Earning RM6,500 a month in Kuala Lumpur might sound comfortable on paper. But according to one Malaysian, real life tells a very different story.
In a Threads post, a netizen shared about a friend who earns RM6,500 while living in KL and constantly calculates her expenses on a daily basis.
“It’s not ‘what do I feel like eating’, but ‘what can I afford to eat’,” she wrote.
There were moments when her friend would stand in front of a café, look at the menu, then walk away to find something cheaper instead. Even choosing a simple meal became a major decision.
By the end of the month, things get even tighter.
Groceries are swapped for the cheapest options available. Less fruit. Cheaper protein. More instant food. No holidays. No shopping. Just rent, petrol and bills.
She added that the experience made her realise that income is not about how it looks on paper, but whether it is enough to feel at peace.
‘What’s a good salary’
The OP then posed the following question:
If RM6.5K can still feel like survival in the city, what is a ‘good salary’ in Malaysia now?”
The post sparked debate in the replies, with one pointing out some may belong to the “sandwich generation”, meaning they have to financially support not just themselves but also their parents or family members back in their hometown.
One netizen suggests that perhaps the person earning RM6.5K is simply choosing to live a frugal lifestyle.
