An RM8,000 monthly salary may sound comfortable to many Malaysians, but one local man said the reality felt very different once all his expenses were taken into account.
According to Sin Chew Daily, the 30-year-old recently shared his financial breakdown online, saying that although his gross salary was RM8,000, his take-home pay dropped to about RM6,800 after EPF, SOCSO and income tax deductions.
He said the financial pressure eventually pushed him to make the difficult decision to move to Singapore for work.
Only RM1,957 left after monthly expenses
The man broke down his fixed monthly expenses, which included:
- RM2,100 housing loan
- RM500 car loan
- RM530 insurance
- RM213 phone bill
- Around RM1,500 for food, petrol and daily necessities
After all that, he said he was left with around RM1,957 a month.
At first glance, that may still seem manageable.
However, he said the real challenge came from expenses that do not appear every month.
‘Hidden costs’ leave him with just RM300 savings monthly
The man said he also had to account for yearly expenses including:
- RM1,800 for car insurance and road tax
- RM1,500 for vehicle maintenance
- RM1,000 for medical check-ups and dental expenses
- RM1,000 for festive spending
- RM1,300 in property-related taxes
After factoring those in, he claimed his actual savings for an entire year came to only about RM3,700.
That works out to roughly RM300 a month.
He said his ability to save also depended heavily on how much annual bonus he received.
Says he is afraid to start a family
Although he is currently single and still able to support himself, the man said he feels anxious when thinking about marriage and children.
Expenses such as milk powder, diapers and education costs made the idea of starting a family feel financially overwhelming.
He said this was one of the reasons he eventually decided to move to Singapore.
According to him, the move was not about chasing a luxurious lifestyle.
Instead, he said it was about escaping the financial pressure he felt in Malaysia.
It’s not because I have huge ambitions, but because under the cost of living here, I feel like I have no other choice.”
His post has since sparked discussion online, with some agreeing that RM8,000 may no longer feel as comfortable as it once did, especially for someone already paying for a house and car.
