28/09/2025

ON SUNDAY September 28, 2025 theSunday Special IV City living in Malaysia’s big three From KL’s high rents to Penang’s food bargains and JB’s cross-border temptations, here’s what RM5,000 budget buys you BY ASHRAF WAHAB

Food Eating out daily can drain your wallet. Nasi campur at a warung costs between 50 DQG 50 EXW D FDIp EUXQFK HDVLO\ H[FHHGV 50 *URFHULHV DUH SULFH\ WRR (VWLPDWH 50 WR 50 D PRQWK on food. Lifestyle & other costs Gym memberships, mobile plans, health insurance and entertainment add another 50 WR 50 GHSHQGLQJ RQ \RXU habits. KL RM5,000 monthly breakdown (single person):

Expense

Estimates (RM)

Rent (room share) 1,200 Transport 300 Food 900 Groceries 400 Lifestyle & others 700 Savings 500 Total 5,000

V HUGLFW 0DQDJHDEOH EXW WLJKW 0RVW ./ IRONV ZLWK 50 ZRXOG QHHG WR PDNH compromises – shared living, minimal car use and few indulgences.

Public transport is improving, but last-mile connectivity still pushes many KL residents to rely on e-hailing.

N OT too long ago, the story of Racheal Kaur created quite a buzz online. The Penang based marketing executive revealed that she flies to Kuala Lumpur (KL) five times a week for work. The shocker? It’s cheaper than renting a place in the capital. Initially, many dismissed her story as a social experiment or a marketing stunt. But it was very real. With budget airlines R̆ HULQJ UHWXUQ ÀLJKWV IRU XQGHU 50 and her family home in Penang just a short Grab ride from the airport, Racheal’s monthly expenses were lower than if she VWD\HG LQ ./ HYHQ ZLWK ÀLJKWV LQFOXGHG She said that it may sound crazy, but when she calculated the cost of rent, food DQG WUDQVSRUW LQ ./ À\LQJ DFWXDOO\ PDGH more sense. H HU VWRU\ VWUXFN D QHUYH 0DOD\VLDQV were both amused and unsettled. Was it really that expensive to live in KL that À\LQJ IURP 3HQDQJ ZDV FKHDSHU" For some, the answer is yes. When we think of poverty, most of us imagine rural hardship or dilapidated vil lages. But the “urban poor” are a growing UHDOLW\ LQ 0DOD\VLD¶V ELJJHVW FLWLHV Urban poverty refers to individuals or families who live in urban areas but VWUXJJOH WR D̆ RUG QHFHVVLWLHV OLNH IRRG rent, healthcare and education despite having jobs. E DUQLQJ 50 D PRQWK PLJKW sound comfortable, but in cities like KL,

LW¶V RIWHQ MXVW HQRXJK WR VWD\ DÀRDW $F cording to the Department of Statistics 0DOD\VLD '260 WKH DYHUDJH KRXVHKROG LQFRPH IRU XUEDQ DUHDV LQ ZDV DURXQG 50 7KDW PDNHV 50 EHORZ DYHUDJH $GG LQ LQÀDWLRQ VWDJQDQW wages and rising costs of living and you begin to see why someone like Racheal PLJKW RSW IRU GDLO\ ÀLJKWV RYHU D FRQGR minium in KL. S R ZKDW GRHV 50 D PRQWK UHDOO\ get you in KL, Penang and Johor Bahru? These are estimated costs based on prop erty listings, grocery prices, transport fares and lifestyle expenses. Kuala Lumpur: The capital crunch Rent In KL, rent will eat up a big chunk of your EXGJHW $ VPDOO VWXGLR LQ %DQJVDU RU 0RQW .LDUD FRVWV EHWZHHQ 50 DQG 50 (YHQ LQ OHVV FHQWUDO DUHDV OLNH 6HWDSDN RU &KHUDV H[SHFW 50 WR 50 IRU D GHFHQW XQLW Budget tip: Renting a room in a shared apart ment or co-living space can reduce your rent to around RM900 to RM1,200. Transportation Public transport is decent, but last-mile FRQQHFWLYLW\ UHPDLQV DQ LVVXH 7KH 0\ PRQWKO\ SDVV FRYHUV 057 /57 DW 50 but most still rely on e-hailing. Budget DURXQG 50 IRU PL[HG WUDQVSRUW XVH