i am Malaysian from KL, i work in singapore almost 10 years... let me tell you, the living cost in KL is around 2.2k. Singapore around 1.6k... this is TRUE...
For car, in Malaysia it’s forever. But in Singapore strictly 10 years. You can consider COE Renewal for another 10 years. So, Malaysia 80k = Forever lifespan Singapore 80k = 10 years
I'm from Singapore but worked in Malaysia before. There are a few more things to add to "complete" the comparison : 1. Earning power - median fresh grad pay in SG is S$3.7k and average fresh grad pay in MY is RM2k+ (national, its probably higher in KL). 2. Tax - effective tax rate in SG is lower than in MY. The tax rate for 4,000 monthly income in SG is S$1,110 p.a. and in MY is RM1,490 p.a.. Effective tax rate goes up quicker the more you earn in MY vs SG. 3. CPF vs EPF - employee contribution is higher in SG (20%) than MY (9%), but in SG the CPF contribution is capped at a monthly income of S$6,000 and don't think there's a cap for EPF? This means that in SG we pay more to CPF in our early career but less as we earn more, whereas in MY its always the same percentage to EPF. 4. Houses/HDB - problem with HDB is not the price, its about actually getting it. If you're not married you have to wait till 35 to apply. Even if you get married early to BTO, you will have to ballot and may not get the area you want. Also you will have to wait years before you can actually move in. You could always buy resale but then the cost is much higher. If you're a foreigner or a single PR you can forget about HDB. Additionally the downpayment for a loan is 25% so you need to save a lot in your early career to afford it. Property market in MY is much more straight forward with a lower downpayment requirement (if you're willing to take more debt). 5. Car/Transport - working in MY you will mostly likely need a car as its not cheap to live close to MRT/LRT and the bus is unreliable, however there are affordable options from local car brands like Perodua and Proton. In SG, if you want to buy a car even the cheaper models (like the Jazz) are expensive and it will only last you 10 years, after which you have to renew COE again. Can stick to public transport when you're young but once you have a family a car is necessary. 6. Stress - its true that work can be stressful in SG if you're ambitious. But just as in MY, if you want a simple sustainable life without too many luxuries you don't have to overwork yourself. Both countries are developed and have enough opportunities to allow for this lifestyle choice. Its just that people in SG like comparing and we psycho ourselves to be more stressed out cause we don't want to be left behind lol.
I think the part about comparing is easier said than done...even if u can overcome the urge to make comparisons your spouse/children/relatives will keep u on the rat race
The car in Malaysian buy is forever. Singapore needs to buy Coe after 10 years. Then you need to buy a new car after 20 years. and 99 years vs freehold
Appreciate your input here, Singaporean neighbours 🙌 SG is seen as a very effective and efficient country where everything works and enforcement is … well, working. How do Singaporeans see their country as and how do Singaporeans see Malaysia as?
I like how he rephrase affordable to choice so basically if u live in double storey and own a honda city, u are a millionaire which he don mention. So he is like comparing a beggar who live in the street which is cheaper and hdb flat is not a condo with the same square feet. In short, u hav a choice lol. Malaysian who choose to buy landed proprty and b milionaire so pick your choice wisely. Plus u still can buy a second hand landed property if u think i cant afford the new one.
Malaysian here... the stress of not being able to provide for your family and afford the medical bills for your elderly parents outweighs the stress of rat race... Generally, if you have family back in Malaysia, it is better to work in Singapore!
Travelling overseas has become difficult due to Covid-19, but if you like to travel, working in Singapore will be much better due to the stronger currency that Singapore enjoys. Also, let us not forget that many Malaysians come to Singapore to work, save up, and return to Malaysia after retirement because of this very reason as well. There are many areas to explore but ultimately I think voice down to one’s priorities.
Yes, working in Malaysia for 10yr as engineer is tough… salary is just 5k after 10yrs. Went to Singapore and with 5.5k sgd, my life was totally changed. Having better life, can pay all the mortgages and worry-free life with good savings in bank accounts.
Malaysian living in Singapore here (since 2010), I guess most comments are spot on. Maybe stress is a bit overrated, because tbh most stresses are self imposed and due to lifestyle choices. But one thing that trumps all, is the safety in Singapore. Imagine walking around without feeling paranoid over a motocycle or strangers getting too close to you. Priceless
Agreed - not everyone working in SG is stressed out, and not everyone working in MY is relaxed. It totally depends on your job/boss/ambition etc. I actually think living in KL would bring more stress to me because of the traffic/crime rate/inefficiencies
@@Hetzerg Malaysian have all the time , they sleep at night and relax anytime they like . Generally, its safe in Malaysia unless you live in certain areas. Malaysia is big ,u have the choice
@@Roy-oc3ll but you dont even see women jogging in KL at midnight..because it is still dangerous. If in rural areas or uncrowded places it is understandable.
Singaporean here. Stress in Singapore is actually over-rated. I know many Singaporeans are much more chilled in life..Many of them paid off their home loan, student loan, and become debt free by early or late 30s. Many have stable sources of passive income by 50s. Stressful working culture is also over-rated by many Singaporeans, but I agree that in Malaysia there're more opportunities to do businesses.
@@mhdfrb9971 good for you lor laugh at people who aren’t as well off. My Malaysian cousins tell me they bought landed because they can’t afford flat leh
income tax is low because singaporeans have to contribute 20% of their monthly salary as CPF...can you imagine paying like 30% of your salary as tax and then still having to contribute another 20% to CPF?
@@lyhthegreat Singapore CPF can be used to buy housing and retirement. The Malaysians can use EPF for retirement but how about housing? The Malaysians can only use 30% epf for housing. The employer in Malaysia contribute only 13% epf but employer in Singapore contribute 17% therefore if the basic salary is 4,000, Malaysians only get 4,480 (inc employer EPF) but Singaporeans get 4,680 (inc employer CPF). Singapore don't need to pay income tax if they have children
That's why the smart one ... come SG to work and then retire in KL. Work 1 year in Singapore is like working 3 years in KL. work 10 yrs in Singapore is like working your whole life in KL. hehe Retire comfortably in KL by 45yrs old.
@@lomlom9798 i think it is depend on what u want. for me i will retire in tambunan Sabah (near my wife's village ) it is near a cool clean river. i wanna be able to bath in a cold clean river everyday... every week i will drive to ranau via an old route from tambunan. maybe sleep a day or two in cheap inn near kundasang to enjoy the view of kinabalu. I hope i will day of old age while watching the glorious view of mountain kinabalu.
Well, that's only if you work without living in SG for all those years to find yourself miss out the "life" in Malaysia. There's no right or wrong, people look for different thing in life. If you're willing to sacrifice of youth in exchange of money, then you're doing the justice right. However, you can't say that it's smart. Because we all know that real smart people own businesses no matter which country they are in. :) (True rich people don't have to leave their own country to earn a fortune)
Median salary in Singapore was S$4500 in 2020. After tax and CPF contribution, take home pay is $3,150. Even if one eats out for everyday to spend $900/month on meals. Maybe $30 for internet. $30 for phone. $150 for public transport. $400 for groceries. You can still save $1500. But of course not all will earn median salary. But based on the calculations with median salary, it's not that expensive in Singapore due to the buying power as mentioned in the video. Of course if you want to buy a HDB or anything priced beyond your means, everything is expensive.
@@sorcereh1 And you cant use cpf to live so yes take home is 3150. And yes,you can use cpf for housing but if dont then its just for retirement instead.
@@kelvinpang438 if you can use CPF to pay for housing instalment then wouldn’t it be part of “living” since you don’t need to use your own cash to pay?
@@horusfalcon668 LOL are you using your ego to reply? Malaysian come to singapore work, annual salary if lets say 30k bring go back malaysia is 90k. You work in singapore 1 year = work in malaysia 3 year. Jb not that expensive bro.
As a KL Malaysian working in Singapore - I can compare: 1. Food is cheaper in Singapore if we don’t compare the exchange rate. Hawkers are around 3-6$. We can eat good tiers restaurant with $50 while for the same tier restaurant in KL would be around RM100. 2. Housing is easier in Malaysia. We can’t buy HDB in Singapore as a foreigner. A small two bedroom Condo in Singapore would cost minimum 1 million Sgd far from city. To buy HDB you need two permanent residents/ wait until you’re 35 years old. HDB is to be ballot / can’t choose which unit/ can only indicate your preferred area. Housing is Malaysia has much less restrictions. You can have way cheaper properties living further from KLCC. 3. Cars are easier in Malaysia. You can get a cheap Myvi around RM50k in Malaysia. In Singapore the COE alone cost you 100$ ( not counting the cost of car ) while cars have a limited age of 10 years in Singapore. However, you don’t need car at all in Singapore. 4. You can have more savings earning Singapore dollar. The pay rate in Singapore is generally higher ( even without exchange rate). Even after paying my rent in Singapore ( while I don’t need to pay rent in KL) - I still save more earning Sgd; savings were boosted after the exchange rate. 5. Its more stressful working in Singapore. Most people are workaholic and take pride of it. Comparison is normal. Malaysia is more laid back on average. 6. Agree that you will do well in Singapore if you’re someone that follow the rules, study well, work hard, be a professional. Anyway, both are great countries and have great people 🎉
As a Malaysian working in SG for numerous years, I think your comparison didn’t start right. If Frankie and Jasmine both hold the same qualifications and same job/position, it is highly unlikely for them to draw the same pay dollar to dollar. A more realistic number would be MYR4,000 for Frankie and SGD2.8-3k for Jasmine. I think you need to live in SG to know what you’re really talking about 🤔🤔 or at least don’t give our young Malaysians the wrong impression of working in SG, thinking they can draw a SGD4k salary easily. Not even Singaporeans NUS grads can easily get that amount. Just my 2 cents 😅
According to the latest statistics, the median monthly income from work in Singapore (excluding employer CPF contributions) is $4,000 in 2020. Half of the working population are getting above $4K.
@@nicholasy2715 the stats are nonsense la. Most malaysians start off with 2.2k-3k. they also have to pay a levy to with in singapore. There are also stats that most Singaporeans are rich millionaires however in reality our property is a liability and not yet an asset. The per Capita figures are rubbish. 90% don't see those numbers
@@nicholasy2715 I think you’re missing the point. The point is if one can demand a SGD4k salary, then one can demand at least RM6-7k salary back in KL with the same qualifications and skill set.
@@VictorTKS you're absolutely right, the comparison is extremely flawed for both to be earning the same 4k in different currencies if both has the same qualifications.
Singaporean here. This video is pretty spot on in terms of comparison. Malaysia has what Singapore does not and vice versa. The benefits of working together is immense. Singaporeans have to work hard because we don't have the options of lifestyle that Malaysia has. It is much better these days because the younger gen and government are slowly starting to realise the pressure cooker worklife isn't good for us. BUT the strength of the SG dollar truthfully imo lessens some of the pain a lot of us endure. With some smart investing and saving habits, a lot of Singaporeans can really live a pretty comfortable life. The poorest of Singaporeans are usually still better off than a lot of the poor in Malaysia
Thanks for the comment! Yes totally agree. Both places has its pros and cons. SGD’s strength does allow one to live quite comfortably on average but also comes with the price of a stressful working lifestyle
@@MrMoneyTV Singaporean here. It also depends on the individual. I am blessed with a job that is stress free that pays higher than the median salary of Singapore. I am sure there are jobs around in SG that dont really have much mental stress.
@@jamesmadison3108 It's really a question of having realistic expectations. Singapore rewards the hardworking and go getters. A lot of the time there isn't much choice for the more laid back person who doesn't value materialistic pursuits but to join the rat race. Constant productivity is the lifeblood of Singapore simply because that what ultimately holds our strong robust economy together. The video here puts forth an example of someone who earns 4k SGD per month, which is actually a rather high number. I'm very certain quite a large number of Singaporeans do not earn that amount. Also Singaporeans have no options to live in a overall less expensive area/state like Malaysians and adopt a different lifestyle. Changi to Woodlands also still Singapore hahaha
@@PRSer I earn more than 4k. My wife too. And don't mind my nick, I am Chinese. Median salary in sg is 4.5 or 4.6 if I not wrong. That means 50 percent earn more than that, while 50 percent earn less than that. Your statement that many earn lesser than 4k is soo wrong. If u yourself and your friends earn lesser than 4k, I am sorry. Your circle of friends including your friends belong to the lower spectrum. Dont expect all Singaporeans to follow your standard. You don't speak for the majority.
@Random Potato it doesn't matter because I won't live pass the 99 year lease anyway. And I could always sell after staying for 30 years before it's value depreciate. U just got to know how to game the system. The stupid and poor ones will whine and complain. Basically the saying is true. The poor will be poorer, the rich getting richer. If people whine and complain, it does nothing good for them. They are just whiners. Do something about it and you will know how to have things to your advantage.
Malaysia is a blessed country, plentiful of resources, eg water, land, labor, food, space, etc... So definitely the stress level as a country is not so high. So as Malaysians are extremely lucky over Singapore whom has to work 10 times hard to be self dependent. This resulted in efficient governance, forward thinking policies to keep an edge. Malaysia on the other hand has a extremely slack in governance, corruption and systematic discrimination. So it really depends on what u need base on expectations. If u can manage and regulate your expectations, any country is fine.
@@mr.andrewscreepypasta6665 at first they want to rapid growth of the economy but in the end locals were displaced with cheap foreign labor. Pretty laid back thinking back there whereas Japan opted for machinations solution for lack of labour. For example, vending machines for them is it a waste to hire someone for selling the water while it can be automated.
You didn’t consider the ongoing costs of car ownership: annual registration and insurance, and the cost of fuel in the first instance. There’s also the cost of road tolls in Singapore and there’s almost no such thing as free parking in Singapore. In Malaysia, bumiputera laws got. This can be a disadvantage or merely a hassle if you’re Chinese.
i'm a Singaporean who lived in KL for a year. quite accurate, although I do remember some things in KL to be slightly cheaper and some things in SG to be a bit more ex. Like a regular hawker center plate of food is about $4+. you can still find $3 and 3.50 costs but they're harder to find. $4-5 is a bit more common. anyway there's one crucial factor that you haven't taken into account. When I was living in KL I tried to take public transport, walk and just generally save on transport as much as I can, and I found that nigh impossible. Just to get from Taman Desa to Mid Valley, it was a 45 min wait for a bus followed by a 20min bus trip. It was literally faster to walk there instead. That said, given the horrible consistency of pavements, walking was just terrible. You have to watch your step every step of the way. Either cars are out to kill you, or the pavements are. There are dangling wires. I cannot count on the fingers of my hands the number of times I nearly got a wire stuck in my eyes, or when my ankle got sprained by a piece of brick sticking out of nowhere in the ground, or when I was walking as far out of the road and still almost got run over by a car. I also had this motorcyclist come dangerously close to me, almost like he was considering whether or not to snatch my phone. The kicker for me was when I spent 3 hours to try and get from Sunway back to Taman Desa by public transport. I thought the trains were easy enough to figure out - I ended up waiting 2 hours for a train. While I walk and take public transport a lot in Singapore I very quickly gave up on doing this in Malaysia, opting instead to grab around. Whatever much money I might've spent on grab would save me way more in time of my life. But this also got me thinking - nearly everyone my age that I knew owned a car. Not just because it's cheap, but because it was necessary. Imagine spending 4 hours in commute every day back and forth. The comparison between public transport and vehicle isn't fair - cuz the average person I knew in KL would get around by car, whereas the average Singaporean gets around by public transport. But the story doesn't stop there, the average middle-class person does that not only because prices of cars are lower in MY, but also because taking public transport is egregiously inconvenient compared to Singapore.
