Is anyone else just staring at the SGD/MYR 3.4+ conversion rate and feeling like we’re losing at life?
I was catching up with some Malaysian friends over the weekend, and honestly, the jealousy is real. They work here, earn their SGD, and then head back across the Causeway or transfer money home to live like absolute kings. While I’m here paying $15 for a “budget” salad in the CBD, they’re talking about buying landed properties and eating gourmet meals every night for the price of my McValue meal.
It’s honestly depressing. As Singaporeans, we will never get this kind of “geographical arbitrage.” If I want to go on holiday, I’m paying a premium everywhere because our currency is strong, sure—but our cost of living is even stronger. We are stuck in this high-cost pressure cooker while they get to enjoy the best of both worlds: Singapore’s high wages and Malaysia’s low costs.
I’m seriously contemplating moving to JB and just commuting. I know, I know—the “Causeway jam is a nightmare,” “safety concerns,” etc. But at this point, I’d rather spend three hours in traffic if it means my paycheck actually feels like a paycheck.
We work so hard just to survive in this “most expensive city,” but we never get to see our money multiply like that. It feels like we’re the only ones not invited to the party.
TL;DR: Tired of being “rich” on paper but poor in reality. The $1 to RM3.40+ advantage is the ultimate life hack we’ll never have. Time to apply for my MM2H?