We Left the UK for Malaysia… Was Life Really Cheaper?

We left our life in the UK and moved our family of four to Penang, Malaysia. But everyone says Malaysia is cheaper… does cheaper actually mean better value? In this video, we're putting our old life in the UK up against our new life in Penang and comparing the things that make up our everyday life as a family: 🏠 Home & household costs 🛒 Food shopping 🍜 Eating out 🚗 Transport 🎯 Family activities But this isn't simply a case of adding up the prices and declaring a winner. We're looking at VALUE — what we pay, what we get for our money, and the lifestyle that comes with it. We compare our old detached house in the UK countryside with our new condo in Penang, where we've swapped a garden and green space for a pool, gym, sauna and basketball court. We've had a car for around 20 years, but after discovering how cheap and convenient Grab is, we're now questioning whether we even need one. We also look at food shopping, eating out and the things we can do as a family — and all four of us give the UK and Malaysia a score out of 10 for each category. Because this isn't about telling you that one country is simply "better" than the other. It's about asking: What gives our family the best value for the life we actually want to live? And next week, we're taking this even further… We're going to track every single ringgit we spend for seven days — food, Grab, shopping, activities, everything — so you can see exactly what our real life in Penang costs. If you're considering leaving the UK, moving abroad, or simply wondering what life in Malaysia is really like for a family, subscribe and come along for the journey. 🇲🇾 TRAVELLING TO MALAYSIA? 📱 Get your Airalo Malaysia eSIM: 👉 https://airalo.pxf.io/c/7775547/12684... 🧳 OUR TRAVEL GEAR 🧳 Multicoloured Packing Cubes 👉 https://link.amazon/B0hpoIgog 🔌 Bigfish Universal Travel Adapter – 35W USB-C 👉 https://link.amazon/B0jhjXcuG 🎥 OUR FILMING GEAR 💾 Crucial X9 2TB Portable SSD 👉 https://link.amazon/B0eLXgskY4 🎥 DJI Osmo Mobile 8P Gimbal Kit 👉 https://link.amazon/B0eIsopbI 🚁 DJI Mini 5 Pro Drone Kit 👉 https://link.amazon/B0250M94j Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 1:07 🏠 Home & household costs 3:18 🛒 Food shopping 5:01 🍜 Eating out 7:36 🚗 Transport 10:17 🎯 Family activities 13:08 Next time WHO WE ARE We're Gary and Lucy, two personal trainers from the UK, with Theo (11) and Jaz (9). We packed up our life in England and moved to Penang, Malaysia to build a different kind of life as a family. We're not rich, we haven't got everything figured out, and we're documenting the reality as it happens — the money, the admin, the good decisions, the bad decisions, the doubts and the moments that make us think this was absolutely the right thing to do. If you've ever thought about doing something completely different with your family, come with us from the start. FOLLOW ALONG 📸 Instagram: @the_reesfamily 🎵 TikTok: @the_reesfamily #penang #malaysia #movingtopenang #familytravel #expatfamily #leavingtheuk 🌸 LUCY'S PERIMENOPAUSE & MENOPAUSE COACHING Alongside our family journey, Lucy helps women navigate perimenopause & menopause through fitness, nutrition and coaching, helping you get back to feeling like yourself again. 👇 Find out more 📸 Instagram: @onelifemenop 📞 Book a Call: https://onelifemenop.systeme.io/landing1