As the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur has long been regarded as one of the most expensive places to live in the country, alongside Selangor, which is just 30 minutes away from this booming cosmopolitan. But is it fair to say that Selangor and Kuala Lumpur are the priciest states to live in, purely due to its high-demand nature?
Malaysian content creator and businessman Abdullah Jamadi recently took to his TikTok page @abdullahjamadi to explain why he believes that the cost of living in Johor Bahru, where he currently resides, is actually more expensive than Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.
“Apparently, the cost of living there is expensive, houses are more expensive, food is more expensive, everything is more expensive. But for those living in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, try living in Johor Bahru,” said Jamadi at the beginning of his video.
Speaking on the cost of housing in Johor Bahru, Jamadi opined that while it is possible to find housing in Selangor for prices below RM1,500, it is nearly impossible to do the same in Johor Bahru. According to Jamadi, he believes that individuals who work in Johor Bahru and intend to live there will have a harder time making ends meet, as opposed to those who can find jobs in Singapore.
Elaborating on the advantages Johor Bahru has in comparison to Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Jamadi mentions that the city does not have a lot of toll roads or traffic jams. However, Jamadi further clarifies that every state has its own advantages and disadvantages, saying that most people who are not from Johor Bahru will migrate to the state for work opportunities in Singapore.
“If you work in Singapore but live in Malaysia, you’ll definitely have enough money, because you are earning Singaporean Dollars. You could work as a cleaner and people will think highly of you, simply because of their currency,” said Jamadi in the TikTok video.
Concluding his thoughts, Jamadi stated that, should people choose to work and reside in Johor Bahru, they’d likely have to live paycheck to paycheck.
Receiving a wide variety of responses from those who are from Johor Bahru and beyond, many people agreed with Jamadi’s thoughts.
“So I was born in Johor Bahru, but at 30 years old, I moved to KL. The food is cheaper by a landslide. I was shocked to see how reasonable their mixed rice prices were,” commented one user.
Another user even shared how her exhaustion of living in Johor Bahru stems from the fact that most people come to the state intending to work in Singapore. She clarified that she wants to return to Kuala Lumpur due to its affordable cost of living, despite the toll roads and traffic jams.
Watch the full TikTok video below:
Watch on TikTok
Do you think living in Johor is more cost-efficient than Kuala Lumpur and Selangor? Let us know!
Also read: M’sian Traveller Shares How He Spent Just RM800 on a 3-Day Trip to Hat Yai, Thailand