In Singapore, the whole concept of sour grapes is exponentially expressed because of the environment. The fact that we are so densely populated doesn’t help the case at all. I like to believe that nobody is born sour, it’s because of the constant exposure to drastic differences (regardless of whether unintentional) that makes it worse. Multi million dollar homes can be visible from low income housing. Even if unintentional, the atmosphere allows jealousy to grow easily. As the host has aptly mentioned, Singapore highly prioritizes following the system and performing well. Not everyone can and wants to be the best of the best. I very much agree that if someone’s goals isn’t to slog it out in the pursuit of a successful career/financial freedom, Singapore would really feel like a pressure cooker! Having lived in both Singapore and LA for years, I am confident in saying that the density and constant exposure to visible and very much material differences further exaggerates the economic differences between individuals. I’m at the age where most of my peers have children already. When we have get togethers, it is evident that as parents all of us worry a lot about our children. The overwhelming majority of us are slogging it out for financial security not to be flashy but as security for the future generations that follow. It is unspoken, but as we aged it became evident that those individuals from wealthier families which had properly planned their finances for the future be it in the form of a trust/estate, have a MUCH easier and stress free time. That is what my friends and I are grinding towards, being able to allow my children and their children the security that some of us have so fortunately been able to experience.
Technically if you bring foreign goods into comparison, you do have to look into the strength of the currency. Because the RM is weaker, you need to spend more on imported items like Starbucks, MacDonalds and even the iPhone. Cost of living can be lower in Malaysia is one choose to consume local products instead of foreign imported goods. But things in Singapore are mostly imported because we have no resources. While I was in KL PJ, the cost of food, movie tickets and shopping literally felt the same like I was back in Singapore even after conversion. Simply because the goods in PJ are mostly imported foreign goods and my SGD did not feel much bigger over there. But a huge thumbs up to this video as it really did a good comparison and outlining many good arguments. Singapore despite its many pros and subjects of envy still has its cons as well. We are still a nation that is generally low in the happiness index (pre-covid time), due to stress and life here. But we all learn to make do with what we have in front of us and make a living.
Let's not say Starbucks or McDonalds. The local FnB just leverage on the inflation and prices offered by these big foreign companies just because they want sell it at a premium price for more money
@@sorcereh1 Malaysia can, but policies for that scale of manufacturing often favor monopoly, kleptocracy and aristocracy. It really hinders us from progressing or making regular businessmen and entrepreneurs handicap. Mr Money might sound very enthusiastic, but the reality is often business deals are often met with those nonsense government policies
This is a good video to compare RM to SGD, but again I agree with your argument. Not all Malaysians will go for international brands on a daily basis, most would opt local branded goods, some of the comparisons also are not that fair, not all who work in KL actually live in KL, RM1,500 rent for example is already a premium, not many will spend RM50 daily just for food, but I get the video when it looks at if someone is earning RM4k. But when speaking of experience, in terms of buying power, i earned RM3k, could do all those things and have a wife who does not have to work. But again, that is from a personal standpoint.
Thanks for the great video that point out advantage of earning SGD. After been living in both KL and Singapore. Personally I think mental stress is much more higher in KL compared with Singapore. Other than financial stress, time management (travel by car in KL) & safety are another two big contributors to the stress level living in KL.
Finally!!! the explanation I have been waiting for so long, the key is all about buying power & currency...no wonder most of malaysian prefer to work there
On the stress level, for my previous portfolios the stress level is the same for both Singapore and Malaysia. Both roles 8 months in a year I slept less than 5 hours, other hours were spent working, having a free weekend is rare. But that was specific to my role and company in both countries. Only difference is staying in Malaysia you have family support (mom cooks home cook meal, getting to meet family more often) that eases up mental load slightly, but yea generally speaking for other jobs I guess it is more relaxed in MY - but again hard to generalise, ultimately still boils down to the role, industry and company.
I guess you are speaking on a personal level as a foreigner in Singapore. Singaporeans themselves would be living with their families, in fact probably until they get married. Don't forget many Malaysians also leave their hometowns to go work in the big cities like KL and so will also be apart from their families.
@@hailyrizzo5428 My point is it can be equally stressful in both countries, ultimately depends on your portfolio and role. The living with family part is secondary point - it is good to live with family, but it doesn't change the fact the stress level can the same dependent on the role you take
Choose to live in Singapore for some Malaysian was not solely due to the salary or buying power, there are other factors like social security, racial harmony, fair career chances, fair education chances..etc. I moved here 10 years ago, I got to work + study ( pay for my own studies) + save at the same time which I can’t in kl. For now, besides owning a decent HDB and started a family, I also providing my dad back in Malaysia with decent allowance monthly. And agree, the working environment here is competitive, stressful, and requires fast responses, you need to constantly learning new things, else you will feel left behind. But if you are capable, plenty of chances waiting for u to take up. I guess this is why Singapore residents spend fair bit of their savings on travels during holidays, most of the friends I know, they work hard and play hard too.
I have many friends who work in foreign countries like Sudan ,Libya, UAE, UK. Each has his own story to tell. No doubt the salary plays a huge deciding factor. But one thing ai notice on many ( especially Chinese friends) is that they love to portray Malaysia( meaning Malayled govt as racist). They listen to DAP too much. They are challenging there article 153 of Constitution( in Singapore article 152) . This article is there in first place as a return for Malay Rulers consent to massive citizenships granted to Non Mlays in 1957. I mean who would want to grant something so massive rha it change the demographic landscape politics forever. Something must be given back to Malays in return for accepting non Malays as citizens.
Good video. As a Malaysian who first worked in KL and then in Singapore in a similar job. In the end I preferred Singapore. Maybe because I was lucky, but I did not feel that much stress at all in Singapore. Instead I suffered in KL because I couldn't afford a car so I couldn't go anywhere, and being paranoid about being robbed whenever I went out.(Thats just me) Since I'm the type to just work for a salary and have no big ambitions to start a business, Singapore provided me an ideal environment to work in. Food was cheap and transport was convenient. Malaysian food is still better though.
Wrong, Malaysia is more stressful when you have a family to take care of. Lets put aside the day to day struggles just to go to work (traffic jams and congestion in public transport) and talk about kids. Do you know how bad the national education system is in Malaysia? I have many friends that decided to send their children to private schools or "better" govt school which were further away from where they stay. The cost of kindergarten, tuition centres and lets say music classes are all very expensive in Malaysia (will take a toll on middle income families). If you are a Malaysian, ask yourself how much do you have to spend to bring your family for a vacatiion in Australia? I have lived in Singapore for the past 15 years, my son was born and raised here. I bought a local HDB 10 years ago (yes, wifey and I managed to save up for that in 5 short years). When my wife and I were working in KL, it was just as stressful as we did when in Singapore because we were both chasing after bigger bonuses and higher salary increments. If you don't have such ambitions, it is the same in Singapore where you can find lower paid jobs with lower stress levels too. Imho the only difference between both countries is the competence of the govt , one looks after the citizen's welfare while the other totally screws everything up for the citizens. I rest my case.
Another thing to note in Singapore, employers actually pay 17% for employees' CPF, which makes owning a house slightly easier with that extra cash in your CPF.
@@forevergraceful6160 well, nobody is going to live til 101, and odds are everybody's kids are going to move out when they get the chance so it doesn't matter much, although I'd rather they not demolish old apartments once the lease is up
I am Malaysian staying in Singapore now.. my side chicken rice one plate $2 only... actually living at which country, or which country is better, it’s depend on what you want.. there is nothing perfect in the world.
i came to Singapore 20 years ago with 1k sgd in my wallet. Singapore is a land opportunity for hard worker IF you enjoyed working for others (especially MNC) as salaries rise a lot faster. Specifically, if you are in IT, it's not uncommon to make 4-6k/month as your start salary and rises to 10-15k for seasoned professionals. The generous tax system, low interest rate and evolve pension fund gave a lot of flexibility - a hard worker with his spouse can be a millionaire in 10 years' time. and factor in the strength of SGD - at the end, if you have an exit plan back to Malaysia - working in Singapore is a great way to FIRE.
A Malaysian working in Singapore for the 10th year this year. Graduated as a bachelor honours in engineering and went for 10 interviews in KL, I was offered from rm1.4k - rm2.4k, then went to sg for interview and took up the job offer of sgd$2k, peers who graduated in sg were offered sgd$3.8k. I had a very simple lifestyle and by my 3rd year, I manage to save sgd$20k with my then bf now husband for our wedding ceremony in msia, then on our 6th year, we manage to save for the downpayment of our first hdb as pr. If we are still in Malaysia, I highly doubt we could achieve our life goals with the same timeline working just one job. Now that we have kids, we felt that we could no longer go back anymore because sg offers a better starting point for them.
Casino dealer in Malaysia was paid RM3.5 per night shift allowance. In Sentosa was paid $20 per night shift allowance. Both casino are owned by same company.
I m living in sg now, HDB only for singaporean , no security , no pool, no car park provided, S$400k, for studio in sg now S$750k , 2 bed rooms S$900-1.1mil, 3 bed room S$1.2-1.5mil, don't forget stamp duty pay to govt leh..., car coe etc
Well explained! there are some misconceptions people have about staying in Malaysia / Singapore. Pretty well covered! One of the main reasons for Malaysian me to come to Singapore is the environment. It is so much safer here.
As a Singaporean myself, simply put I feel Malaysian has the choice to work 10yrs in sg (30yrs equivalent of salary in Malaysia) and go back to the hometown and enjoy the 20yrs
I said the same thing to my sons...work a few years in singapore , buy a car and buy a house (at least 10% down payment)....return to work in malaysia....
@@ismailbinatan2674 while in theory, this is awesome, there will be several things to consider, your son might like Sg better especially if he can land a good job and become PR...
The thing is, Singaporeans take for granted things like meritocracy, and an honest clean government. Material things only give satisfaction to a lower level. You can always save to buy an iPhone, etc. Removing corruption, institutionalised racism. These things have only gotten from bad to worse in Malaysia ever since I left.
If you can get a $4k per month job in Singapore, you must be very skilled or work super long hours. Fresh Graduates usually only get $3000 or so. While a 4000RM job in Malaysia I will assume is pretty easy to find for a degree holder. If you are living in Malaysia, you shouldn't be buying Internation brand items. There are so many local items to choose from. Why go for Starbucks when you can go to a coffee shop. And if you can't afford iPhone, then get Xiaomi. If you are looking at international items, your pay got to be on par with international rates. And 4kRM is not on par with international rates.
Erm.. i dont think so.. i got 3600RM in malaysia (i started as fresh and after 4 years of working it became about 4000rm) when i got the same position in Sg (with this 4 years experience from msia) the company in sg offered slighhhhtttly higher than 4k Sgd. My point is, the salaries with the same experience years are about the same..
@@kuangkyra5040 Sorry I didn't know the normal pay in Malaysia for a degree holder. Maybe the video should use 2.5k SGD Vs 2.5kRM as comparison. And both of them should not get a iPhone or a new car
Malaysian here and I have been working in Sg for more than 10 years. I think it very much depends on the priorities of an individual. Some choose to settle down in Sg for the sake of their kids education. No doubt Sg provides better education but imo, the most important thing for my kids would be the character (人品). in terms of cost of living, yes, you are spot on except the rental of the studio apartment and the average price of a studio apartment. Not to mention about the cash upfront for buying an apartment or hdb or car, you will need to cough out A LOT of cash. My personal preference, Malaysia is still a better country to settle down in consideration of all the criteria. However, SG is also a good place to settle down. But if to choose, Malaysia is still the one to go for.
Hiya I am thinking of retiring in MY but was told by some Malaysian Chinese working with me that 1) Chinese are treated as 2nd class citizens and being bullied by Malays and 2) The crime rate is pretty bad and after sun goes down don't go out unless in a group and to brightly lit areas. Is that true or are they just pulling my leg?
@@wumao6797 Hi, undeniably it’s part of the facts that Malaysian government prioritize malay over chinese in Malaysia but not to the extreme extent (some Malays are very nice to Chinese and can become friends) and yes, crime rate is definitely higher in Malaysia as compared to in Sg. However, just like what mentioned in the video, there are pros and cons in each country. It’s good to weigh the pros and cons and decide which country is best for you to settle down. Since I’m a Malaysian, I know very well the culture of Malaysia. So in an overall consideration, I would still prefer to go back to Malaysia because in Malaysia it’s more lay back, relax, plenty of business opportunities and the list goes on. Security wise, personally I would spend more on protection such as house alarm system, security film for car windows, avoid going out in the late evenings and etc. Government wise, hmm, there’s nothing much we can do about it. Just have to accept the fact and hope the country will restructure itself for a better future.
@@wumao6797 no. One think about the Malays ( despite all their shortcomings) is that they are not racist. It is just that they refuse to kowtow to DAP that makes them being accused as being racist. Malays are very benign I can list all their shortcomings. But racism is not one of them I'd they are racist, Guan Eng and Kit Sing would have been dead by now for playing with racism for decades. Remember the racial riots starts with the provocative Chinese procession into heart of Malay settlement
@@wumao6797 most important thing if want to retire in Malaysia, must at least try to learn and understand some basic malay. This will help a lot when dealing with their govt service and majority of the population.
in Sg, u cant buy really cheap cars. because In Singapore, your car must be de-registered after 10 years unless you pay to renew your COE. In Malaysia, you can buy cars less than RM 10k. there are many cheap way to live in malaysia. But in Sg, the entry lvl is just much higher. Chances are high that , your parents will have extra car and house for you in Malaysia.
Singy here. I was fortunate to have a house left behind by my parents but a few years ago I sold it and moved to a flat. I didn’t know what I was missing! Firstly the property tax is laughably small, town council charges keep getting subsidized, I keep getting GST refunds, and I totally don’t have to worry about upkeep of my own building (trust me in this, living in a house is plenty painful and expensive! Something is always needing attention and costly repairs!). I get a lovely environment near a river (very nicely done up), plenty of parking (see the parking issues of landed properties, your friends won’t dare to visit you!) and fantastic public transport connectivity. Not to mention 24-hr supermarkets and clinics and eateries all within walking distance! With sheltering to all these places I don’t even need to own an umbrella. I’m retired now and happily travel (pre pandemic) without worries about my flat. I’ve got good quiet considerate neighbours and if you design your flat nicely you’ll have a fantastic living envt (air con, noise reduction/soundproofing). Living in a house is totally overrated! Plus no more rats, stray cats, insects and cockroaches, thank you!
@@jarvishnotu2436 guessing you’ve missed the point - HDB living in sgp is safe and comfortable and convenient, I’ve lived in M’sia in a house and all you think you have is actually the insecurity of when some robber is going to break into your house (who’s the bird in the cage? I don’t have grills on my windows and no metal gate to my front door) or when city hall is going to fill that huge pothole on the road leading to my house!
@@jarvishnotu2436 As you’ve mentioned, life shouldn’t be lived without any risks involved. It’s also worthwhile to note that everybody has different risk appetites. With your point of terraces being superior, it’s always a matter or perspective isn’t it? There are many cases for living in a landed or a high rise. If it’s simply a matter of money, then why do people intentionally live in high rises whilst owning landed properties? Why are certain high rise properties worth many times landed properties? Everyone has different circumstances and the original commenter is sharing their two cents, which in this case is different from yours. How come you can reject their two cents but then generalize and make a sweeping statement like “x is far more superior than y.”
@@jarvishnotu2436 haha go ahead if you think you need this sort of risk! I’ve lived in a landed house and can attest to the fact that especially as you grow older, it’s definitely better to not have to maintain such a house. In fact if you have an active life, why bother to end up babysitting your house - just like a car is to serve you, why should you serve your car, same as for your house - maybe you like gardening, but I rather be spending time on my hobbies than sweeping the dead leaves every day!
@@jarvishnotu2436 yeah yeah some Malaysians always need to justify their superior quality of life by pointing out the landed property thing - don’t assume we in Singapore envy you for that. Also we singyies feel smug about how safe it is in sgp, we forget that people is less safe envts also can have a perfectly well-rounded life. Que sera sera - just make the most of what you’ve got
Well done.. Same feeling when working in China for 8 years. When u factor in other variables like education, healthcare.. Prices in Singapore seems very fair in terms of purchasing power for the equitable quality of goods and services...also from statistics.. 13.2% of Singapore households has monthly income of 20K..tat also speaks of the Purchasing power..
