Malaysia Is The Best Place To Retire! But Wait, There’s A Catch
Study reveals Malaysia to be the safest place to retire for less than RM 9,100 per monthBY JOHN PETER TAN
JULY 18, 2023
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American financial publication, GoBankingRates has just ranked Malaysia as the number one country to retire in Asia! The site, which conducted a study for NASDAQ, deemed Malaysia to be the safest place to retire in Asia for less than US$2,000 (RM9,100) a month in expenditure.
Their findings were supported by data that NASDAQ gathered from the United Nations Pacific-Asia Region Group and gross domestic product (GDP) from WorldPopulationReview.
In addition, the site took into account the cost of living figures from Numbeo, and the Global Peace Index from the Institute for Economics and Peace Global Peace Index 2022 Report.
A precursor score of 2.0 was also set to mark as the minimum global peace index for countries to qualify. And after calculating everything, Malaysia came on top with a 1.471 global peace index with a US$1,066 (RM4,825) average monthly cost of living.
“Malaysia takes the number one spot with a cost of living index that is 22.9, and a GDP of US$481.9 trillion. With average monthly expenses at just over US$1,000, it’s an excellent place for retirees to consider,” said the report.
How do Malaysians feel about this?
While it may be nice and comfortable for overseas retirees, the list, unfortunately, does not reflect the reality of many Malaysians. In fact, many online users have debunked the list, arguing that their salaries are no match for foreigners.
Twitter user @suzuinlalaland argues that locals don’t even earn that much.
Online Twitter user @effi saharuddin chimed in writing jokingly, “Angkat tangan if you will not survive.”
Whereas twitter user @IvanXwong simply wrote; “I don’t even earn this much…”
Their responses may be closer to the truth considering that the list was made from an American perspective. As the research pointed out, the list was made for Americans looking to retire outside their country.
Hence, many of their social and financial standings are sadly not always equivalent to locals here. But what do you think? Do you agree that Malaysia is an excellent place to retire?
