Cheaper Groceries One Of Many Reasons Canadian Couple Plans To Move To Malaysia Permanently

The Salehs, who have 1.3 million subscribers on YouTube and 1.8 million followers on TikTok, plan to move here permanently.

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The grass always seems greener on the other side. This phrase rings true when one compares the cost of living for locals and expats in Malaysia.

Malaysians have been complaining about the rising cost of living. While as locals we feel life is getting expensive, some expats still find the prices of items sold here cheaper than where they come from.

Take for example the Salehs, a married couple from Canada who are planning to move to Malaysia permanently largely due to the affordable groceries here.

Sana, 32, and Muhammad William Saleh, 37, are social media content creators who manage the YouTube channel Saleh Family which has 1.3 million subscribers.

The couple also runs Lala Hijabs which sells hand-dyed and colourful hijabs. They were born in Canada, grew up in Okanagan, B.C., and then moved to Ontario once they had kids.

The family is documenting their move to Malaysia on their YouTube channel.

A trip to the supermarket with the Salehs

In one of the videos, the family took viewers to Village Grocer, a local supermarket they explained to viewers that is comparable to Canadian stores.

The couple said dairy and beef in Malaysia are quite expensive. They also told viewers that most products are imported, even butters.

Sana added that the portions here are smaller but the quality is pretty good. However, she found the quality of the chips lacking.

Nevertheless, shopping for groceries for the Salehs is easier in Malaysia because they can easily find halal products.

In Canada, we barely find anything that we can eat without having to read ingredients first and the selection for meat is very little. We can go to any restaurant or any grocery store here and be confident that it is all halal and Muslim friendly.
Sana

Surprisingly, the family found eating out more significantly dropped their food costs.

Sana explained that a family meal in Canada generally costs over $100, but in Malaysia they get a lot of food for the whole family to eat by paying between $20 and $30.

The family’s grocery bill for the week totalled RM473.71 ($135.85). The price looks high for Malaysians but it’s considered cheap when compared to the Saleh’s average weekly grocery bill of $200 in Canada.

Muhammad William Saleh shows viewers the prices of groceries at the local Village Grocer.

Sana explained to her viewers that those who want cheaper groceries can shop in wet markets and other grocery stores where the food prices are significantly cheaper. This could be supermarkets such as AEON, Lotus’s, Giant, Mydin, and NSK.

For an idea of the differences in grocery prices in Malaysia and Canada, blogTO compared the costs of some items in Malaysia to Canada’s Walmart.

Bananas

Malaysia: 5.57 ringgit/6 pieces ($1.59)
Canada: $1.80/6 pieces

Blueberries

Malaysia: 10.90 ringgit/125 g ($3.12)
Canada: $5.97/277 g ($2.15/100 g)

Gala apples

Malaysia: RM11.20/6 pieces ($3.21)
Canada: $4.74 for 6 (79 cents each)

Watermelon

Malaysia: RM13.47/3.37 kg ($3.86)
Canada: $8.97/5.98 kg

Eggs

Malaysia: RM7.35 per dozen ($2.10)
Canada: $3.87 per dozen

Chicken breast