Monthly salary for family of 4

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I assume 31k per month is Gross income. For the first 6 months you will have to pay flat 28% tax which means you are left with approx 22.5k per month to spend.

A good (mid range) international school will cost you for both children in the range of 7-10k. Mind you I am not referring to the high end ones like Garden International or Mont Kiara International school.

A good accommodation at Mont Kiara (fully furnished) 3 bedroom condo will be in the range of 3.5k to 4.5k. Mont Kiara is a good area to live. I understand your company has that covered along with utilities so thats good.

After this its very much dependent on your lifestyle. You may not be able to afford high end lifestyle with eating out everyday, however its not going to be hand to mouth either. Its a reasonable amount to live.

Schooling is a killer here and not to forget the initial deposits for schools which runs into thousands of ringgits. I ended up paying an upfront registration fee and 1 term deposits upto about RM 75k

KL though is a lovely place to be and easy to settle in, however you need to do your maths well before making the move.

Easily done - but not a good expat location these days.

If you can get split salary with part paid in another currency that would be good because of the poor value of the ringgit.

Gauravme, thank you I forgot to minus the tax applicable. What is the tax rate after 6 months, does it increase? Agree schooling is a killer and concerns us, hence asking with what is left, can we lead a comfortable life. It seems from your reply - modest. Thanks

Gravitas, could you recommend a better area nearby? thanks

Living in Penang rather than KL - then Singapore as regional alternative.

Expatistan and Numbeo can answer your COL concerns.

And this

Dkellyasia wrote:

How much does it cost to rent an apartment or a house in Malaysia?

It’s a renters market especially in the ‘old money’ areas such as Bangsar and Damansara Heights . A good bungalow on the market at 15,000 MYR a month 2 years ago can be secured for 10,000 MYR or less. That’s 5 bedrooms , private pool and nice gardens .

How much does it cost to buy an apartment or a house in Malaysia?

Too much . Not good value compared to other countries. The residential building sector is slowing down. Lots of empty properties . The average person can’t affoed a house in the vicinity of KL. Seems like a property bubble . You can rent something that would cost 5 to 6 million ringgit for 10,000 a month . A homeloan with 30% deposit would be about 28,000 a month after putting up 2 million . Money is better off investmed elsewhere .

How much do you pay on average for public transportation (bus, subway, train, tram, taxi)?

Uber and the LRT have made it almost pointless to own a car . I use uber black . Maybe spend 1,000 ringgits per month .

How much do you pay for basic food items such as rice, bread, and pasta?

Weekly shop for 4 people probably 500 to 1000 ringgit before buying alcohol

What is your monthly budget for groceries?

4,000 to 5,000 . If you want to go to the wet markets and eat local recipes of course it can be much lower . Western type products come at a premium.

How much does it cost to see a doctor/dentist/physician/specialist in Malaysia?

Probably one of the best benefits of being in Malaysia is excellent healthcare choice at reasonable prices. 50 ringgits for a GP visit . About the same for dental checkup . Filling and scale and polishwould be 200 ringgit maybe.

How much do you pay for health insurance per month?

About 300 USD per month for international cover

How much does childcare cost on average per month?

A good Maid who has expertise with kids can be 1600 to 2000 MYR a month for live in full time .

What is your child's schooling budget per month?

5000 to 6000 a monrh for international school with bus And after school activities

How much does it cost to fill up your car’s fuel tank?

Very low . 150 ringgits for 2 litre sedan

How much do you pay for electricity/gas/water etc., per month?

Expensive due to aircon. 1500 to 1800 a month . That’s for 500sqm house . Small condo maybe just 200 or 300

How much do you pay for your internet and phone subscription?

Internet with phone is about 250 a month

How much do you pay for your lunch pack on weekdays?

What’s a lunch pack ?

How much do you pay for an espresso coffee?

Don’t drink coffee

How much do you pay for a cinema ticket?

20 MYR for basic sear . 50 to 60 MYR for premier / gold class

How much does a gym membership cost in Malaysia?

200 MYR a month

This booklet explains the tax, which will also be levied on your accommodation etc.

https://www.pwc.com/my/en/assets/public … ooklet.pdf

Page 7 shows the tax rates.

Good pay - its the salary of  minister in malaysia - instead of renting you can get good service apartment .need to do some checking and calculation.

Thanks Syamil, its the international school costs which concerns my family

Another concern may be the locations of the two schools offering Aussie curriculum. Hardly convenient to commute to KLCC or long commute for kids if living in MK

Cyberjaya is cheapest than Mont Kiara in term of housing accomodation. Apartment rental price in Cyberjaya is between RM 2,000 to RM 3,000 per month. There are also an international school in Cyberjaya for your children. The only thing you need is a personal car to ease your travel if you work in Kuala Lumpur, because the distance between Cyberjaya and Kuala Lumpur is around 30 kilometer. All facilities are available in Cyberjaya such as communities club, shopping mall, hospital and recreational services.

Sounds quite familiar to my recent experience.

I have recently moved my family (wife and 3 children 9,7,4) to KL from Melbourne.

I set up my family in Mont Kiara. All three of my children are attending an international school near by. I had the option of very close by schools, though chose one slightly further away due to the meetings i had with the Principle and the introduction staff, they showed they actually cared and it wasn't just about money.

Before my move I was concerned about the locations, safety, schooling, transport, traffic and so on.

MK is safe. KL is safe overall, you would just show caution as you would in Brisbane at evening time. MK has plenty of your grocery needs, Publika, Solaris and MK1 are all near by.

The trip into town is pretty easy, roughly 25-30mins. If it rains, it will take longer, though this is usual in most capital cities, I come from Melbourne so 25-30 mins is fantastic. Weekends it will take 15 mins Max.

Be careful driving, road rules aren't followed by anyone, though you become accustomed to this and just learn to drive with caution.

Public transport by MRT and LRT is easy and quick, only downfall in MK is it's not overly accessible, closest one is in Bangsar, roughly 5 Km's away.

If you have any other queries, happy to help as I needed the same questions answered a couple of months ago.

I also took the chance of moving from Aus and couldn't be happier.

Good luck.