is paying $10/hr~

 

[orpisia]

lazy read

what tldr

 

[yoshiki x]

I tried RM2 nasi lemak at JB before. But is like roadside type of stall

Cheap is cheap la, but ask me everyday eat like that, not safe. Wont want to retire there

 

[harky]

Kitchen crew at upscale shopping mall, only pay RM1700~

Mid valley southkey JB

Meanwhile in SG, kitchen crew is paying $10/hr~

Only home cook is cheap. Outside eat too ex