I like your videos, keep up the good work! Just a few points as a Malaysian that is working in Singapore right now: - studio is around $2K plus, it is very unlikely that you can get a studio for $1.5K - to buy a property in SG, downpayment is 25% vs 10% in Malaysia. It is difficult to get a property because of the higher downpayment instead of the repayment amount. Also for a $4K, it is likely that you can only buy a HDB which is gov housing, in Malaysia, you can buy a private property There are pros & cons with SG & Malaysia & like you said, it is what you want in life! Just make the best out of every situation :) Look forward to the next videos.
I have to agree with Catherine here. Also the 1.5% mortgage loan rate you are looking at is the flexi rate that is usually adjusted upwards after a few years. Fixed rate is 2+% and HDB fixed rate is 2.6%. So housing is definitely not equal to Msia in raw numbers.
Correct, besides that IF you are single Singaporean and you want to buy a HDB, you only can choose resale and after 35 years old. Else you only can choose private condo, landed or apartment which are at least 700k + 25% downpayment. And salary needs to be deducted 20% of CPF
@@SkyLee91 does it mean that if you are a single Singaporean, you have to stay with parents until 35 before u can buy a HDB? that is a long time to be staying with parents :p
@@StormyMusic9 agree. another way to look at it is that because of the higher downpayment, i guess you would end up paying less interest in SG vs a housing loan in Malaysia which is usually 90%.
Living in Singapore as a graduate here, all my friends/peers out there are competing for the highest salary + best jobs out there, always jumping to a “more renowned” company each time. On the other hand, I feel comfortable with an average company, however, I feel like I’m being judged and kinda left behind in a sense when everyone’s making more. Everyone’s always talking about their career, money, our future plans, and even comparing with one another. Thus, you are right with the competitive and stress part of Singapore. Like seriously, spot on.
Actually on the flip perspective, Singapore is a money making hub, grinding your early years you can comfortably build a passive income and retire at 45 - 55 years old. Isn’t it better to just work for 20 + years and you can live how you want for the rest or work till you die 😂
you are right... Singapore cost living not so low as per this video, i am currently living in singapore, i am from KL also... the cost living in singapore per month is around SGD 1800... dont simply said u can eat SGD 3.50. because this price is 5 years ago.. now chicken rice already 4.50
Working in Malaysia sometimes is not relax also. A lot of my friends including me have gone through stressful and toxic working enviroment in Malaysia. So it all depends on the workplace culture but mostly it is quite bad and underpaid salaries.
Hmmm.. somehow my cousins in Malaysia all started owning cars when they are 17 or 18 or when they first started working. Me being born a Singaporean only managed to get my first car at the age of 30+ and still feel like it is a struggle to afford it. My cousins all bought houses not long after they started working and they cost about RM300-500k (my HDB is more than S$600k), all in Penang state, all landed and about 3 times bigger than my HDB. They even tell me they cannot afford to buy high rise but yet can buy landed! I still remember when i bought furniture from JB, the deliveryman commented how small my house is when they send it over. Wow!
Dude if we exchange government i dont think you wanna be a Singaporean. You guys are having one of highest execute level government, what can u guys ask for more ? Not every country nor human has this luck to being "control" by this kind of government. Singaporeans pls don't 生在福中不知福
@@stanstan6012 now we are saying about where is cheaper to live. Not about government is it? Well I wouldn’t want to be Singaporean now too. I would prefer to be a Singapore PR so that I can buy big houses back in my “hometown” when I retire.
These are already highlighted in the video. 1) the barrier of entry for cars in Malaysia is low, no need for large down-payment unlike Singapore. The only thing not highlighted in the video is singapore's COE. 2) you're comparing apples to oranges, he also said cost of living in other states will be much cheaper than KL, yet you're comparing Penang with Singapore which obviously has a lower cost of living. 3) your cousins seem far more knowledgeable. Landed properties are generally at the outskirts/suburban areas. High rise are usually seen at city, so the condo they are referring to is either in KL city or at least georgetown which is the city centre of penang and not at the suburban areas. This is an issue that happens all over the world. You can probably own a large piece of land at some sleepy state as compared to a condo in New York City. Singapore is so small that the entire country is a city and a state all in one.
@@kelvinchui6467 what do you mean barrier of entry for cars is Low? Is there a need for large down payment in SG? I still hear people buying car with almost no down payment. 🤔btw COE is already reflected in the car price. What he did not mention is the road tax, petrol & parking which are much higher than in Malaysia from what I know.
Finally! Someone said it!! I've been doing these comparisons and calculations for quite some time now when I started researching about moving overseas and that's why I don't get it when people in developed countries (some) complain about the high cost of living. Like, yall get things for so cheap and your salary so high and yet you complain? You clearly haven't worked and lived in Malaysia.
KL is not the whole of malaysia man..and you must be mistaken when you say all singaporeans earn a high salary, as a matter of fact there are many and i mean many singaporean who are living well below the poverty line..it's just that their existence are very underreported.
Dude in sg you no qualification u die, moreover this video did not start of rightly mainly because SG and Malaysia pay would be different due to the qualification. And for your kind info, it is a high cost living here in SG. And it's not so "cheap" now as you've sai., Cars and houses are way more expensive in sg than it is in malaysia, and moreover a percantage of your salary goes into CPF. I'm not tryna say Malaysia isn't a high cost living but your statement is wrong lol. Not to mention that in SG you have to pay certain stuff extra to own something.
i like his comparison, but whether work is stressful or not is really depends on individual. Working in Singapore is not always stressful. So work in Malaysia is not stress at all? very easy and relax to work in Malaysia? I dont think so. Some of his points is quite stereotype. I have friend working in Malaysia change job every 1 or 2 years due to the unhappy working culture in every company he went. My friend decided to come work in Singapore and he managed to work in a company for 8 years and still happily working with the working culture here in Singapore.
very true. The biggest reason for leaving a job is usually because of bad manager. Not all managers in malaysia are bad, but there is a disproportionate amount of bad managers and it probably has alot to do with the brain drain. in a competitive environment like Singapore, the best workers rise to the top and in turn, the quality of good managers is pretty high. Competition is good because it makes everyone better. Of course, the draw back is that you can't be incompetent in a place like Singapore or you will stick out like a sore thumb at your job. =). To each their own, but recognise that SG doesn't put up with incompetence.
Totally agree with you 🌝 If you are not working in a proper company/MNCs in Malaysia, buckle up! Most companies don’t practise work balance culture, in short they don’t give a crap about your well-being. In my opinion, this is subtle systemic slavery. Worst scenario would be, workload keep increasing but pay doesn’t increase for years. Company making good profit but refuse to pay bonus. This is a very common scenario in Malaysia. We call them chinaman companies, referring to mainland mentality of forcing people to work just because employees lack of options. Good pay and progression with crazy stress is wayyy better then shitty pay, no progression plus never-ending workload leading to crazy stress. That’s why people are pissed with racial bias when it comes to government jobs. They having it easy, can retire at 55 with 60% of their salary contributed to them as pension til they die. This is regardless of your position in the government agency, like wth.
@@sagan08 you mentioned about government jobs, it warms my heart every time I see a non-bumi in uniforms as they are very hard to come by. Why this thing happens do you think?
Very well researched and presented video! Thank you. It always bothers me when family members go "Oh you live in _____ must be damn expensive (or cheap)" or when they do direct currency conversion for cost of goods. More people need to know about BUYING POWER and comparative salary norms. Again thank you for this video!
On the point of stress level of both cities... Having the experience of living in both KL & SG, the stress level and working hours is pretty much equal just like buying a car or house. i mean, it can't really get any worse than working 80 hours/week or having to stay back in office till 5am occasionally, and that was my experience back in KL.
as a malaysian that stay in singapore, if you are earning the same, singapore has much higher disposable income. because the housing loan can be paid by CPF, aka EPF in malaysia. Meaning you dont have to pay a single cent in cash(except the 2k cash in register of interest). if you earn 4k, bring home pay is 3.2k you can have easily 2k-2.5k as disposable income. versus in malaysia, your bring home pay must deal with housing loan & transport! you might left nothing for investment. with the annual 20-30k disposable income, invest in 5% dividend stocks can achieve financial freedom faster too.
@@katchng thanks for reply. can it fully cover the loan repayment? In SG, given 4k salary, it is able to pay the housing loan and still has surplus for retirement, because employee contributes 20%, employer contributes 17.5%. however i have to say that in Malaysia, it is easier to have multiple properties as versus in SG, you have to pay 12.5% of property price if you own more than 1 property...
@@ychongong4680 yes. That is to fight inflation and interest lost if park inside CPF. I see nothing wrong. Just treat it as taking loan from ownself and paying interest to ownself.
U forgot to mention that the honda jazz in Singapore can only be driven for 10yrs while that same jazz in malaysia can be driven for as long as it runs. And for non Singaporeans working in SG they can't get a HDB hence their cost of buying a house will be about double if they go for a private apartment of the same size .
This is a great video which summaries the key differences in terms of living expenses, thanks for sharing! I live in Singapore for more than 10 years and it is truly much affordable than KL. However, if you compare the lifestyle between 2 cities, I would say KL is a vibrant city and it never sleeps. You can easily buy dinner/ supper in KL after a long day of work but it is very limited in Singapore if you want to da Bao after 10pm. In KL it is so easy to find a mamak and spend your evening with your friends till midnight; however in Singapore, the street is generally empty after 10pm. All in all, I would say it is not true that currency is only reason that attracts Malaysian to work in Singapore; I think the main reason is the political conditions in Malaysia and it is unfortunate that racism continues to be the driver in Pentadbiran even after 60 years! I was thinking the 2018 election could change the game and make the country great again but I was wrong… I still remember most of the Malaysian in Singapore and other cities purposely made their way back to complete their duty as a citizen. The determination in everyone eyes really amazed me!
If you live in Singapore condo VS Malaysia condo, I doubt Singapore is more affordable. My cousin first graduated from uni and got RM3.3k as his starting pay and he could already afford to buy a condo at 850sqf at RM330k while Singapore is making SGD4k can’t even afford to buy a condo at 850sqf in Spore as this will cost them SGD 1 million. So not really fair to waive off the housing factor but use HDB flat in Spore to compare Malaysia condo. Malaysia flat rental is RM550 for 600sqf with two bedrooms, how about that?
And May I offer my insight on this so called racism. I am a Malay and used to work in private sector in Malaysia.in all honesty , I just say once the top management is controlled by Chinese, non Chinese suffers from racism. And this is the truth. I have seen how Chinese promoted over their colleagues when their colleagues perform better or have longer working experience in that organisation. Don't get me wrong. I am not against Chinese But ask around Malays , 99% will vouch Chinese organisations are racist. As for 2018 election, statistics shows only around 30% of Malays voted PH. And Mslays learnt changing govt to Oh is costly. Almost all of that 30%regretted their move to change govt. If they think UMNO led govt is bad, PH is a total disaster. That God, PH collapsed
Shamshul Anuar Having said so, Malay leaders have been racist in the past decades ever since they introduced QUOTA system that leads to the current situation too. I met few MEDICAL Uni graduates before who can’t even speak English but under Quota system, they were able to get into the faculty. So who is more racist? Then I can quote the same as you “don’t get me wrong, I’m not against Malay”? Sounds funny of you, right after you have made your single-sided biased accusations then tried to cover your backside😂😂
@@shamshulanuar7718 I agree about your insight, I think almost all companies have biased and top managements prefer their own race (NOT ALL), whether it's at My or Sg. However, what we can't deny is the overall (as a nation) this is not the case...
I'm from semicon background with 15 years exp and making ~RM300k a year by working at PG. While my fren with similar exp at SG only making ~SGD100k a year. However my bil with just 7 years semicon exp just went to SG this month with 1:1 pay which he get ~SGD6000 a month. So i think is always better to work at SG when you are young to save money. When you are senior enough, better to move back to Malaysia.
Not a fair comparison, (without converting) KL salary is higher than Singapore. For e.g. a Senior Manager in KL may be earning RM15-20K but in SG only SGD8-10K. Your case study more applicable to junior staff/fresh grads
Exactly. I’m Malaysian working for a SG company, paid market rate of an SG employee (not the lower foreign rate). My peers in Malaysia making the Malaysian rate gets about 1.5 to almost 2 times in MYR what I get in SGD. Take Median income as an example. Malaysia is about RM7.5k whilst SG is SGD4.5k. In his example, Frankie is making almost half the median income whilst Jazmin is just short of median. They are not in the same stage of their career or a comparable situation.
I think your multiplier of 1.5 - 2x is quite accurate. I have a friend currently getting RM12k in Malaysia got offered SGD7k in SG. So whoever dream of working 1 year in SG = 3 years in Malaysia, it is just a fairy tale. After deducting living cost, yes no doubt you will save more in SG but the diff is definitely not x3
@@atan9160 the fairytale may be true if you have relatives who let you stay free or let you p@y a nominal sum for rental. Tgen definitely can save almost 3x compared to Msia.
Another error spotted : Malaysian or foreigner can't buy a resale or new HDB unless you're a PR or citizen and that's from 3rd year onwards only after getting your PR. And the price for resale HDB can stretch beyond $1M
What kind of data are you basing on off for property prices ? I'm a fellow property owner in msia and for a 900-1100sqft property you can get it from 300-600k, renting that is about 1.2-2 ( fully furnished ). In SG on the other hand, the rentals are much more higher. Even for a simple 500sqft room will set u back 2kSGD, renting a 900sqft apartment will easily cost you up to 3k SGD. it's almost double according to my research
I left Malaysia 33 years ago and return recently to retire. I have a condo and I also a car in Singapore since 24 years ago. After liquidating my assets in Singapore and overseas (my investment) i can live off just on FD interest alone. I can afford monthly 2 weeks holidays around Asia.
Thank you for sharing, Mr. Michael. I'm 29 years old, doing mundane job everyday in malaysia. My cost of living in a year is barely rm10k. I saved up 70% of my incomes in many asset classes. But still i have this fear of our economy collapsing further in years to come, despite evolving into developed nation. Due to political instability, brain drain issue, limited buying power, lack of great quality products (meaning need to change our electronics in each 2-3years), and the education system which emphasized more on memorization instead of application, i couldn't see myself living comfortably in my retirement years. At the moment, i'm torn in between further my studies with no job guarantee, or self study which is going to take years before i finally master the craft (still in the end employer is going to ask for certificate paper). Do you have any advice for me? Thank you in advance.
@@nuripadudi when u study, does it give u better career prospect? if no, don't waste your $$. Buy ASN as much as u can and forget about local property investment. developers are selling 50-90% above actual value. Always be prepared to job hop for better pay and look for big company, the benefits and medical are better. Do not be afraid to work hard and put in extra hours, always strive to be better than your co worker, that way when u want to leave, your boss will give u a pay rise to retain u.
Realistically speaking. Unless you travel multiple trips a day, the $120 monthly pass isn’t worth it. My monthly expense on transport is $60-80 for going to and fro work
should be working in Singapore living in Johor tnat will be more accurate representation of this argument and the result is already bought 2 house and 2 cars albeit just proton saga it's earning in Singapore but living in. Johor
Malaysian working in Singapore here! Great video and your points largely mirror my experience. In general, the cost of everyday things (food, movies, public transport, groceries) is a lot cheaper in SG than MY, allowing you to save more disposable income, or save up to splurge on expensive items like gadgets more quickly than in MY. Working culture wise, I believe there is some truth to the stereotype but ultimately it depends on the industry and company you are at. I know people who are way more stressed out in their jobs in MY than in SG. There are great and no-so-great company cultures everywhere. SG people tend to be more hardworking and have a strong work ethic (at least from my experience), making it better environment for more career or achievement oriented folks who want to accelerate in their career. On the other hand, what MY has is truly unique - there is more diversity in our people, our life experience is more colourful, we have tons of options to travel and live domestically. Malaysians, or at least the ones I've grown up with, are more street smart and tolerant towards differences and adaptable to unexpected situations. Not to say these qualities are exclusive to each nationality. Society plays a large role, but so do your family and the people you surround yourself with! :)
I am one too who live in JB, work in SG. Singaporean are hard working but not the younger generation. As an employer I would hire a Malaysia over a Singaporean for work commitments and attitudes.
