Is it hard to lead a decent life in Malaysia?

Various factors at play:
1. Location. Malaysia is much larger :) I'm assuming you are referring to KL/Greater KL region.
2. The type of work and industry that you are in - management trainees in large MNCs and the folks in hotter industries like IT do typically command a somewhat higher pay than most "normal" fresh grad (eg: engineering/accounting) or if you are the naturally extroverted type with a sweet mouth who can sell ice to the Eskimos, sky is the limit for ya.
3. From there on, in the makan gaji world, career progression is somewhat a mixed bag just like SG.
* If you are in a large MNC, there is usually a particularly rigorous process in performance reviews and a somewhat fixed salary band for each rank/level and you would usually get a higher increment during your promotion.
* Otherwise, it really depends on the company itself already - and yes, some (or rather "most" in an anecdotal sense) local ones in the private sector practices the same nonsense as "most" of the local companies in SG - determining your max worth by looking at your previous salary slips.
4. In sales related roles, it is usually as they say in SG, own time own target unless you are stuck in the shoplot itself.
5. Daily Living Expenses - generally I think SG has it easier than the folks in Greater KL - but again purely anecdotal based on my own experiences working in both cities.
* Food: It's easy to find chicken rice find at max SGD 3.5 around hawker centres, but you will be hard-pressed to get a RM 6 chicken rice in the neighbourhoods in KL.
* Transport: We are improving our public transport bit by bit but it is also likely that you will find yourself getting a cheap car to get around within the first 5 years of working (read: additional expenses).
* A seemingly popular myth amongst my Sinki colleagues - how cheap things are in KL. But yeah, it wouldn't be that cheap anymore if you do not have the forex advantage. Typical fresh grad starting pay as an employee is about the same dollar to dollar between 2.x - 3.x k, though again, some do command slightly higher than the others.
6. Big Ticket Items - This is perhaps where KL has slight advantage.
* Cars and condos for the masses (re-emphasis on "masses", not referring to those atas range yeah) are cheaper dollar to dollar compared to SG.
* A quick comparison of a 400k condo unit in KL vs 400k HDB flat unit looks bewildering, but there are often other social factors at play.
* Or, if you are willing to go further away from the usual PJ/KL city itself, there is a chance of getting a 400k second-hand landed house as well in certain areas within Greater KL region.
7. Don't know how old is your relative, but I don't think we can compare that way as wages have been relatively stagnant for a long time in Greater KL region but expenses have multiplied. Granted, I have heard of the same complains from Sinki colleagues but imho I think the inflation of daily living expenses and big ticket items are relatively better controlled.
8. Your Social Circle - Beyond monetary terms, how willing are you to leave it behind and start afresh?

/r/malaysia Thread