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Friday September 5, 2008

Cost of living cheaper in Singapore


DURING my recent trip to Singapore, I was surprised to find that food prices are lower there compared to food prices in Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur.

I did a comparison on the basis that you work and stay in Singapore as compared to anyone working and staying in Petaling Jaya/Kuala Lumpur.

These are some of the prices I found in a shopping complex in Orchard Road in the heart of the city. A bottle of Nescafe Gold (200gm) costs S$9 as compared to RM21 (offer price) and RM22-RM23 (normal price).

A bottle of Listerine (mouth wash) 750ml costs S$9.50 as compared to RM16 (offer price) and RM19 (normal price).

A cup of coffee from a dispensing machine cost S$0.70 and the machine even allows you to have more coffee or less coffee, more sugar or less sugar and more cream or less cream. Where can we get a cup of coffee for RM0.70 from any dispensing machine in Petaling Jaya/Kuala Lumpur?

A bar of chocolate (international brand) costs only S$0.80 as compared to RM1.50 in Petaling Jaya/Kuala Lumpur. All this shows that the food prices in Malaysia are very expensive.

The Government’s recent budget hopes that the food prices will come down but I do not think the prices will be reduced. The price of a cup of coffee in a coffeeshop has gone up from RM1 to RM1.20 while a bowl of noodles has gone up from RM3-RM3.20 to RM4.00-RM4.50.

There is no way the hawker will reduce food prices. We sincerely hope that the Government will do something soon because a lot of the lower-income earners are suffering.

BOBBY CHAN,

Petaling Jaya.

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