@@cheuman1 most of the younger MY that i have worked with are lazy too. they expected more when they contributed so little. i would not be as biased as you. i would rather hire a person who is really passionate about his job and motivated to progress with the company regardless of their nationalities.
I’m a Malaysian and working in SG. Since I’m staying in JB, I earn in SGD & spent in MYR. But due to covid19 can’t commute daily to work. So staying here for time being :)
Your figures on property in Sg don't seem right. She can rent a studio or one-bedroom for $1500? A 4rm HDB costs $300k? Perhaps if she can buy directly from the government but she can't if she is only a SPR.
True in some areas such as cars, but in Msia you are always worried about money. I would say its a different kind of worry. Yes Spore is much more competitive, and you may feel mentally drain at times, but you don't really worry so much about money, more on work etc. But in Msia, you have more expensive housing loan to pay (i.e 500k) relative to your income, car, fuel, parking, food, higher broadband and utilities bill, you are practically left with no savings at the end of the month, and there are other factors that you worried very much about too in Msia such as politics, crime, safety, traffic jams etc and all these contribute to long-term mental stress and health too. However, Msia has one of the most affordable healthcare in the world which is big plus vs spore.
u r comparing HDB vs non HDB from Malaysia. Besides that, in Klang valley, if you really wan to pay less for property. u can just stay slightly away from KL city but still within klang valley. u can even get a landed link house less than 400k.
Bro...for HDB in SG.....we don't pay much out of pocket coz using CPF deductible...that makes a huge difference in your take-home pay....EPF seriously has no purpose but a retirement piggy bank...
Well he did gave a disclaimer that almost anywhere is considered "near MRT" in Singapore considering there are so many stations. Almost from any point you live, only 5 to 10mins travel time to nearest MRT
Hey Frankie, first of all I want to say, it is truly telling how much effort and research has been done into making this video. I really appreciate it! As a Malaysian who's been through the entire system of studying (both in MY and SG), graduating, now working in Singapore, in my opinion, you've hit all the right spots. Working in SG does indeed grant you slightly better purchasing power than in MY. But I have also seen many of my friends (MY and SG alike) who live their lives pay check to pay check and unable to save a lot, let alone have leftover money to invest. What I truly believe is regardless of the cards you have been dealt in life - where you live, what currency you earn, at the end of the day, it is all about living below your means. Ultimately it also depends on what you value in life - no right or wrong answers :) Personally, I like the constant pressure and competitiveness especially in my mid 20s, trying to sharpen my craft, hone my skills. Of course, I would love to come home and contribute to Malaysia one day. Now, I have a fantastic video that depicts an accurate representation of the pros and cons of living in MY/SG to share with friends and family. Once again, kudos to you! What a wonderfully scripted and shot video. Keep up the good work.
@@gohguoliang4566 I'd like to think my skill can multiply by 3 in Malaysia. Whether or not the reality is the same as what I think is a whole other topic ;)
Thank you! True when it comes to spending it still depend on one’s lifestyle. If the person earns more but living way above his/her income no use. At the end each country provides its own opportunity. It comes down to each individual’s ability to make the best of it! We wish u all the best in your journey there! Hopefully one day we see u around!
Im malaysian working in singapore but not working in my related field of study. Any Singaporean got a hole for me to apply job in sciences area? Really need to get stable life financially cus im stuck here due to covid.
I’m a singaporean university canteen stall owner and I’m selling chicken chop ( Just the chicken itself ) at $3.50 and every additional sides for a $1 🤷🏻♂️.
You are right, many of the Malaysians are unable to take the work stress in Spore- very competitive. Thus Malaysian these days are not that hard working than their ancestors 30 or 40 yrs ago. You are smart and right to be a proud Chinese Malaysian to stay put rather migrate to other countries like Spore, UK or Australia etc. Thus your support as a minority is steadfast to help protect the minority polulaltion whose nos are eroding over the years putting the minority population which includes Indian, Eurasians, orang asli into a much lower percentage since 1970s. Infact the Chinese or Vietnamness are more hard working than the present Malaysians in Singapore. Hope Malaysian minority will stay put and fight for their right to increase their population minority percentage to support DAP, HP. I always advise Malaysians in Singapore not to abandon your country, to get Spore PR is ok but not citizenship cos Malaysia need you and your votes. All Malaysians must support Khairy to become the next PM after Annuar then there will be equality like the days of Tungku Abdul Rahman but not like Dr M a racist or Najib or Mydyin corrupted PMs😮
If you notice... there are many rich people in Malaysia and they choose to live here... my point is when money is not a problem, Malaysia does provide more lifestyle options.
For career alone, I would say Singapore. More opportunities for advancement up to corporate ladder. Your buying power should be better too but depends mainly on your choice of accomodations. One thing the video does not touch on is that the same person earning RM4k in Malaysia will most likely earn 40pct less (in local currency) when moving to Singapore.
I believe RM19k is at a director level? Equivalent role with about 15-20 years of experience in an MNC, you’ll more likely draw $15-25k per month after including all the incentives and bonuses
i was work in KL 2012-2013. and move to JB 2014. Initial idea want to try singapore but at that time they dont want me because im a fresh graduate, they just want me as labour worker not as professional. got try go interview there around 3,4 times.. want go berak! also hard liao need to que for bus at boarder.. i ask for myself i this the life what i will facing everyday. after that i just work at JB at settle down buy house. even now KL offer me 5k-7k i dont want to accept even my salary not reach 4k here. the stress level living condition, traffic different at KL, i dont want to go there anymore.
I do agree that if you compare dollar for dollar, it is really expensive to be staying in Malaysia with a ringgit salary. Malaysians working in Sg are not counted. I'm talking about those Malaysians working in Malaysia. Salary is stagnant, inflation all time high. Alot of my Malaysian friends struggling and can mostly afford to eat at home. Esp those that work rm1-2k salary. Don't talk about abt rm4k salary la, that's considered the better range salary already. In Sg, still can buy mrt chicken rice $2. Malaysia with that small salary, food prices are fucking ex. Rm 50 finish like water. Sg still have housing grant all this from gov, Malaysia don't have.
Overall we should give ourselves several choices, don’t let pride and prejudice clouded your mind. If SG fits your lifestyle then move there otherwise you can continue to stay at Malaysia.
As a malaysian lives in singapore for couple years, the only thing i reckon it is skyhigh difficult is to enter the local property market, even for a PR, there's a 3 years requirements need to fullfill before you can buy a resale HDB (cant buy new one but you cant buy a HDB that's too old, you might end up with a bad loan), and if you're thinking of buying a private condo, prepare 25% cash upfront for the downpayment which translate to around 250k singapore dollars not even include all the others tax, other than that literally no complain at all🤣
Move to UK, the living cost relative to the average salary is more than enough for a comfortable life, and it’s less competitive than SG, groceries are much cheaper too
Malaysia's cost of living is definitely higher than Singapore if we compare the salaries earned there. That's because the Malaysian ringgit is 3 times lower than Singapore. The inflation rate in Malaysia has skyrocketed while the salary is still low. Singapore manage its economy better than Malaysia but the main disadvantage is the lack of landed property and space. The other thing is Singaporeans are much ruder.
Yeah I cant believe how fast inflation in Malaysia skyrocketed after each GST / SST introduction, Flour/rice/petrol price adjustment, and also now Covid. Basic stuffs cost so much, and if we look at fast food, in the 90s, seems like a luxury, but by 2010s, got affordable, not its back to a luxury. Mindblown.
@@alextong6318 yeah. And I can’t believe some people still can’t see that. Still thinks they’re the best bunch of politicians. Whereas some from the privileged race, instead of working hard, fly to countries like AU/NZ, “applying” for asylum, and work in factories to avoid immigration officers and earn good money without needing English. Then in our head will be like: “aren’t you the more privileged group? On what terms you apply for asylum? You got all the special rights back home”. This is why Malaysia is top of the list for overstayer in AU, thus u can’t apply for travel visa easily without thoroughly prove you have no intention of staying behind after entering the country. Ok I’m abit off topic now. 😂
@@samiao90 The ringgit plunged from rm 2.50 to rm 4.2 is a reflection of the confidence the world see of Malaysia government and yet most people still vote for the corrupt govt.
02:44 You can have chicken rice at $2.50 or even $2 at some of the MRT station food stalls in Singapore. 12:39 Sometimes...yep. Some of my opinions... 1. If taking EPF/CPF into consideration, Malaysians contribute 11% of the salary, while Singaporeans need to contribute a whopping 20% (1/5). So even if two people have the same amount of salary it does not mean that they have the same amount of money on hand to spend. 2. HDB Housing in Singapore might be "cheaper" than what Malaysians have thought, but they are all 99-year leasehold premises. Some people might feel that it could not compare with most of the Malaysia's freehold premises. 3. As a person from JB who has worked in KL 10 years ago, I would say that it was difficult to save money when working and living in KL. Singapore however, does allow you to gain decent amount of savings faster (even much faster if you choose to travel between Singapore and Johor daily before COVID pandemic).
I pity those hawkers selling chicken rice at $2.5 or even $2. They are subsidising your pay package. You feel that you deserve decent living standards because you work hard. They work hard too but get little in return. They need to increase their prices to something that will afford themselves a decent living.
U have to consider security cost, health care cost as well as public service cost. In Spore, every where is safe. You won't get rob and injured. That cost you financial losses and medical fees resulting from injury. Almost every msian household pays for their own monthly security fees for their housing, if not alarms, grills etc. That's not happening in spore. Public Health care is cheap in Msia but look at the covid pandemic, you are left to take care of your own when trouble hits and government has no money and resources to save you anymore. That brings you to think of country national defences further. If you are hurt in a car accident, your life is at risk as you are less likely to be saved by paramedic in Msia. Spore, within 5-10mins, a SCDF will be there to save you. On Msia highways, you are left to die on the spot. Life is cheaper in Msia if you factor this in. Lastly, if you can measure stress and time in RM/SGD, getting things done in Spore is cheaper as public services is less stressful and very efficient. Dealing with Msian public servants is a nightmare. If you find my comment valid, do a part 2 with these intangible factored in. Thanks.
Cannot compare $ to $, if you do that why not compare sgd4000 vs HKD4000? No way right? It has to be value vs value , so it should be sgd4000 vs rm12000 , its the value of 1 currency vs another, then only you know which country is costly, it's simple math, everybody earn money differently, I'm sure you'll know which country is more costly this way
Malaysia VS Singapore, which has the cheaper living cost? 🧐
i am Malaysian from KL, i work in singapore almost 10 years... let me tell you, the living cost in KL is around 2.2k. Singapore around 1.6k... this is TRUE...
For car, in Malaysia it’s forever. But in Singapore strictly 10 years. You can consider COE Renewal for another 10 years.
So,
Malaysia 80k = Forever lifespan
Singapore 80k = 10 years
What about.. yearly tax?
malaysian hand gestures
🇲🇾
ua-cam.com/video/1bBZyxwNIB8/v-deo.html
@@reginelee6938 Singapore has the world's second best public transport system. I would be happy taking public transport rather than driving a car.
I'm from Singapore but worked in Malaysia before. There are a few more things to add to "complete" the comparison :
1. Earning power - median fresh grad pay in SG is S$3.7k and average fresh grad pay in MY is RM2k+ (national, its probably higher in KL).
2. Tax - effective tax rate in SG is lower than in MY. The tax rate for 4,000 monthly income in SG is S$1,110 p.a. and in MY is RM1,490 p.a.. Effective tax rate goes up quicker the more you earn in MY vs SG.
3. CPF vs EPF - employee contribution is higher in SG (20%) than MY (9%), but in SG the CPF contribution is capped at a monthly income of S$6,000 and don't think there's a cap for EPF? This means that in SG we pay more to CPF in our early career but less as we earn more, whereas in MY its always the same percentage to EPF.
4. Houses/HDB - problem with HDB is not the price, its about actually getting it. If you're not married you have to wait till 35 to apply. Even if you get married early to BTO, you will have to ballot and may not get the area you want. Also you will have to wait years before you can actually move in. You could always buy resale but then the cost is much higher. If you're a foreigner or a single PR you can forget about HDB. Additionally the downpayment for a loan is 25% so you need to save a lot in your early career to afford it. Property market in MY is much more straight forward with a lower downpayment requirement (if you're willing to take more debt).
5. Car/Transport - working in MY you will mostly likely need a car as its not cheap to live close to MRT/LRT and the bus is unreliable, however there are affordable options from local car brands like Perodua and Proton. In SG, if you want to buy a car even the cheaper models (like the Jazz) are expensive and it will only last you 10 years, after which you have to renew COE again. Can stick to public transport when you're young but once you have a family a car is necessary.
6. Stress - its true that work can be stressful in SG if you're ambitious. But just as in MY, if you want a simple sustainable life without too many luxuries you don't have to overwork yourself. Both countries are developed and have enough opportunities to allow for this lifestyle choice. Its just that people in SG like comparing and we psycho ourselves to be more stressed out cause we don't want to be left behind lol.
I think the part about comparing is easier said than done...even if u can overcome the urge to make comparisons your spouse/children/relatives will keep u on the rat race
The car in Malaysian buy is forever. Singapore needs to buy Coe after 10 years. Then you need to buy a new car after 20 years. and 99 years vs freehold
Appreciate your input here, Singaporean neighbours 🙌 SG is seen as a very effective and efficient country where everything works and enforcement is … well, working.
How do Singaporeans see their country as and how do Singaporeans see Malaysia as?
I like how he rephrase affordable to choice so basically if u live in double storey and own a honda city, u are a millionaire which he don mention. So he is like comparing a beggar who live in the street which is cheaper and hdb flat is not a condo with the same square feet. In short, u hav a choice lol. Malaysian who choose to buy landed proprty and b milionaire so pick your choice wisely. Plus u still can buy a second hand landed property if u think i cant afford the new one.
@idknight well-said. Thanks for the objective perspective.
Malaysian here... the stress of not being able to provide for your family and afford the medical bills for your elderly parents outweighs the stress of rat race... Generally, if you have family back in Malaysia, it is better to work in Singapore!
Travelling overseas has become difficult due to Covid-19, but if you like to travel, working in Singapore will be much better due to the stronger currency that Singapore enjoys. Also, let us not forget that many Malaysians come to Singapore to work, save up, and return to Malaysia after retirement because of this very reason as well. There are many areas to explore but ultimately I think voice down to one’s priorities.
Yes, working in Malaysia for 10yr as engineer is tough… salary is just 5k after 10yrs. Went to Singapore and with 5.5k sgd, my life was totally changed. Having better life, can pay all the mortgages and worry-free life with good savings in bank accounts.
Bro is winning life..congrats
Ur mortgage is in myr tho..
Any tips on how to jump to sg job market😅
5.5k sgd and living in malaysia is different.
But it is a pressure cooker country, I bet you know it by now.
Malaysian living in Singapore here (since 2010), I guess most comments are spot on. Maybe stress is a bit overrated, because tbh most stresses are self imposed and due to lifestyle choices. But one thing that trumps all, is the safety in Singapore. Imagine walking around without feeling paranoid over a motocycle or strangers getting too close to you. Priceless
In singapore you can even see women jogging at midnight with no problem. You wont see that in malaysia. 😂
Agreed - not everyone working in SG is stressed out, and not everyone working in MY is relaxed. It totally depends on your job/boss/ambition etc. I actually think living in KL would bring more stress to me because of the traffic/crime rate/inefficiencies
@@Hetzerg Malaysian have all the time , they sleep at night and relax anytime they like . Generally, its safe in Malaysia unless you live in certain areas. Malaysia is big ,u have the choice
@@Roy-oc3ll but you dont even see women jogging in KL at midnight..because it is still dangerous. If in rural areas or uncrowded places it is understandable.
