This morning I had a mind block. Instead of doing the literature part for final year thesis, I came out with a silly analysis on cost of living in selected so-called-prosperous countries.The earning spending ratio was used to analyse the consumers' affordability on simple goods and services (the higher, the better). Oh yeah...every data had been converted to USD for the purpose of this analysis.
Average Monthly Disposable Salary (After Tax)
1. Australia = $3,804.40 (I got it from Numbeo, mate!)
2. USA = $3,256.44
3. UK = $2,938.02
4. Singapore = $2,732.01
5. Malaysia = $972.33 (say what? another 6 years left to be high-income nation?)
SHOWDOWN NO. 1
Earning vs Hypothetical 30 days consumption of McD Combo* (say hi to obesity!)
1. USA = 18.09 ($6.00 per meal. No wonder they are ...)
2. Australia = 16.51 ($7.68 per meal)
3. Singapore = 16.47 ($5.53 per meal)
4. UK = 11.86 ($8.26 per meal)
5. Malaysia = 9.79 ($3.31 per meal. Yet, the cheapest amid others)
*no details on what type of combo but assumption is made for regular size of Big Mac+Fries+Coke.
SHOWDOWN NO.2
Earning vs Hypothethical 30 days spending on one-way ticket of public transportation (no shorter way to state it, mate!)
1. Singapore = 64.13 ($1.42 per trip)
2. USA = 54.27 ($2.00 per trip)
3. Malaysia = 54.01 ($0.60 per trip. Yeah! we're no 3...say what?! it's subsidized?)
4. Australia = 35.13 ($3.61 per trip. Heheh...I have the concession card and only pay half of it)
5. UK = 28.22 ($3.47 per trip)
SHOWDOWN NO.3
Earning vs Monthly basic utilities (electricity, water, heating, garbage for 85 sq. m apartment)
1. USA = 20.10 ($162 per month)
2. Australia =19.60 ($194.11 per month)
3. Malaysia = 19.95 ($49.62 per month...and again it's subsidized)
4. Singapore = 16.67 ($163.90 per month)
5. UK = 12.04 ($243.95 per month...which looks odd. Can someone who lives in UK verify me this.)
Even though some urban service are free in certain country (water is free here in Queensland, mate!) or not bill directly to user (you don't get garbage bill in Malaysia...for now), the figure is assumed to be dominated by electricity cost.
SHOWDOWN NO.4
Earning vs Movie ticket (International release)
1. USA = 325.64 ($10 per seat. I wonder how many non-international movies released here.)
2. Singapore = 314.89 ($8.69 per seat)
3. Malaysia = 269.34 ($3.61 per seat. Have you ever watch a movie in Tawau?)
4. Australia = 244.02 ($15.59 per seat. Yeah, yeah...you all only watch at Imax)
5 UK = 222.24 ($8.69 per seat)
I won't comment further on this because it has been ages since my last visit to a cinema. Thanks to the guy who invented torrent.
SHOWDOWN NO.5
Earning vs 3 bedroom suburban apartment rent
1. USA = 2.56 ($1,270.42 per month)
2. Malaysia = 2.20 ($442.03 per month)
3. Australia = 2.05 ($1,856 per month...and that tells me I'm overpaying my rent)
4. UK = 1.90 ($1,541.27 per month)
5. Singapore = 0.93 ($2,926.52 per month. Really?! Better to live in JB and work in S'pore)
What can I tell here there is a relationship between population density and house rent but property is still based on location, location, location, right?
FINAL SHOWDOWN
What the hack? This is not bloody competition. This is only a 30 minutes time-wasting-analysis I did just to get back that so-called research state of mind. But if you ask for it, I gave score for according to ranks for each showdowns (you know the standard score...Rank 1 = 5, Rank 2 = 4 and so on). Eventually the results are as follows.
1. USA = 24
2. Australia = 15
2. Singapore = 15
4. Malaysia = 14
5. UK = 7
So, all in all if you live in Malaysia within that average income, you are affordable to most kind of goods and services there. Just think twice if you are considering to eat at McD.
Cheers.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
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