I’m a builder who left Britain for a sun-drenched paradise where beers cost less than 40p…I’d had enough of expensive Britain
A BOOZE-loving builder has swapped Britain for a sun-drenched paradise where beer costs less than 40p after fed up with British prices.
Greg Larcombe, 39, left his home last April to settle on Langkawi island Malaysia.
The Brit has exchanged the Foggy Albion for a sunny one weather and palm trees, but it’s the beer prices that sealed the deal.
A pint can be bought on the island for around a third of the price of one in Blighty.
The £1.98 beers sound like a dream bargain compared to the cost-of-living-hit UK average rates.
In Londona pint costs £5.90, which is no surprise in the most expensive part of the country.
But things don’t get much better in other parts of Britain, with £3 being the lowest you’d pay.
The grass is certainly greener in Malaysia, where a can of beer costs just under 40 cents – less than half the price in Britain.
The construction worker said he decided to take up the fight after becoming “tired” of the UK.
But it’s not just the cheap night that made him choose Malaysia; his quality of life has also improved dramatically.
Despite the dime store alcohol prices, Greg has started drinking less and less since his move.
He said: “Funnily enough, I actually drink a lot less here because I’m more active and spend a lot more time doing healthier things.
“If I drink, it certainly saves me a lot money during a night out.
“If you think it’s less than half the price, you’ll soon be wrong!
“I was quite shocked, but in a good way.
“Beer is pretty cheap in most parts of Southeast Asia, but honestly I’ve never been anywhere where you could get it for as cheap as here.”
A bottle of cold brew isn’t the only affordable item on the grocery store shelves; bread, rice and milk sell for less than a pound.
Rent, transport and general cost of living are also twice lower in Malaysia than in Britain, but so are salaries.
Greg said: “Obviously as a foreigner I may have more disposable income than a local wage earner, but even on a local wage people here seem to be getting by a lot better than a lot of people in Britain at the moment.”
And it could very well be true, as Malaysia is in the top 5 happiest countries in the world, according to the Mental state of the world report.
Meanwhile, Britain ranks at the bottom of the mental wellbeing index, only ahead of Uzbekistan.
Greg said: “I honestly just had enough of it in Britain.
“It was hard to make a living, I hadn’t had a few good years and I just felt unfulfilled.
“My thinking was that if I could get away from Britain, where life is much harder for everyone, I could do the necessary work on myself.”
The construction worker is not the only Briton seeking a better life elsewhere.
Bought a man a one-way ticket and left the UK to start over in Thailand.
Riyan Ruparelia, 22, has vowed never to return to Britain due to the increasing cost of living and dangerous crime levels.