@@Hetzerg Not even men jogg at midnight.
Singaporean here. Stress in Singapore is actually over-rated. I know many Singaporeans are much more chilled in life..Many of them paid off their home loan, student loan, and become debt free by early or late 30s. Many have stable sources of passive income by 50s. Stressful working culture is also over-rated by many Singaporeans, but I agree that in Malaysia there're more opportunities to do businesses.
but still stress lah..
What are the examples of passive income? But our houses are so much smaller than Malaysia still..
Haha still living in flat
@@mhdfrb9971 good for you lor laugh at people who aren’t as well off. My Malaysian cousins tell me they bought landed because they can’t afford flat leh
@@zzy341 nah it because it's suck
Another underrated point about SG is their income tax rates. Their schedule is so much better than Msia's.
Yeah man, that's the key reason why SG housing is so expensive. Coz housing is more elastic than foods, transports etc.
Income tax in Singapore? What is it? Many citizens of Singapore don't pay tax if they have children. Their child care is also highly subsidised.
income tax is low because singaporeans have to contribute 20% of their monthly salary as CPF...can you imagine paying like 30% of your salary as tax and then still having to contribute another 20% to CPF?
@@lyhthegreat Singapore CPF can be used to buy housing and retirement. The Malaysians can use EPF for retirement but how about housing? The Malaysians can only use 30% epf for housing. The employer in Malaysia contribute only 13% epf but employer in Singapore contribute 17% therefore if the basic salary is 4,000, Malaysians only get 4,480 (inc employer EPF) but Singaporeans get 4,680 (inc employer CPF).
Singapore don't need to pay income tax if they have children
@@lyhthegreat So... that's like Malaysian EPF?
That's why the smart one ... come SG to work and then retire in KL. Work 1 year in Singapore is like working 3 years in KL. work 10 yrs in Singapore is like working your whole life in KL. hehe Retire comfortably in KL by 45yrs old.
You think really work 1 year = 3 years meh, after deducting living cost I would say 1 year = 1.5/2 years max
why u wanna retire in KL... aiyo.. retire somewhere peacefully far from big city la...
What if work & retire in Sg? Do u think its smart?
@@lomlom9798 i think it is depend on what u want. for me i will retire in tambunan Sabah (near my wife's village ) it is near a cool clean river. i wanna be able to bath in a cold clean river everyday... every week i will drive to ranau via an old route from tambunan. maybe sleep a day or two in cheap inn near kundasang to enjoy the view of kinabalu. I hope i will day of old age while watching the glorious view of mountain kinabalu.
Well, that's only if you work without living in SG for all those years to find yourself miss out the "life" in Malaysia. There's no right or wrong, people look for different thing in life. If you're willing to sacrifice of youth in exchange of money, then you're doing the justice right.
However, you can't say that it's smart. Because we all know that real smart people own businesses no matter which country they are in. :) (True rich people don't have to leave their own country to earn a fortune)
Median salary in Singapore was S$4500 in 2020. After tax and CPF contribution, take home pay is $3,150.
Even if one eats out for everyday to spend $900/month on meals. Maybe $30 for internet. $30 for phone. $150 for public transport. $400 for groceries. You can still save $1500.
But of course not all will earn median salary.
But based on the calculations with median salary, it's not that expensive in Singapore due to the buying power as mentioned in the video.
Of course if you want to buy a HDB or anything priced beyond your means, everything is expensive.
hdb can use cpf to pay hehe
Your housing can use CPF contribution to pay - so you can’t say take home is 3150
There are HDB that cost S$1.2 million, imagine selling it and moving to Malaysia to buy Bungalow.
@@sorcereh1 And you cant use cpf to live so yes take home is 3150. And yes,you can use cpf for housing but if dont then its just for retirement instead.
@@kelvinpang438 if you can use CPF to pay for housing instalment then wouldn’t it be part of “living” since you don’t need to use your own cash to pay?
Earning in SG and living in JB is a whole another level.
Jb is more exp then other malaysian cities
Sg will work in jb and stay in sg if vice versa bro.
@@horusfalcon668 no
@@horusfalcon668 LOL are you using your ego to reply? Malaysian come to singapore work, annual salary if lets say 30k bring go back malaysia is 90k. You work in singapore 1 year = work in malaysia 3 year. Jb not that expensive bro.
Best is work and save money in Singapore then buy a condo and retire in Malaysia.
Malaysia is a very good country to live. But, the person spoiled it is the leader.
Because all our leaders are recist and babi.
@@mikewonglife you mean oeople like Guan eng?
Not all leaders are toxic.
@@shamshulanuar7718 #jkomcirit
@@adrianm0466 ph suck
@@fauzanashraf5410 suck for racist people like u ! Aleuutooo
As a KL Malaysian working in Singapore - I can compare:
1. Food is cheaper in Singapore if we don’t compare the exchange rate. Hawkers are around 3-6$. We can eat good tiers restaurant with $50 while for the same tier restaurant in KL would be around RM100.
2. Housing is easier in Malaysia. We can’t buy HDB in Singapore as a foreigner. A small two bedroom Condo in Singapore would cost minimum 1 million Sgd far from city. To buy HDB you need two permanent residents/ wait until you’re 35 years old. HDB is to be ballot / can’t choose which unit/ can only indicate your preferred area. Housing is Malaysia has much less restrictions. You can have way cheaper properties living further from KLCC.
3. Cars are easier in Malaysia. You can get a cheap Myvi around RM50k in Malaysia. In Singapore the COE alone cost you 100$ ( not counting the cost of car ) while cars have a limited age of 10 years in Singapore. However, you don’t need car at all in Singapore.
4. You can have more savings earning Singapore dollar. The pay rate in Singapore is generally higher ( even without exchange rate). Even after paying my rent in Singapore ( while I don’t need to pay rent in KL) - I still save more earning Sgd; savings were boosted after the exchange rate.
5. Its more stressful working in Singapore. Most people are workaholic and take pride of it. Comparison is normal. Malaysia is more laid back on average.
6. Agree that you will do well in Singapore if you’re someone that follow the rules, study well, work hard, be a professional.
Anyway, both are great countries and have great people 🎉
As a Malaysian working in SG for numerous years, I think your comparison didn’t start right. If Frankie and Jasmine both hold the same qualifications and same job/position, it is highly unlikely for them to draw the same pay dollar to dollar. A more realistic number would be MYR4,000 for Frankie and SGD2.8-3k for Jasmine. I think you need to live in SG to know what you’re really talking about 🤔🤔 or at least don’t give our young Malaysians the wrong impression of working in SG, thinking they can draw a SGD4k salary easily. Not even Singaporeans NUS grads can easily get that amount. Just my 2 cents 😅
In reality Malaysia fresh graduate engineer earn rm 1500..
According to the latest statistics, the median monthly income from work in Singapore (excluding employer CPF contributions) is $4,000 in 2020. Half of the working population are getting above $4K.
@@nicholasy2715 the stats are nonsense la. Most malaysians start off with 2.2k-3k. they also have to pay a levy to with in singapore. There are also stats that most Singaporeans are rich millionaires however in reality our property is a liability and not yet an asset. The per Capita figures are rubbish. 90% don't see those numbers
@@nicholasy2715 I think you’re missing the point. The point is if one can demand a SGD4k salary, then one can demand at least RM6-7k salary back in KL with the same qualifications and skill set.
@@VictorTKS you're absolutely right, the comparison is extremely flawed for both to be earning the same 4k in different currencies if both has the same qualifications.
Singaporean here. This video is pretty spot on in terms of comparison. Malaysia has what Singapore does not and vice versa. The benefits of working together is immense.
Singaporeans have to work hard because we don't have the options of lifestyle that Malaysia has. It is much better these days because the younger gen and government are slowly starting to realise the pressure cooker worklife isn't good for us. BUT the strength of the SG dollar truthfully imo lessens some of the pain a lot of us endure. With some smart investing and saving habits, a lot of Singaporeans can really live a pretty comfortable life. The poorest of Singaporeans are usually still better off than a lot of the poor in Malaysia
Thanks for the comment! Yes totally agree. Both places has its pros and cons. SGD’s strength does allow one to live quite comfortably on average but also comes with the price of a stressful working lifestyle
@@MrMoneyTV Singaporean here. It also depends on the individual. I am blessed with a job that is stress free that pays higher than the median salary of Singapore. I am sure there are jobs around in SG that dont really have much mental stress.
@@jamesmadison3108 It's really a question of having realistic expectations. Singapore rewards the hardworking and go getters. A lot of the time there isn't much choice for the more laid back person who doesn't value materialistic pursuits but to join the rat race. Constant productivity is the lifeblood of Singapore simply because that what ultimately holds our strong robust economy together. The video here puts forth an example of someone who earns 4k SGD per month, which is actually a rather high number. I'm very certain quite a large number of Singaporeans do not earn that amount. Also Singaporeans have no options to live in a overall less expensive area/state like Malaysians and adopt a different lifestyle. Changi to Woodlands also still Singapore hahaha
@@PRSer I earn more than 4k. My wife too. And don't mind my nick, I am Chinese.
Median salary in sg is 4.5 or 4.6 if I not wrong. That means 50 percent earn more than that, while 50 percent earn less than that. Your statement that many earn lesser than 4k is soo wrong.
If u yourself and your friends earn lesser than 4k, I am sorry. Your circle of friends including your friends belong to the lower spectrum. Dont expect all Singaporeans to follow your standard. You don't speak for the majority.
@Random Potato it doesn't matter because I won't live pass the 99 year lease anyway. And I could always sell after staying for 30 years before it's value depreciate. U just got to know how to game the system. The stupid and poor ones will whine and complain.
Basically the saying is true. The poor will be poorer, the rich getting richer. If people whine and complain, it does nothing good for them. They are just whiners. Do something about it and you will know how to have things to your advantage.
Malaysia is a blessed country, plentiful of resources, eg water, land, labor, food, space, etc... So definitely the stress level as a country is not so high. So as Malaysians are extremely lucky over Singapore whom has to work 10 times hard to be self dependent. This resulted in efficient governance, forward thinking policies to keep an edge. Malaysia on the other hand has a extremely slack in governance, corruption and systematic discrimination. So it really depends on what u need base on expectations. If u can manage and regulate your expectations, any country is fine.
Singapore is also suffering because foreigners are basically taking their jobs away. It's harder to get jobs.
BlackForest
I disagree on some parts.
yepp true, you are wise!
@@mr.andrewscreepypasta6665 at first they want to rapid growth of the economy but in the end locals were displaced with cheap foreign labor. Pretty laid back thinking back there whereas Japan opted for machinations solution for lack of labour. For example, vending machines for them is it a waste to hire someone for selling the water while it can be automated.
Actually, Malaysia being blessed by natural resources, should be properous decades ago.
You didn’t consider the ongoing costs of car ownership: annual registration and insurance, and the cost of fuel in the first instance. There’s also the cost of road tolls in Singapore and there’s almost no such thing as free parking in Singapore.
In Malaysia, bumiputera laws got. This can be a disadvantage or merely a hassle if you’re Chinese.
i'm a Singaporean who lived in KL for a year. quite accurate, although I do remember some things in KL to be slightly cheaper and some things in SG to be a bit more ex. Like a regular hawker center plate of food is about $4+. you can still find $3 and 3.50 costs but they're harder to find. $4-5 is a bit more common.
anyway there's one crucial factor that you haven't taken into account. When I was living in KL I tried to take public transport, walk and just generally save on transport as much as I can, and I found that nigh impossible. Just to get from Taman Desa to Mid Valley, it was a 45 min wait for a bus followed by a 20min bus trip. It was literally faster to walk there instead. That said, given the horrible consistency of pavements, walking was just terrible. You have to watch your step every step of the way. Either cars are out to kill you, or the pavements are. There are dangling wires. I cannot count on the fingers of my hands the number of times I nearly got a wire stuck in my eyes, or when my ankle got sprained by a piece of brick sticking out of nowhere in the ground, or when I was walking as far out of the road and still almost got run over by a car. I also had this motorcyclist come dangerously close to me, almost like he was considering whether or not to snatch my phone. The kicker for me was when I spent 3 hours to try and get from Sunway back to Taman Desa by public transport. I thought the trains were easy enough to figure out - I ended up waiting 2 hours for a train.
While I walk and take public transport a lot in Singapore I very quickly gave up on doing this in Malaysia, opting instead to grab around. Whatever much money I might've spent on grab would save me way more in time of my life.
But this also got me thinking - nearly everyone my age that I knew owned a car. Not just because it's cheap, but because it was necessary. Imagine spending 4 hours in commute every day back and forth. The comparison between public transport and vehicle isn't fair - cuz the average person I knew in KL would get around by car, whereas the average Singaporean gets around by public transport. But the story doesn't stop there, the average middle-class person does that not only because prices of cars are lower in MY, but also because taking public transport is egregiously inconvenient compared to Singapore.
1000% true
U need to have a car in MY like us Malaysian
Your costs needs to be updated. Studio apartment is around 3K per month in Singapore and LRT pass in KL only costs RM50 unlimited rides per month
True,more than three k
In Singapore, the whole concept of sour grapes is exponentially expressed because of the environment. The fact that we are so densely populated doesn’t help the case at all. I like to believe that nobody is born sour, it’s because of the constant exposure to drastic differences (regardless of whether unintentional) that makes it worse. Multi million dollar homes can be visible from low income housing. Even if unintentional, the atmosphere allows jealousy to grow easily.
As the host has aptly mentioned, Singapore highly prioritizes following the system and performing well. Not everyone can and wants to be the best of the best. I very much agree that if someone’s goals isn’t to slog it out in the pursuit of a successful career/financial freedom, Singapore would really feel like a pressure cooker!
Having lived in both Singapore and LA for years, I am confident in saying that the density and constant exposure to visible and very much material differences further exaggerates the economic differences between individuals.
I’m at the age where most of my peers have children already. When we have get togethers, it is evident that as parents all of us worry a lot about our children. The overwhelming majority of us are slogging it out for financial security not to be flashy but as security for the future generations that follow. It is unspoken, but as we aged it became evident that those individuals from wealthier families which had properly planned their finances for the future be it in the form of a trust/estate, have a MUCH easier and stress free time. That is what my friends and I are grinding towards, being able to allow my children and their children the security that some of us have so fortunately been able to experience.
Technically if you bring foreign goods into comparison, you do have to look into the strength of the currency. Because the RM is weaker, you need to spend more on imported items like Starbucks, MacDonalds and even the iPhone. Cost of living can be lower in Malaysia is one choose to consume local products instead of foreign imported goods. But things in Singapore are mostly imported because we have no resources. While I was in KL PJ, the cost of food, movie tickets and shopping literally felt the same like I was back in Singapore even after conversion. Simply because the goods in PJ are mostly imported foreign goods and my SGD did not feel much bigger over there.
But a huge thumbs up to this video as it really did a good comparison and outlining many good arguments. Singapore despite its many pros and subjects of envy still has its cons as well. We are still a nation that is generally low in the happiness index (pre-covid time), due to stress and life here. But we all learn to make do with what we have in front of us and make a living.
Let's not say Starbucks or McDonalds. The local FnB just leverage on the inflation and prices offered by these big foreign companies just because they want sell it at a premium price for more money
Do Malaysia make local phones in the first place?
@@sorcereh1 Malaysia can, but policies for that scale of manufacturing often favor monopoly, kleptocracy and aristocracy. It really hinders us from progressing or making regular businessmen and entrepreneurs handicap. Mr Money might sound very enthusiastic, but the reality is often business deals are often met with those nonsense government policies
@@johnong2655 such as?
This is a good video to compare RM to SGD, but again I agree with your argument.
