Posted by Desmon Siew > 2014-09-08 14:44 | Report Abuse

I wonder how he's gonna to explain or argue when he saw this article. Thanks for sharing.

Posted by Wow123 > 2014-09-08 14:48 | Report Abuse

my boss ask me go to holland ?

Posted by Wong > 2014-09-08 15:07 | Report Abuse

RM5900 is before EPF, SOCSO & PCB... nett salary :(

Posted by speakup > 2014-09-08 15:27 | Report Abuse

a lot of ppl here in i3investor salary easily 2x 3x 4x or 5x rm5900.

Posted by トム > 2014-09-08 15:50 | Report Abuse

my monthly salary near 2K only (after EPF deduction)

Posted by davors > 2014-09-08 17:47 | Report Abuse

this is household income not personal income...
basically now household need both husband and wife to work to survive...

Posted by トム > 2014-09-08 18:41 | Report Abuse

that's why la..... what i mean is my monthly salary below 2K.....not dare to find a gf and don't even want to mention about marriage

Posted by sam91 > 2014-09-08 19:26 | Report Abuse

haha want go trip? Go Fly Kites!

Posted by Lim Siang Ying > 2014-09-08 21:21 | Report Abuse

Dear Calow1,

If every household are able to budget accordingly, the living expenses is much lower than what have you calculated.

Similar to your example, below is how will I spend it (this is according to my monthly budget and I have extra for investment; been doing this for 4 years now);

House loan instalment - RM1,800 (This is the correct amount you need to pay bank for RM400,000 loan without downpayment)

Car loan - RM800 (Please get a Myvi if you cannot afford VIOS, the amount RM800 include maintenance, road tax, car insurance if you can budget; husband and wife shall find a job that are convenient for both not one north and one south)

Petrol - RM600 (More or less this amount, include tol)

Personal insurance - RM300 (Should get a lower insurance according to your ability not the highest of all insurance, for 2 persons)

Food - RM500 (You shall eat in not eat out. I have been supporting my family of 5 people with <RM600/month and having extra for entertaiment)

EPF deductions - RM600

Total Outflows - RM4,600

Money left to invest - RM1300. No offence but, If you consider to make baby, make sure you can afford it.

The higher one salary the higher one expenses. Always remember expenses will always match your salary no matter how much you earn unless you know how to budget.

Posted by Peter Lee > 2014-09-08 21:25 | Report Abuse

90% earn less than that

Posted by Lim Siang Ying > 2014-09-08 21:37 | Report Abuse

Yeah Peter Lee is right. Even earning less you can also survive. Most family are earning ~RM3000. Getting a motorcycle, apartment n lower insurance and you still have more to save. It is all about lifestyle.

Posted by calow1 > 2014-09-08 21:42 | Report Abuse

:) Yes, Mr Lim, definitely agreeable with budget

1) Loan instalment cannot be RM1,800 - pls do a check. Even with 30 years loan. And, don't expect a BLR-3% for 30years tenure. U can check it out with imoney.com.my

2) I have left out many expenses that we have not factored in.

3) RM500 for food for working class? Pls ask around.

I think general consensus, we find living with RM5,900 is not sufficient anyway, I am just trying to justify that our living standard has NOT improved. I am not justifying that our quality of living has actually dropped.

Thank you for your valuable inputs.

Posted by calow1 > 2014-09-08 21:48 | Report Abuse

Sorry I mean our quality of living has dropped. Whether we can love within means, I agree even with rm1500 household income we still can survive. Quality has improved? Is what I'm doubting.

Posted by optimuss > 2014-09-08 21:49 | Report Abuse

everything go up in price, only sex remain free or cheap (if u use condom)

Posted by Lim Siang Ying > 2014-09-08 22:39 | Report Abuse

Hi Calow1,

1) you can pay until 35 years. Previously is 40 years, since gov clamp down on property sector a year ago. It is bcoming 35 years and I very sure is around rm1800 (My current BLR-2.4= 4.2% before BNM increase 0.5%). To buy a house you need to slowly upgrade not straight go and buy the most expensive of all. Condo will cause you around RM300k - Rm400k. I guess you need to shop around.

