Why shopping in Kualalumpur is so expensive

It is hard to understand why shopping in Kualalumpur is so expensive. On one hand, where Thailand is cheaper, Malaysia is too hard on shoppers. The capital of Thailand, Bangkok has some very sweet spots for tourists, with the likes of Chatuchak weekend market, which has incredible range of goods for tourists and the prices are also very cheap.

 Surya KLCC in Kualalumpur
Now look at the city of Kualalumpur, the capital of Malaysia, the shopping malls are stacked with branded stores, such as Jimmy Choo leather hand bags, and Versace. If a person hopes to get stuffs cheaper, he is mistaken. I have tried shopping at Surya KLCC, and Lot10 Plaza. Both are incredibly expensive. The leather hand bag store selling exclusive branded Jimmy Choo bags starts at RM 2500, which can make a tourist berserk.

Chatuchak Market in Bangkok

When the government is trying to project Malaysia as a tourist hot spot, then it is hard to imagine, why the government has allowed its products to be priced increasingly higher, when the same goods are priced elsewhere much cheaper. Every shopping Mall in the city of Kualalumpur is incredibly expensive. Whether it is Pavilion, or any other shopping Mall in the city, the story is same in every mall. The only exception is Central market near Masjid Jamek, and China Town. Both are cheap places, and China Town in particular, for buying fake items. Nevertheless, the quality of the product is not bad. Surely, the government should make some reforms on the pricing front to make the city attractive for tourists.

China Town's Petaling Street in Kualalumpur at night

Though, the government of Malaysia has abolished the import tax in the current year, still, the prices of goods have remained much higher. One reason, which has made an impact on the prices, is the shipping cost. Most of the goods imported from overseas carry high shipping costs, which has definitely affected the prices of goods in the market. The rising oil prices have made it all the more difficult for business houses to control the price of goods. Tourists, in particular, have suffered due to the increasing cost of goods.

The question remains as why anyone would prefer to shop in Kualalumpur, when prices are skyrocketing with each passing day. The only cheap stuff, I encountered during my stay at Kualalumpur is cheap LCD Television. Even prices for SD cards and USB drive are lower. Apart from few items, the majority of the products in the city are just too expensive. Those who stay in Kualalumpur rather prefer to buy goods from Europe, or other countries. Many locals even use online stores to buy goods, instead of buying at many of these expensive shopping malls.