Not all Malaysians will go for international brands on a daily basis, most would opt local branded goods, some of the comparisons also are not that fair, not all who work in KL actually live in KL, RM1,500 rent for example is already a premium, not many will spend RM50 daily just for food, but I get the video when it looks at if someone is earning RM4k. But when speaking of experience, in terms of buying power, i earned RM3k, could do all those things and have a wife who does not have to work. But again, that is from a personal standpoint.
Living here 22 years now, s'pore is not that hard in everything. Fun, clean, safe.
Thanks for the great video that point out advantage of earning SGD.
After been living in both KL and Singapore. Personally I think mental stress is much more higher in KL compared with Singapore. Other than financial stress, time management (travel by car in KL) & safety are another two big contributors to the stress level living in KL.
Finally!!! the explanation I have been waiting for so long, the key is all about buying power & currency...no wonder most of malaysian prefer to work there
Yes!! Hope it helps u!
the key is FX rate. if you work and stay in Singapore without converting your savings back into MYR, you are actually back to square.
@@nicholasy2715 this myth is debunked in the video if you pay attention
On the stress level, for my previous portfolios the stress level is the same for both Singapore and Malaysia. Both roles 8 months in a year I slept less than 5 hours, other hours were spent working, having a free weekend is rare. But that was specific to my role and company in both countries. Only difference is staying in Malaysia you have family support (mom cooks home cook meal, getting to meet family more often) that eases up mental load slightly, but yea generally speaking for other jobs I guess it is more relaxed in MY - but again hard to generalise, ultimately still boils down to the role, industry and company.
I guess you are speaking on a personal level as a foreigner in Singapore. Singaporeans themselves would be living with their families, in fact probably until they get married. Don't forget many Malaysians also leave their hometowns to go work in the big cities like KL and so will also be apart from their families.
@@hailyrizzo5428 My point is it can be equally stressful in both countries, ultimately depends on your portfolio and role.
The living with family part is secondary point - it is good to live with family, but it doesn't change the fact the stress level can the same dependent on the role you take
Choose to live in Singapore for some Malaysian was not solely due to the salary or buying power, there are other factors like social security, racial harmony, fair career chances, fair education chances..etc. I moved here 10 years ago, I got to work + study ( pay for my own studies) + save at the same time which I can’t in kl. For now, besides owning a decent HDB and started a family, I also providing my dad back in Malaysia with decent allowance monthly. And agree, the working environment here is competitive, stressful, and requires fast responses, you need to constantly learning new things, else you will feel left behind. But if you are capable, plenty of chances waiting for u to take up. I guess this is why Singapore residents spend fair bit of their savings on travels during holidays, most of the friends I know, they work hard and play hard too.
I have many friends who work in foreign countries like Sudan ,Libya, UAE, UK.
Each has his own story to tell.
No doubt the salary plays a huge deciding factor.
But one thing ai notice on many ( especially Chinese friends) is that they love to portray Malaysia( meaning Malayled govt as racist).
They listen to DAP too much.
They are challenging there article 153 of Constitution( in Singapore article 152) .
This article is there in first place as a return for Malay Rulers consent to massive citizenships granted to Non Mlays in 1957.
I mean who would want to grant something so massive rha it change the demographic landscape politics forever.
Something must be given back to Malays in return for accepting non Malays as citizens.
Good video. As a Malaysian who first worked in KL and then in Singapore in a similar job. In the end I preferred Singapore. Maybe because I was lucky, but I did not feel that much stress at all in Singapore. Instead I suffered in KL because I couldn't afford a car so I couldn't go anywhere, and being paranoid about being robbed whenever I went out.(Thats just me)
Since I'm the type to just work for a salary and have no big ambitions to start a business, Singapore provided me an ideal environment to work in. Food was cheap and transport was convenient.
Malaysian food is still better though.
Legit, the food is the only reason I'm still in malaysia
As a Singaporean I won't deny Malaysia generally had better food. But hey at least our chicken rice and Bak Chor Mee are not bad
bullshit, you're a chinaporean pretending to be Malaysian ina comment section
Wrong, Malaysia is more stressful when you have a family to take care of. Lets put aside the day to day struggles just to go to work (traffic jams and congestion in public transport) and talk about kids.
Do you know how bad the national education system is in Malaysia? I have many friends that decided to send their children to private schools or "better" govt school which were further away from where they stay. The cost of kindergarten, tuition centres and lets say music classes are all very expensive in Malaysia (will take a toll on middle income families). If you are a Malaysian, ask yourself how much do you have to spend to bring your family for a vacatiion in Australia?
I have lived in Singapore for the past 15 years, my son was born and raised here. I bought a local HDB 10 years ago (yes, wifey and I managed to save up for that in 5 short years). When my wife and I were working in KL, it was just as stressful as we did when in Singapore because we were both chasing after bigger bonuses and higher salary increments. If you don't have such ambitions, it is the same in Singapore where you can find lower paid jobs with lower stress levels too.
Imho the only difference between both countries is the competence of the govt , one looks after the citizen's welfare while the other totally screws everything up for the citizens. I rest my case.
Another thing to note in Singapore, employers actually pay 17% for employees' CPF, which makes owning a house slightly easier with that extra cash in your CPF.
Lol not all of it can be used for housing la young man.
@@zhen86 yepp true, also you don't actually own the HDB, you hv to give it back to govt after 99 years, how sad
For those Malaysians converting to PR also remember to budget in 20% of your salary going into cpf
@@forevergraceful6160 well, nobody is going to live til 101, and odds are everybody's kids are going to move out when they get the chance so it doesn't matter much, although I'd rather they not demolish old apartments once the lease is up
Employers in Malaysia also contribute 13% to employees’ EPF
I am Malaysian staying in Singapore now.. my side chicken rice one plate $2 only... actually living at which country, or which country is better, it’s depend on what you want.. there is nothing perfect in the world.
which area ? i need to nnow that chicken rice 2 dollar haha
i came to Singapore 20 years ago with 1k sgd in my wallet. Singapore is a land opportunity for hard worker IF you enjoyed working for others (especially MNC) as salaries rise a lot faster. Specifically, if you are in IT, it's not uncommon to make 4-6k/month as your start salary and rises to 10-15k for seasoned professionals. The generous tax system, low interest rate and evolve pension fund gave a lot of flexibility - a hard worker with his spouse can be a millionaire in 10 years' time. and factor in the strength of SGD - at the end, if you have an exit plan back to Malaysia - working in Singapore is a great way to FIRE.
hi there what if you want to operate a business in singapore and not for other people? What is your opinion for that pathway?
A Malaysian working in Singapore for the 10th year this year. Graduated as a bachelor honours in engineering and went for 10 interviews in KL, I was offered from rm1.4k - rm2.4k, then went to sg for interview and took up the job offer of sgd$2k, peers who graduated in sg were offered sgd$3.8k. I had a very simple lifestyle and by my 3rd year, I manage to save sgd$20k with my then bf now husband for our wedding ceremony in msia, then on our 6th year, we manage to save for the downpayment of our first hdb as pr. If we are still in Malaysia, I highly doubt we could achieve our life goals with the same timeline working just one job.
Now that we have kids, we felt that we could no longer go back anymore because sg offers a better starting point for them.
Great story, keep doing good job.
Btw your husband is malaysian or singaporean? How can you apply hdb??
Casino dealer in Malaysia was paid RM3.5 per night shift allowance. In Sentosa was paid $20 per night shift allowance. Both casino are owned by same company.
I m living in sg now, HDB only for singaporean , no security , no pool, no car park provided, S$400k, for studio in sg now S$750k , 2 bed rooms S$900-1.1mil, 3 bed room S$1.2-1.5mil, don't forget stamp duty pay to govt leh..., car coe etc
Car park have la, must pay additional for season only lor. Singapore has no need for security guards, already very safe 😉
Well explained! there are some misconceptions people have about staying in Malaysia / Singapore. Pretty well covered! One of the main reasons for Malaysian me to come to Singapore is the environment. It is so much safer here.
When I was living in China Town in New York city. Chicken rice was usd 3.50. Enough for me 3 meals =)
It is now $10-15 for a mcdonalds meal in NYC 😭
@@Hansenwork that McDonald Lel of course it expensive
I like how you went to New York and the first thing that crossed your mind when it was mealtime was chicken rice
As a Singaporean myself, simply put I feel Malaysian has the choice to work 10yrs in sg (30yrs equivalent of salary in Malaysia) and go back to the hometown and enjoy the 20yrs
I said the same thing to my sons...work a few years in singapore , buy a car and buy a house (at least 10% down payment)....return to work in malaysia....
Good idea ..
@@ismailbinatan2674 while in theory, this is awesome, there will be several things to consider, your son might like Sg better especially if he can land a good job and become PR...
U as a Singaporean also can work overseas.
The thing is, Singaporeans take for granted things like meritocracy, and an honest clean government. Material things only give satisfaction to a lower level. You can always save to buy an iPhone, etc. Removing corruption, institutionalised racism. These things have only gotten from bad to worse in Malaysia ever since I left.
If you can get a $4k per month job in Singapore, you must be very skilled or work super long hours. Fresh Graduates usually only get $3000 or so. While a 4000RM job in Malaysia I will assume is pretty easy to find for a degree holder. If you are living in Malaysia, you shouldn't be buying Internation brand items. There are so many local items to choose from. Why go for Starbucks when you can go to a coffee shop. And if you can't afford iPhone, then get Xiaomi. If you are looking at international items, your pay got to be on par with international rates. And 4kRM is not on par with international rates.
Erm.. i dont think so.. i got 3600RM in malaysia (i started as fresh and after 4 years of working it became about 4000rm) when i got the same position in Sg (with this 4 years experience from msia) the company in sg offered slighhhhtttly higher than 4k Sgd. My point is, the salaries with the same experience years are about the same..
Sorry to say that, rm4k for fresh grad is almost impossible to find in Malaysia. Most of my friends are offered with 2.2k-3.2k.
@@kuangkyra5040 Sorry I didn't know the normal pay in Malaysia for a degree holder. Maybe the video should use 2.5k SGD Vs 2.5kRM as comparison. And both of them should not get a iPhone or a new car
I’d like to know where did Jaz rent her studio apt for 1,500 SGD! I’d love to rent that too 😭😭😭
You can share
Best life is working in singapore, living in Malaysia and holiday in Thailand.
Malaysian here and I have been working in Sg for more than 10 years. I think it very much depends on the priorities of an individual. Some choose to settle down in Sg for the sake of their kids education. No doubt Sg provides better education but imo, the most important thing for my kids would be the character (人品). in terms of cost of living, yes, you are spot on except the rental of the studio apartment and the average price of a studio apartment. Not to mention about the cash upfront for buying an apartment or hdb or car, you will need to cough out A LOT of cash.
My personal preference, Malaysia is still a better country to settle down in consideration of all the criteria. However, SG is also a good place to settle down. But if to choose, Malaysia is still the one to go for.
Absolutely agree
Hiya I am thinking of retiring in MY but was told by some Malaysian Chinese working with me that 1) Chinese are treated as 2nd class citizens and being bullied by Malays and 2) The crime rate is pretty bad and after sun goes down don't go out unless in a group and to brightly lit areas. Is that true or are they just pulling my leg?
@@wumao6797 Hi, undeniably it’s part of the facts that Malaysian government prioritize malay over chinese in Malaysia but not to the extreme extent (some Malays are very nice to Chinese and can become friends) and yes, crime rate is definitely higher in Malaysia as compared to in Sg. However, just like what mentioned in the video, there are pros and cons in each country. It’s good to weigh the pros and cons and decide which country is best for you to settle down. Since I’m a Malaysian, I know very well the culture of Malaysia. So in an overall consideration, I would still prefer to go back to Malaysia because in Malaysia it’s more lay back, relax, plenty of business opportunities and the list goes on. Security wise, personally I would spend more on protection such as house alarm system, security film for car windows, avoid going out in the late evenings and etc. Government wise, hmm, there’s nothing much we can do about it. Just have to accept the fact and hope the country will restructure itself for a better future.
@@wumao6797 no.
One think about the Malays ( despite all their shortcomings) is that they are not racist.
It is just that they refuse to kowtow to DAP that makes them being accused as being racist.
Malays are very benign
I can list all their shortcomings. But racism is not one of them
I'd they are racist, Guan Eng and Kit Sing would have been dead by now for playing with racism for decades.
Remember the racial riots starts with the provocative Chinese procession into heart of Malay settlement
@@wumao6797 most important thing if want to retire in Malaysia, must at least try to learn and understand some basic malay. This will help a lot when dealing with their govt service and majority of the population.
in Sg, u cant buy really cheap cars. because In Singapore, your car must be de-registered after 10 years unless you pay to renew your COE. In Malaysia, you can buy cars less than RM 10k. there are many cheap way to live in malaysia. But in Sg, the entry lvl is just much higher. Chances are high that , your parents will have extra car and house for you in Malaysia.
my car 2K only haha malaysia
Singy here. I was fortunate to have a house left behind by my parents but a few years ago I sold it and moved to a flat. I didn’t know what I was missing! Firstly the property tax is laughably small, town council charges keep getting subsidized, I keep getting GST refunds, and I totally don’t have to worry about upkeep of my own building (trust me in this, living in a house is plenty painful and expensive! Something is always needing attention and costly repairs!). I get a lovely environment near a river (very nicely done up), plenty of parking (see the parking issues of landed properties, your friends won’t dare to visit you!) and fantastic public transport connectivity. Not to mention 24-hr supermarkets and clinics and eateries all within walking distance! With sheltering to all these places I don’t even need to own an umbrella. I’m retired now and happily travel (pre pandemic) without worries about my flat. I’ve got good quiet considerate neighbours and if you design your flat nicely you’ll have a fantastic living envt (air con, noise reduction/soundproofing). Living in a house is totally overrated! Plus no more rats, stray cats, insects and cockroaches, thank you!
Yeah like a bird in cage
@@jarvishnotu2436 guessing you’ve missed the point - HDB living in sgp is safe and comfortable and convenient, I’ve lived in M’sia in a house and all you think you have is actually the insecurity of when some robber is going to break into your house (who’s the bird in the cage? I don’t have grills on my windows and no metal gate to my front door) or when city hall is going to fill that huge pothole on the road leading to my house!
@@jarvishnotu2436 As you’ve mentioned, life shouldn’t be lived without any risks involved. It’s also worthwhile to note that everybody has different risk appetites. With your point of terraces being superior, it’s always a matter or perspective isn’t it?
There are many cases for living in a landed or a high rise. If it’s simply a matter of money, then why do people intentionally live in high rises whilst owning landed properties? Why are certain high rise properties worth many times landed properties? Everyone has different circumstances and the original commenter is sharing their two cents, which in this case is different from yours. How come you can reject their two cents but then generalize and make a sweeping statement like “x is far more superior than y.”
@@jarvishnotu2436 haha go ahead if you think you need this sort of risk! I’ve lived in a landed house and can attest to the fact that especially as you grow older, it’s definitely better to not have to maintain such a house. In fact if you have an active life, why bother to end up babysitting your house - just like a car is to serve you, why should you serve your car, same as for your house - maybe you like gardening, but I rather be spending time on my hobbies than sweeping the dead leaves every day!
@@jarvishnotu2436 yeah yeah some Malaysians always need to justify their superior quality of life by pointing out the landed property thing - don’t assume we in Singapore envy you for that. Also we singyies feel smug about how safe it is in sgp, we forget that people is less safe envts also can have a perfectly well-rounded life. Que sera sera - just make the most of what you’ve got
Hello SG person here and I rent. No full studio apartment near an MRT is renting at $1500. At least 2 - 3k / month.
Are you depressed living in singapore? Or not?
Well done.. Same feeling when working in China for 8 years. When u factor in other variables like education, healthcare.. Prices in Singapore seems very fair in terms of purchasing power for the equitable quality of goods and services...also from statistics.. 13.2% of Singapore households has monthly income of 20K..tat also speaks of the Purchasing power..