2) Yeah. should b.

3) For me yes. RM600 for my entire household (5 people to be exact; mayb you can call me cheapskate). I do shop around, just keep out of Milo & Nestle (they cost ridiculously expensive, I can buy 1 pack of 10kg rice for every Milo I did not buy). Being doing this for years. Of course not including electric, water bill & internet.

Quality definitely is not improving. I guess everywhere is the same, Singaporean, Indonesian, Philippines, China everyone are complaining about cost of living. That's why you need to be smart in managing money.

Posted by bbc123 > 2014-09-08 22:54 | Report Abuse

Malaysian Average household income RM5,900? One household how many members n bread earners, got say or not? I think the report not accurate. I know some ppl damn wealthy, others damn poor. This report probably chin cai average out superrich income with super poor income.

Posted by benson911 > 2014-09-08 23:17 | Report Abuse

Food - RM500 (You shall eat in not eat out. I have been supporting my family of 5 people with <RM600/month and having extra for entertaiment), are u joking? Or u grow your own vegetable and rear chicken? Eat to live or live to eat? lolzzz

Posted by Shereencsk > 2014-09-08 23:24 | Report Abuse

Average per day RM16.66666666666667. Which state are you in??

Posted by optimuss > 2014-09-08 23:28 | Report Abuse

u must b joking. what u spend in a month for 5 human i spend it in a day....

Posted by btlooi > 2014-09-09 00:00 | Report Abuse

our PM said RM 600 is enough for 1 year household expensure..

Posted by optimuss > 2014-09-09 00:02 | Report Abuse

rm600 enuf for 1 year household? omg. eat grass also cost more than that.

wakakakaka. i love malaysia.

Posted by optimuss > 2014-09-09 00:03 | Report Abuse

do u know 1 lorry of chicken shit. yes, chicken shit as fertiliser also cost rm200. wakakkaakakaka.

even if 1 lorry of chicken shit enough for a family to eat for 3 months, still shortfall rm200.

Posted by chongkonghui > 2014-09-09 00:15 | Report Abuse

Average is a dangerous word.

1 high-income earns RM203,900 a month + 45 who earn RM1,500 a month = Average RM5,900.

Posted by blackwind > 2014-09-09 11:07 | Report Abuse

I'm not a gov supporter, but this author is also misleading. Don't forget that ppl living in other states with lower cost of living is likely to have income less than 5.9k (and may have less spending) so it means higher income for people living in more developed states as well as for above calculation.

Posted by AdCool > 2014-09-09 11:22 | Report Abuse

RM600 per month for 5 persons? Are you living somewhere rural in interior Sarawak or Sabah? If you are working and living in Klang Valley, RM4 per person per day can break the Malaysia book of record. Care to share what is your menu or recipe? Kangkung, timun and fried eggs everyday?

Posted by skyz > 2014-09-09 14:08 | Report Abuse

lol. i can't brain this. RM600/month translating into RM20/day and that works out to be RM4/pax everyday for 3 meals, which further average out into RM1.33 per meal. Boss, one C sized egg also easily cost 35 cents. Echo-ing AdCool's comments, I assume that you eat rice + egg + a stalk of kangkung everyday and every meal with that budget. I hope you have spare budget for belacan and cooking oil too for frying the kangkung. :P

Posted by David Ng > 2014-09-09 14:26 | Report Abuse

the publish amount is average, not median . so your datuk, tan sri businessman is skewing up the numbers.

Posted by Winner11 > 2014-09-09 15:13 | Report Abuse

Working in Klang Valley having a meal outside easily rm5 per person, this are only economic rice (which not economic now, 3 dishes), if plus drink will more expensive. Yes, you can spend less, but you must have good reason to convince yourself after working hard each day.

Posted by alibabacoming > 2014-09-09 23:16 | Report Abuse

Jesus love malaysia!!!

Posted by speakup > 2014-09-10 07:39 | Report Abuse

winner11, eat outside, but dont drink outside. drinks are overpriced!