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A Singaporean couple has relocated to Kuala Lumpur to stretch their Singapore-dollar income, saying they've cut their monthly living expenses by about 30% while continuing to work remotely
For many Malaysians watching living costs climb, earning in Singapore dollars while spending in ringgit may seem like a dream.
That's exactly the lifestyle Singaporean couple Sean Lee, 37, and Rachell Tan, 36, say they've built after relocating from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur in 2025.
The pair, who run an e-commerce business remotely, told The Straits Times they intentionally moved to Malaysia years earlier than originally planned because they realised they could significantly reduce their monthly expenses without giving up their Singapore-based income.
Their monthly spending reportedly fell from around SGD4,000 (nearly RM13,000) in Singapore to roughly SGD2,740 (less than RM9,000) after relocating to KL.
Rachell Tan and Sean Lee.
Image via @pxdkitty (Instagram)They call it "geoarbitrage", earning from a stronger economy while living in a cheaper one
The couple said one of the biggest reasons behind their move was a financial strategy known as geographic arbitrage or "geoarbitrage".
In simple terms, the term, coined by American entrepreneur, author, and angel investor Tim Ferriss, refers to earning income in a country with higher wages or a stronger currency while living somewhere with a much lower cost of living.
Because their business isn't tied to a physical location, they said Malaysia became the obvious choice.
The couple now live in Desa ParkCity after purchasing a RM1.7 million condominium under the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme.
To qualify, they also placed USD150,000 (more than RM600,000) into a Malaysian fixed deposit account and paid RM40,000 in agency fees for their visa application.
They sold their Housing & Development Board (HDB) flat in Singapore for almost twice what they paid, but say they aren't done investing in Singapore
Although they've embraced life in Kuala Lumpur, the couple say they have no intention of cutting financial ties with Singapore.
After leaving their HDB flat vacant for almost a year, they sold it for SGD520,000 (nearly RM1.6 million), nearly double what they paid for it in 2019.
Their next goal is to purchase private property in Singapore, rent it out while continuing to live in Malaysia, and keep it as a home for future visits or in case they decide to move back one day.
Their lifestyle in Malaysia includes a RM180,000 electric vehicle, seven cats, and slower mornings
The couple told The Straits Times they now enjoy a much slower pace of life.
Their reported monthly expenses include a condominium mortgage, groceries, utilities, electric vehicle charging for their new RM180,000 EV, and around SGD500 (about RM1,500) every month for their seven cats.
Instead of rushing through packed schedules, they say they now spend mornings drinking coffee on their balcony overlooking greenery before starting work.
They've turned the move into YouTube content as more high-earners consider relocating from Singapore to Malaysia
The couple has also been documenting their relocation journey on YouTube, sharing advice about Malaysia's housing market, visas, and daily life for others like them who are considering a similar move.
Despite settling into Kuala Lumpur, they admit they're only in the first year of their five-year MM2H visa and say they still don't know where they'll eventually retire.
For now, however, they believe moving to Malaysia has given them something they couldn't achieve as easily back home: spending Singapore-earned money while enjoying a significantly lower cost of living.