I like your videos, keep up the good work! Just a few points as a Malaysian that is working in Singapore right now:
- studio is around $2K plus, it is very unlikely that you can get a studio for $1.5K
- to buy a property in SG, downpayment is 25% vs 10% in Malaysia. It is difficult to get a property because of the higher downpayment instead of the repayment amount. Also for a $4K, it is likely that you can only buy a HDB which is gov housing, in Malaysia, you can buy a private property
There are pros & cons with SG & Malaysia & like you said, it is what you want in life! Just make the best out of every situation :) Look forward to the next videos.
in Singapore, must learn how to climb the ladder and get your 1st property.
I have to agree with Catherine here. Also the 1.5% mortgage loan rate you are looking at is the flexi rate that is usually adjusted upwards after a few years. Fixed rate is 2+% and HDB fixed rate is 2.6%. So housing is definitely not equal to Msia in raw numbers.
Correct, besides that IF you are single Singaporean and you want to buy a HDB, you only can choose resale and after 35 years old. Else you only can choose private condo, landed or apartment which are at least 700k + 25% downpayment.
And salary needs to be deducted 20% of CPF
@@SkyLee91 does it mean that if you are a single Singaporean, you have to stay with parents until 35 before u can buy a HDB? that is a long time to be staying with parents :p
@@StormyMusic9 agree. another way to look at it is that because of the higher downpayment, i guess you would end up paying less interest in SG vs a housing loan in Malaysia which is usually 90%.
Living in Singapore as a graduate here, all my friends/peers out there are competing for the highest salary + best jobs out there, always jumping to a “more renowned” company each time. On the other hand, I feel comfortable with an average company, however, I feel like I’m being judged and kinda left behind in a sense when everyone’s making more. Everyone’s always talking about their career, money, our future plans, and even comparing with one another. Thus, you are right with the competitive and stress part of Singapore. Like seriously, spot on.
Yes that's a priviledge in Malaysia that comes with a price. haha 😂
Actually on the flip perspective, Singapore is a money making hub, grinding your early years you can comfortably build a passive income and retire at 45 - 55 years old. Isn’t it better to just work for 20 + years and you can live how you want for the rest or work till you die 😂
@@colin-7711 there's a reason why many of us here still refuse to renounce our citizenship
@@kenchin4555 what it mean? sorry
I earn a lot more in KL than my friends who live in Singapore. Essentially it’s all about your effort and objective in life.
Absolutely. I really feel that it's more of what someone wants in life rather than just dollar & cents.
That I agree. Malaysia does provide great opportunity too.
Take note Mr money is comparing both Singaporean and Malaysian that has both same earning power.
you are right... Singapore cost living not so low as per this video, i am currently living in singapore, i am from KL also... the cost living in singapore per month is around SGD 1800... dont simply said u can eat SGD 3.50. because this price is 5 years ago.. now chicken rice already 4.50
I guess Mr Money TV make video based on assumptions; He hardly cite any official documents etc in his video 😅🤦♂️
Working in Malaysia sometimes is not relax also. A lot of my friends including me have gone through stressful and toxic working enviroment in Malaysia. So it all depends on the workplace culture but mostly it is quite bad and underpaid salaries.
Hmmm.. somehow my cousins in Malaysia all started owning cars when they are 17 or 18 or when they first started working. Me being born a Singaporean only managed to get my first car at the age of 30+ and still feel like it is a struggle to afford it. My cousins all bought houses not long after they started working and they cost about RM300-500k (my HDB is more than S$600k), all in Penang state, all landed and about 3 times bigger than my HDB. They even tell me they cannot afford to buy high rise but yet can buy landed! I still remember when i bought furniture from JB, the deliveryman commented how small my house is when they send it over. Wow!
Obviously they have not seen Hong Kong or Japan houses
Dude if we exchange government i dont think you wanna be a Singaporean. You guys are having one of highest execute level government, what can u guys ask for more ? Not every country nor human has this luck to being "control" by this kind of government. Singaporeans pls don't 生在福中不知福
@@stanstan6012 now we are saying about where is cheaper to live. Not about government is it? Well I wouldn’t want to be Singaporean now too. I would prefer to be a Singapore PR so that I can buy big houses back in my “hometown” when I retire.
These are already highlighted in the video.
1) the barrier of entry for cars in Malaysia is low, no need for large down-payment unlike Singapore. The only thing not highlighted in the video is singapore's COE.
2) you're comparing apples to oranges, he also said cost of living in other states will be much cheaper than KL, yet you're comparing Penang with Singapore which obviously has a lower cost of living.
3) your cousins seem far more knowledgeable. Landed properties are generally at the outskirts/suburban areas. High rise are usually seen at city, so the condo they are referring to is either in KL city or at least georgetown which is the city centre of penang and not at the suburban areas. This is an issue that happens all over the world. You can probably own a large piece of land at some sleepy state as compared to a condo in New York City. Singapore is so small that the entire country is a city and a state all in one.
@@kelvinchui6467 what do you mean barrier of entry for cars is Low? Is there a need for large down payment in SG? I still hear people buying car with almost no down payment. 🤔btw COE is already reflected in the car price. What he did not mention is the road tax, petrol & parking which are much higher than in Malaysia from what I know.
Finally! Someone said it!! I've been doing these comparisons and calculations for quite some time now when I started researching about moving overseas and that's why I don't get it when people in developed countries (some) complain about the high cost of living. Like, yall get things for so cheap and your salary so high and yet you complain? You clearly haven't worked and lived in Malaysia.
KL is not the whole of malaysia man..and you must be mistaken when you say all singaporeans earn a high salary, as a matter of fact there are many and i mean many singaporean who are living well below the poverty line..it's just that their existence are very underreported.
Dude in sg you no qualification u die, moreover this video did not start of rightly mainly because SG and Malaysia pay would be different due to the qualification. And for your kind info, it is a high cost living here in SG. And it's not so "cheap" now as you've sai., Cars and houses are way more expensive in sg than it is in malaysia, and moreover a percantage of your salary goes into CPF. I'm not tryna say Malaysia isn't a high cost living but your statement is wrong lol. Not to mention that in SG you have to pay certain stuff extra to own something.
Very well presented
Singaporean here. Nice video, very balanced and kind opinions on both countries. Loving your videos. Keep it up!
Awesome! Thank you!
i like his comparison, but whether work is stressful or not is really depends on individual. Working in Singapore is not always stressful. So work in Malaysia is not stress at all? very easy and relax to work in Malaysia? I dont think so. Some of his points is quite stereotype. I have friend working in Malaysia change job every 1 or 2 years due to the unhappy working culture in every company he went. My friend decided to come work in Singapore and he managed to work in a company for 8 years and still happily working with the working culture here in Singapore.
very true. The biggest reason for leaving a job is usually because of bad manager. Not all managers in malaysia are bad, but there is a disproportionate amount of bad managers and it probably has alot to do with the brain drain.
in a competitive environment like Singapore, the best workers rise to the top and in turn, the quality of good managers is pretty high. Competition is good because it makes everyone better. Of course, the draw back is that you can't be incompetent in a place like Singapore or you will stick out like a sore thumb at your job. =). To each their own, but recognise that SG doesn't put up with incompetence.
Totally agree with you 🌝 If you are not working in a proper company/MNCs in Malaysia, buckle up! Most companies don’t practise work balance culture, in short they don’t give a crap about your well-being. In my opinion, this is subtle systemic slavery.
Worst scenario would be, workload keep increasing but pay doesn’t increase for years. Company making good profit but refuse to pay bonus. This is a very common scenario in Malaysia. We call them chinaman companies, referring to mainland mentality of forcing people to work just because employees lack of options.
Good pay and progression with crazy stress is wayyy better then shitty pay, no progression plus never-ending workload leading to crazy stress.
That’s why people are pissed with racial bias when it comes to government jobs. They having it easy, can retire at 55 with 60% of their salary contributed to them as pension til they die. This is regardless of your position in the government agency, like wth.
@@sagan08 you mentioned about government jobs, it warms my heart every time I see a non-bumi in uniforms as they are very hard to come by. Why this thing happens do you think?
Very well researched and presented video! Thank you. It always bothers me when family members go "Oh you live in _____ must be damn expensive (or cheap)" or when they do direct currency conversion for cost of goods. More people need to know about BUYING POWER and comparative salary norms. Again thank you for this video!
On the point of stress level of both cities...
Having the experience of living in both KL & SG, the stress level and working hours is pretty much equal just like buying a car or house. i mean, it can't really get any worse than working 80 hours/week or having to stay back in office till 5am occasionally, and that was my experience back in KL.
as a malaysian that stay in singapore, if you are earning the same, singapore has much higher disposable income.
because the housing loan can be paid by CPF, aka EPF in malaysia. Meaning you dont have to pay a single cent in cash(except the 2k cash in register of interest).
if you earn 4k, bring home pay is 3.2k
you can have easily 2k-2.5k as disposable income.
versus in malaysia, your bring home pay must deal with housing loan & transport!
you might left nothing for investment.
with the annual 20-30k disposable income, invest in 5% dividend stocks can achieve financial freedom faster too.
Epf can pay housing too
@@katchng thanks for reply. can it fully cover the loan repayment? In SG, given 4k salary, it is able to pay the housing loan and still has surplus for retirement, because employee contributes 20%, employer contributes 17.5%.
however i have to say that in Malaysia, it is easier to have multiple properties as versus in SG, you have to pay 12.5% of property price if you own more than 1 property...
@@katchng24% of epf contribution rate, how to sustain the house loan with your epf?
Singapore cpf rate is 37%
Don’t forget u need to pay back interest to CPF money u lent to yourself after the lian period.
@@ychongong4680 yes. That is to fight inflation and interest lost if park inside CPF. I see nothing wrong. Just treat it as taking loan from ownself and paying interest to ownself.
One of the best videos I have watched on your channel! Look forward to more SG vs MY comparisons ;)
U forgot to mention that the honda jazz in Singapore can only be driven for 10yrs while that same jazz in malaysia can be driven for as long as it runs. And for non Singaporeans working in SG they can't get a HDB hence their cost of buying a house will be about double if they go for a private apartment of the same size .
yepp!!
whatttttt
About cars: he forgot that the $80,000 paid by Jas for a car will last only 10 years. And Jasmine will have to buy another car by then
This is a great video which summaries the key differences in terms of living expenses, thanks for sharing!
I live in Singapore for more than 10 years and it is truly much affordable than KL. However, if you compare the lifestyle between 2 cities, I would say KL is a vibrant city and it never sleeps. You can easily buy dinner/ supper in KL after a long day of work but it is very limited in Singapore if you want to da Bao after 10pm. In KL it is so easy to find a mamak and spend your evening with your friends till midnight; however in Singapore, the street is generally empty after 10pm. All in all, I would say it is not true that currency is only reason that attracts Malaysian to work in Singapore; I think the main reason is the political conditions in Malaysia and it is unfortunate that racism continues to be the driver in Pentadbiran even after 60 years! I was thinking the 2018 election could change the game and make the country great again but I was wrong… I still remember most of the Malaysian in Singapore and other cities purposely made their way back to complete their duty as a citizen. The determination in everyone eyes really amazed me!
If you live in Singapore condo VS Malaysia condo, I doubt Singapore is more affordable. My cousin first graduated from uni and got RM3.3k as his starting pay and he could already afford to buy a condo at 850sqf at RM330k while Singapore is making SGD4k can’t even afford to buy a condo at 850sqf in Spore as this will cost them SGD 1 million. So not really fair to waive off the housing factor but use HDB flat in Spore to compare Malaysia condo. Malaysia flat rental is RM550 for 600sqf with two bedrooms, how about that?
And
May I offer my insight on this so called racism.
I am a Malay and used to work in private sector in Malaysia.in all honesty , I just say once the top management is controlled by Chinese, non Chinese suffers from racism.
And this is the truth. I have seen how Chinese promoted over their colleagues when their colleagues perform better or have longer working experience in that organisation.
Don't get me wrong. I am not against Chinese
But ask around Malays , 99% will vouch Chinese organisations are racist.
As for 2018 election, statistics shows only around 30% of Malays voted PH. And Mslays learnt changing govt to Oh is costly.
Almost all of that 30%regretted their move to change govt.
If they think UMNO led govt is bad, PH is a total disaster.
That God, PH collapsed
Shamshul Anuar Having said so, Malay leaders have been racist in the past decades ever since they introduced QUOTA system that leads to the current situation too. I met few MEDICAL Uni graduates before who can’t even speak English but under Quota system, they were able to get into the faculty. So who is more racist?
Then I can quote the same as you “don’t get me wrong, I’m not against Malay”? Sounds funny of you, right after you have made your single-sided biased accusations then tried to cover your backside😂😂
@@shamshulanuar7718 I agree about your insight, I think almost all companies have biased and top managements prefer their own race (NOT ALL), whether it's at My or Sg.
However, what we can't deny is the overall (as a nation) this is not the case...
@@fauzanashraf5410 but Malay-dominated government still favour Malays, no?
Where can you find a studio in Singapore that's near MRT for $1,500?
I'm from semicon background with 15 years exp and making ~RM300k a year by working at PG. While my fren with similar exp at SG only making ~SGD100k a year. However my bil with just 7 years semicon exp just went to SG this month with 1:1 pay which he get ~SGD6000 a month. So i think is always better to work at SG when you are young to save money. When you are senior enough, better to move back to Malaysia.
Agree with you.
Huh where you find $1500 SGD monthly rent for a studio near MRT station in Singapore? hello??? $1000 at max give u one bedroom in shared house only
Not a fair comparison, (without converting) KL salary is higher than Singapore. For e.g. a Senior Manager in KL may be earning RM15-20K but in SG only SGD8-10K. Your case study more applicable to junior staff/fresh grads
Exactly. I’m Malaysian working for a SG company, paid market rate of an SG employee (not the lower foreign rate). My peers in Malaysia making the Malaysian rate gets about 1.5 to almost 2 times in MYR what I get in SGD.
Take Median income as an example. Malaysia is about RM7.5k whilst SG is SGD4.5k. In his example, Frankie is making almost half the median income whilst Jazmin is just short of median. They are not in the same stage of their career or a comparable situation.
I think your multiplier of 1.5 - 2x is quite accurate. I have a friend currently getting RM12k in Malaysia got offered SGD7k in SG.
So whoever dream of working 1 year in SG = 3 years in Malaysia, it is just a fairy tale. After deducting living cost, yes no doubt you will save more in SG but the diff is definitely not x3
@@atan9160 the fairytale may be true if you have relatives who let you stay free or let you p@y a nominal sum for rental. Tgen definitely can save almost 3x compared to Msia.
Another error spotted : Malaysian or foreigner can't buy a resale or new HDB unless you're a PR or citizen and that's from 3rd year onwards only after getting your PR. And the price for resale HDB can stretch beyond $1M
What kind of data are you basing on off for property prices ? I'm a fellow property owner in msia and for a 900-1100sqft property you can get it from 300-600k, renting that is about 1.2-2 ( fully furnished ). In SG on the other hand, the rentals are much more higher. Even for a simple 500sqft room will set u back 2kSGD, renting a 900sqft apartment will easily cost you up to 3k SGD. it's almost double according to my research
ua-cam.com/video/S_1m7KNnS5k/v-deo.html
Easy reference for rent prices
He is referring of KL city and not the whole Malaysia.
I'm referring to Sg properties. 1000sqft does not cost SGD1.5K over there
@@Messsy ya... Can't find a 1500 sgd studio anywhere actually especially in Central area of sg... 1500 is a room price usually....
@@jillting1852 1500/mth studio is possible if away from city area. Just go property websites and search
I left Malaysia 33 years ago and return recently to retire. I have a condo and I also a car in Singapore since 24 years ago. After liquidating my assets in Singapore and overseas (my investment) i can live off just on FD interest alone. I can afford monthly 2 weeks holidays around Asia.
