According to the Employees Provident Fund’s (EPF) Belanjawanku 2024-2025 guide, the cost of living in the Klang Valley has surged by an average of 6.7% between 2022 and 2024, making it Malaysia’s most expensive region.
However, one Malaysian has shared that he finds living in Johor Bahru or JB, even more expensive than Kuala Lumpur, mainly due to lower salaries.
In a viral Threads post, Amirul Akmal expressed his frustration, highlighting that fresh graduate engineers in JB, are still being offered salaries as low as RM2,500 by some companies, with most earning below RM3,000.
He also pointed out that technicians earn around RM1,800, which is nearly the same as machine operators.
“Living in Johor Bahru doesn’t make sense. Fresh grad engineers are still being paid RM2,500 by some companies, and most earn below RM3,000. Technicians, on the other hand, get RM1,800—almost the same rate as machine operators.”
Beyond low wages, Amirul noted that the cost of living in Johor Bahru is steep.
“Rental prices are high, eating out is expensive, and even groceries cost a lot. Compared to Kuala Lumpur, it feels like living in Johor Bahru is even more expensive because the salary rates are so low. It’s frustrating.”
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His post has resonated with many Malaysians, garnering over 200 comments from others who share similar experiences.
“Agreed. The cost of living here is way too high. In Kuala Lumpur, there’s plenty of public transport, but in Johor Bahru, buses are so few—one per hour if you’re lucky. Getting anywhere by Grab is expensive. Ugh, everything is costly. The only thing that’s cheap is the dowry. Huhu,” commented Nadzirah Azmi.
Another user, @hazelovey, shared her struggles after moving from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru, expressing her shock at the high cost of living.
“I migrated from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru, and honestly, I have no idea why the cost of living here is so high. One thing for sure, it’s because there’s no MRT/LRT. If you don’t have a car, taking Grab is expensive, and taking the bus—ya Allah—it takes forever, plus the traffic jams.”
Similarly, Nurul Asyikin Ariffin pointed out that even experienced professionals struggle with low wages in Johor Bahru.
“So true, I totally agree. Even with experience, they still offer low salaries—not just for engineers and technicians, but even for nurses. In KL, if you have both local and international experience, you can demand a high salary and actually get it. But in JB... it’s just depressing.”
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