Ronnie Liu, James PH Ooi and David Loh in KL cheap? We don think so... present some sensible and obvious points comparing the cost of living vs salaries in Kuala Lumpur vs Oslo, but they forgot one factor - individual incomes are taxed at a flat rate of 28 percent in Norway, leaving the average take-home pay not at $42,400 but rather $30,500.

On the other hand, how much in taxes does the average Malaysian pay with an average salary of $10,400?

Personally, I hardly know any Malaysian who pays any income tax at all, since so much income is received through various legal and illegal loopholes, including cash paid under-the-table.

I think the three writers might better have compared prices vs salaries in the US, where cars are priced reasonably ($22,000 for a new Honda Accord) and where income taxes are lower for lower incomes.