Thank you for sharing, Mr. Michael. I'm 29 years old, doing mundane job everyday in malaysia. My cost of living in a year is barely rm10k. I saved up 70% of my incomes in many asset classes. But still i have this fear of our economy collapsing further in years to come, despite evolving into developed nation. Due to political instability, brain drain issue, limited buying power, lack of great quality products (meaning need to change our electronics in each 2-3years), and the education system which emphasized more on memorization instead of application, i couldn't see myself living comfortably in my retirement years. At the moment, i'm torn in between further my studies with no job guarantee, or self study which is going to take years before i finally master the craft (still in the end employer is going to ask for certificate paper). Do you have any advice for me? Thank you in advance.
@@nuripadudi when u study, does it give u better career prospect? if no, don't waste your $$. Buy ASN as much as u can and forget about local property investment. developers are selling 50-90% above actual value. Always be prepared to job hop for better pay and look for big company, the benefits and medical are better. Do not be afraid to work hard and put in extra hours, always strive to be better than your co worker, that way when u want to leave, your boss will give u a pay rise to retain u.
@@michaelchang4914 Thanks a lot for the advices, I really appreciate it. Will do as per your suggestion. Wish me luck!
With the help of SGD accumulated over the years. Won't be possible if you had stayed behind 33 years ago.
@@limchyehock6722 Yes, that's true, I will not be in this position if I stayed in Malaysia 33 years ago.
Realistically speaking. Unless you travel multiple trips a day, the $120 monthly pass isn’t worth it. My monthly expense on transport is $60-80 for going to and fro work
should be working in Singapore living in Johor tnat will be more accurate representation of this argument and the result is already bought 2 house and 2 cars albeit just proton saga it's earning in Singapore but living in. Johor
Malaysian working in Singapore here! Great video and your points largely mirror my experience. In general, the cost of everyday things (food, movies, public transport, groceries) is a lot cheaper in SG than MY, allowing you to save more disposable income, or save up to splurge on expensive items like gadgets more quickly than in MY.
Working culture wise, I believe there is some truth to the stereotype but ultimately it depends on the industry and company you are at. I know people who are way more stressed out in their jobs in MY than in SG. There are great and no-so-great company cultures everywhere.
SG people tend to be more hardworking and have a strong work ethic (at least from my experience), making it better environment for more career or achievement oriented folks who want to accelerate in their career.
On the other hand, what MY has is truly unique - there is more diversity in our people, our life experience is more colourful, we have tons of options to travel and live domestically. Malaysians, or at least the ones I've grown up with, are more street smart and tolerant towards differences and adaptable to unexpected situations.
Not to say these qualities are exclusive to each nationality. Society plays a large role, but so do your family and the people you surround yourself with! :)
I am one too who live in JB, work in SG. Singaporean are hard working but not the younger generation. As an employer I would hire a Malaysia over a Singaporean for work commitments and attitudes.
@@cheuman1 most of the younger MY that i have worked with are lazy too. they expected more when they contributed so little. i would not be as biased as you. i would rather hire a person who is really passionate about his job and motivated to progress with the company regardless of their nationalities.
U
@@cheuman1 yea you would hire based on nationality 😂 stfu your just jealous of Singapore quality of life
If you're malaysian, Work I Singapore earn SGD and keep transferring money your to Malaysia bank acc in MYR. Sure you'll be damn RICH !!
I’m a Malaysian and working in SG. Since I’m staying in JB, I earn in SGD & spent in MYR. But due to covid19 can’t commute daily to work. So staying here for time being :)
Hi are u still commuting daily from jb to sg
I am a Singaporean, but if I were to move to Malaysia. KL certainly would not be my choice. Objective is to lepak
Yes, Malaysia has so much room to grow and is the best place to create something new and explore opportunity. Feels like a life adventure.
Your figures on property in Sg don't seem right. She can rent a studio or one-bedroom for $1500? A 4rm HDB costs $300k? Perhaps if she can buy directly from the government but she can't if she is only a SPR.
True in some areas such as cars, but in Msia you are always worried about money. I would say its a different kind of worry. Yes Spore is much more competitive, and you may feel mentally drain at times, but you don't really worry so much about money, more on work etc. But in Msia, you have more expensive housing loan to pay (i.e 500k) relative to your income, car, fuel, parking, food, higher broadband and utilities bill, you are practically left with no savings at the end of the month, and there are other factors that you worried very much about too in Msia such as politics, crime, safety, traffic jams etc and all these contribute to long-term mental stress and health too. However, Msia has one of the most affordable healthcare in the world which is big plus vs spore.
work in singapore, then come back malaysia to retire. best of both worlds.
Does the HDB flat has swimming pool and all the facilities equivalent to RM 350,000 apartment in KL
The question to ask is, do people even use the pools and gyms at our condos hahaha.
Malaysia got hutan. Malaysian orang hutan live in hutan Singapore can or not😂
Nope Singapore HDB is basically a cleaner version of Malaysia flat.
Far from Malaysia condo.
@@markomarin3414 there is a type of HDB property that has facilities like those in the private condo. We call it executive condo.
@@markomarin3414 My 36 yrs old HDB flat is much bigger and better than my nephew's new condo in JB., and my nephew agreed with me.
u r comparing HDB vs non HDB from Malaysia. Besides that, in Klang valley, if you really wan to pay less for property. u can just stay slightly away from KL city but still within klang valley. u can even get a landed link house less than 400k.
Bro...for HDB in SG.....we don't pay much out of pocket coz using CPF deductible...that makes a huge difference in your take-home pay....EPF seriously has no purpose but a retirement piggy bank...
studio apartment near MRT in Singapore is SGD 1500 per month ? that would be the extreme lower end of the price arrange. typically cost more than 2000
Well he did gave a disclaimer that almost anywhere is considered "near MRT" in Singapore considering there are so many stations.
Almost from any point you live, only 5 to 10mins travel time to nearest MRT
@@KeoNz ok ... with SGD 1500 can get you a masterbed room in a house, but for studio apartment , usually cost more than 2k
@@pengqing8857 Its possible to rent a studio apartment for SGD 1500, found several results searching via property websites
Hey Frankie, first of all I want to say, it is truly telling how much effort and research has been done into making this video. I really appreciate it!
As a Malaysian who's been through the entire system of studying (both in MY and SG), graduating, now working in Singapore, in my opinion, you've hit all the right spots. Working in SG does indeed grant you slightly better purchasing power than in MY. But I have also seen many of my friends (MY and SG alike) who live their lives pay check to pay check and unable to save a lot, let alone have leftover money to invest. What I truly believe is regardless of the cards you have been dealt in life - where you live, what currency you earn, at the end of the day, it is all about living below your means. Ultimately it also depends on what you value in life - no right or wrong answers :) Personally, I like the constant pressure and competitiveness especially in my mid 20s, trying to sharpen my craft, hone my skills. Of course, I would love to come home and contribute to Malaysia one day.
Now, I have a fantastic video that depicts an accurate representation
of the pros and cons of living in MY/SG to share with friends and family.
Once again, kudos to you! What a wonderfully scripted and shot video. Keep up the good work.
Hone your badminton skill? Your skill better in Malaysia or in Singapore?
@@gohguoliang4566 I'd like to think my skill can multiply by 3 in Malaysia. Whether or not the reality is the same as what I think is a whole other topic ;)
Thank you! True when it comes to spending it still depend on one’s lifestyle. If the person earns more but living way above his/her income no use.
At the end each country provides its own opportunity. It comes down to each individual’s ability to make the best of it!
We wish u all the best in your journey there! Hopefully one day we see u around!
Actually Frankie was comparing Malaysian vs Singaporean ... not Malaysian vs spore foreign/PR worker
Hi, thanks for the comment. Foreigner or local, pretty sure I'm paying the same price for groceries as my fellow Singaporean buddies out there :)
Im malaysian working in singapore but not working in my related field of study. Any Singaporean got a hole for me to apply job in sciences area? Really need to get stable life financially cus im stuck here due to covid.
I’m a singaporean university canteen stall owner and I’m selling chicken chop ( Just the chicken itself ) at $3.50 and every additional sides for a $1 🤷🏻♂️.
You are right, many of the Malaysians are unable to take the work stress in Spore- very competitive. Thus Malaysian these days are not that hard working than their ancestors 30 or 40 yrs ago. You are smart and right to be a proud Chinese Malaysian to stay put rather migrate to other countries like Spore, UK or Australia etc. Thus your support as a minority is steadfast to help protect the minority polulaltion whose nos are eroding over the years putting the minority population which includes Indian, Eurasians, orang asli into a much lower percentage since 1970s.
Infact the Chinese or Vietnamness are more hard working than the present Malaysians in Singapore.
Hope Malaysian minority will stay put and fight for their right to increase their population minority percentage to support DAP, HP. I always advise Malaysians in Singapore not to abandon your country, to get Spore PR is ok but not citizenship cos Malaysia need you and your votes. All Malaysians must support Khairy to become the next PM after Annuar then there will be equality like the days of Tungku Abdul Rahman but not like Dr M a racist or Najib or Mydyin corrupted PMs😮
For someone earning 19000 MYR in KL vs let's say 10,000 SGD in Singapore, what should be the better choice?
If you notice... there are many rich people in Malaysia and they choose to live here... my point is when money is not a problem, Malaysia does provide more lifestyle options.
For career alone, I would say Singapore. More opportunities for advancement up to corporate ladder. Your buying power should be better too but depends mainly on your choice of accomodations. One thing the video does not touch on is that the same person earning RM4k in Malaysia will most likely earn 40pct less (in local currency) when moving to Singapore.
I believe RM19k is at a director level?
Equivalent role with about 15-20 years of experience in an MNC, you’ll more likely draw $15-25k per month after including all the incentives and bonuses
You need around SGD 16,500 in SG in order to have the same standard of life in KL under MYR 19,000 salary (both nett of tax). You should stick to KL.
@@nicholasy2715 most people with that skillset will be earning way more than S$16,500 and living a swanky life.
i was work in KL 2012-2013. and move to JB 2014. Initial idea want to try singapore but at that time they dont want me because im a fresh graduate, they just want me as labour worker not as professional. got try go interview there around 3,4 times.. want go berak! also hard liao need to que for bus at boarder.. i ask for myself i this the life what i will facing everyday. after that i just work at JB at settle down buy house. even now KL offer me 5k-7k i dont want to accept even my salary not reach 4k here. the stress level living condition, traffic different at KL, i dont want to go there anymore.
I do agree that if you compare dollar for dollar, it is really expensive to be staying in Malaysia with a ringgit salary. Malaysians working in Sg are not counted. I'm talking about those Malaysians working in Malaysia. Salary is stagnant, inflation all time high. Alot of my Malaysian friends struggling and can mostly afford to eat at home. Esp those that work rm1-2k salary. Don't talk about abt rm4k salary la, that's considered the better range salary already. In Sg, still can buy mrt chicken rice $2. Malaysia with that small salary, food prices are fucking ex. Rm 50 finish like water. Sg still have housing grant all this from gov, Malaysia don't have.
That's true.
I dont understand about the loan part.
Frankie Monthly repayment RM2200 x 30 years = RM792 000 - RM500 000 = RM292 000 interest paid
Jazmin Monthly repayment SGD1750 x 30 years = SGD630 000 - SGD500 000 = SGD130 000 interest paid
*or I'm wrong?*
Overall we should give ourselves several choices, don’t let pride and prejudice clouded your mind. If SG fits your lifestyle then move there otherwise you can continue to stay at Malaysia.
Might be interesting to consider the cost of Healthcare, education and dying?
As a malaysian lives in singapore for couple years, the only thing i reckon it is skyhigh difficult is to enter the local property market, even for a PR, there's a 3 years requirements need to fullfill before you can buy a resale HDB (cant buy new one but you cant buy a HDB that's too old, you might end up with a bad loan), and if you're thinking of buying a private condo, prepare 25% cash upfront for the downpayment which translate to around 250k singapore dollars not even include all the others tax, other than that literally no complain at all🤣
love sent! 😘
Move to UK, the living cost relative to the average salary is more than enough for a comfortable life, and it’s less competitive than SG, groceries are much cheaper too
Malaysia's cost of living is definitely higher than Singapore if we compare the salaries earned there. That's because the Malaysian ringgit is 3 times lower than Singapore. The inflation rate in Malaysia has skyrocketed while the salary is still low.
Singapore manage its economy better than Malaysia but the main disadvantage is the lack of landed property and space. The other thing is Singaporeans are much ruder.
Yeah I cant believe how fast inflation in Malaysia skyrocketed after each GST / SST introduction, Flour/rice/petrol price adjustment, and also now Covid. Basic stuffs cost so much, and if we look at fast food, in the 90s, seems like a luxury, but by 2010s, got affordable, not its back to a luxury. Mindblown.
@@samiao90 All thanks to a corrupt, inefficient govt who cater for only one race.
@@alextong6318 yeah. And I can’t believe some people still can’t see that. Still thinks they’re the best bunch of politicians. Whereas some from the privileged race, instead of working hard, fly to countries like AU/NZ, “applying” for asylum, and work in factories to avoid immigration officers and earn good money without needing English. Then in our head will be like: “aren’t you the more privileged group? On what terms you apply for asylum? You got all the special rights back home”. This is why Malaysia is top of the list for overstayer in AU, thus u can’t apply for travel visa easily without thoroughly prove you have no intention of staying behind after entering the country.
Ok I’m abit off topic now. 😂
@@samiao90 The ringgit plunged from rm 2.50 to rm 4.2 is a reflection of the confidence the world see of Malaysia government and yet most people still vote for the corrupt govt.
So go out from Malaysia la..you can live in Sg what cos majority there is your race..
02:44 You can have chicken rice at $2.50 or even $2 at some of the MRT station food stalls in Singapore.
12:39 Sometimes...yep.
Some of my opinions...
1. If taking EPF/CPF into consideration, Malaysians contribute 11% of the salary, while Singaporeans need to contribute a whopping 20% (1/5). So even if two people have the same amount of salary it does not mean that they have the same amount of money on hand to spend.
2. HDB Housing in Singapore might be "cheaper" than what Malaysians have thought, but they are all 99-year leasehold premises. Some people might feel that it could not compare with most of the Malaysia's freehold premises.
3. As a person from JB who has worked in KL 10 years ago, I would say that it was difficult to save money when working and living in KL. Singapore however, does allow you to gain decent amount of savings faster (even much faster if you choose to travel between Singapore and Johor daily before COVID pandemic).
I pity those hawkers selling chicken rice at $2.5 or even $2. They are subsidising your pay package. You feel that you deserve decent living standards because you work hard. They work hard too but get little in return. They need to increase their prices to something that will afford themselves a decent living.
How to deal with cost of living: let's start with not eating from Starbucks and McD 15 days out of 30...
Just watch two of your videos and I had subscribed to your channel. Nice info and great talk!!!
U have to consider security cost, health care cost as well as public service cost.
In Spore, every where is safe. You won't get rob and injured. That cost you financial losses and medical fees resulting from injury. Almost every msian household pays for their own monthly security fees for their housing, if not alarms, grills etc. That's not happening in spore. Public Health care is cheap in Msia but look at the covid pandemic, you are left to take care of your own when trouble hits and government has no money and resources to save you anymore. That brings you to think of country national defences further. If you are hurt in a car accident, your life is at risk as you are less likely to be saved by paramedic in Msia. Spore, within 5-10mins, a SCDF will be there to save you. On Msia highways, you are left to die on the spot. Life is cheaper in Msia if you factor this in. Lastly, if you can measure stress and time in RM/SGD, getting things done in Spore is cheaper as public services is less stressful and very efficient. Dealing with Msian public servants is a nightmare. If you find my comment valid, do a part 2 with these intangible factored in. Thanks.
Cannot compare $ to $, if you do that why not compare sgd4000 vs HKD4000? No way right? It has to be value vs value , so it should be sgd4000 vs rm12000 , its the value of 1 currency vs another, then only you know which country is costly, it's simple math, everybody earn money differently, I'm sure you'll know which country is more costly this way