Malaysia is ideal for those who are tired of cold slushy winters and who want to have a western world lifestyle without paying much for it. KTM trains leave every 10-15 minutes. All of them are alike. Events and things going on in the city are often limited and advertised late, so we’ve learnt to keep our ears close to the ground to find out about them and make our own fun. Hey Geneva, thanks for stopping by! Being based in SE Asia of course has cut the costs of living coming from Melbourne. For some who have never lived in Southeast Asia before, then the initial culture shock or adjustment period may be greater than I experienced. And I am sure you’ll love this country! Water is very cheap, we paid less than $10. This aspect of leisure time here is awesome. The Cost of Living in Kuala Lumpur is low. Sticky shorts and sweat streams through the body may not be of your concern if you are spending time in any tropical country, including Malaysia, as a traveler. While Kuala Lumpur only rates 84th out of 230 cities in the Mercer quality of living survey 2015, there is a well-developed infrastructure for expats living in Kuala Lumpur. A family costs: $2,898 per month. It also has a balcony and access to (don’t hate me) : an Olympic sized swimming pool, 2 additional secluded pools, a gym, tennis court, squash court, badminton court, sauna, jacuzzi, 2 allocated parking spaces and a herb garden. Expats have higher salaries because all of them are mainly highly qualified specialists. I thought anywhere else would be a hard act to follow, but as it turns out, in many ways KL has given the Sailor and I a better standard of living. Though Kuala Lumpur is the most expensive city in the country, housing is extremely affordable compared to North America. The Malaysian government has encouraged foreigners to retire in Malaysia, as a fixed income can go a long way here. Some expats will say that you don’t need a car in Kuala Lumpur since public transportation is modern and convenient. There’s a reason why Malaysia has the biggest obesity rates in Asia. Cinemas, restaurants, entertainment, and even a regular grocery shop are often located inside a mall. The cost is minimal and the compartments are clean and air-conditioned. It’s seriously been the best! Malaysia has been one of the most fascinating places I’ve lived and it didn’t take long to adjust to life here. Firstly, instead of dogs running around (who are either not allowed in, or must be on a leash due to Muslim laws) there are monkeys playing on the lawn. One thing I do cherish about living here is access to 365 pool days per year and 30°C + average temperatures. Prices, as probably everywhere else, depend on the length of your stay. Quite often ideas supporting inequality are veiled. Shopping malls, a variety of food and quantity of infinity pools always comes second. Enjoying warm sunny days is one thing, but being able to tolerate waves of heat and humidity is a totally different story. Normally I’m rubbish at saving, but this system is ideal for folks like me as you can’t withdraw it until you leave! TIP: The apartment lease must be stamped at a special real estate agency. And it’s pretty expensive. For example, if you put in the minimum 11% of your salary, then your employer has to match that with an additional 12% minimum. The Sailor and I probably ate our weight in Pho over the past year and we’ve eaten some of the best Indian and Modern Asian food of our lives – in fact, I take that back. 1 ringgit = $0.24 or €0.22. Like the Aussies, Malaysians are big on food. According to the experience of my colleagues and friends, expats earn on average $2000–$3000. You’ve probably heard about Kuala Lumpur’s vibrant economy, low cost of living and hospitable local people who make you feel at home right after arrival. YES, GIMME MY FREE GUIDE! The meat is expensive because it is imported from Australia. The EPF system also attracts a generous 6.9% interest, as of 2017. Expect shopping malls, cinemas, hangouts with your peers at the pool or bar to become part of your life. Another observation is about the malls in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is often described as being one of the most diverse countries in Asia and when we were living in Kuala Lumpur, it was easy to see why. The main station where the KTM lines intersect with the LRT metro lines is KL Sentral. The cost of renting an apartment here starts from 1300 ringgit (€282 or $310) and 560 ringgit (€121.5 or $136) for a room. Okay, so I’ve rarely done that, but quality pool-time over the weekend is a bonus. After a few unsuccessful attempts to find a taxi with a meter on, we switched to Uber completely and every time we were happy with the service. City buses in Kuala Lumpur, by far, are the weakest link in the city’s public transport network, despite many routes and low fares. Kuala Lumpur is an ordinary Asian metropolis with not many special attractions. And the owner is not able to evict a bona fide tenant ahead of time under any circumstances. Caleb, I am so happy to hear you have been reading me for that long, yay! If you are in those areas, feel free to hop on them too. Problems with burglars and pick pockets (in some areas at least). Fortunately on both occasions, Mercer has pulled it out of the bag for me. However, this is the salary of auditors, web developers, and programmers. Other than that, not much to add. Buildings of different styles and eras stand next to each other, it can be unbearably hot and cloudy at the same time, and the population consists of more than ten different nationalities. The fare on LRT, depending on the number of stations, varies from about 1 ringgit to 3 ringgit (0.20-0.60 euros). Breakdown of prices in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for housing, food, transportation, going out for January 2021. On average, 200 ringgit (€43.5 or $48) goes for a studio if using an air conditioner at night and a washing machine a couple of times a week and drying clothes twice a month. It’s a refreshing retreat from car fumes and hi-rises, and I go in religiously each week for a run or walk. And the stats do stack up. I am overstating about ears of course but you get my point. Since leaving London it’s been hard to keep me in one place for longer than 12 months, but KL’s liveability is proving greater than most other cities I’ve called home. Every day of the year in Kuala Lumpur is either hot or hotter. In this article I’ll break down why I think KL is an easy and enjoyable place for expats to live, and in another post I’ve written about the ‘other side’ of living & teaching in KL where I’ve opened up about a few challenges. 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