The math ain’t mathing — and I’ve been thinking about it for a while now.

RM13 for bubble tea. RM199.90 for a Uniqlo jacket (on offer). RM230 for a thrifted coat. RM66 for a keychain.

And let’s not forget food — RM22 for a chicken chop.

All this while advertised salaries for sales associates still start at around RM1,700 to RM2,000 per month. So… how are people surviving?

I know Johor Bahru gets swarmed by Singaporeans on the weekends (myself included), and that probably drives some of the prices up. But currency value’s been falling for a while — and the deeper issue seems to be how businesses are hiking prices just to keep up with import/export and supply chain costs.

I’ve seen this in Istanbul too — local pricing inflating, while wages stay flat. And sure, some Malaysians cross into Singapore to work, but that’s a small fraction of the population. What about everyone else?

This isn’t just a numbers question. It’s a resilience question. Because if these are the prices — and these are the incomes — something somewhere is holding this system together. And I’d love to understand what.

🌟 Final Thoughts

Sometimes the quietest thoughts come from the loudest numbers. I’m just here observing, thinking out loud, and wondering how locals make it work — especially when the cost of living doesn’t match the paychecks on paper.

No sarcasm — genuinely curious how you’re managing.

📌 If you’re from Malaysia, I’d love to hear your take.