Malaysia has a definite price advantage when it comes to common, everyday goods and ethnic curio items. A pair of nonbranded shoes, for instance, is likely to cost 10 to 20 percent less in Malaysia than in Singapore. One exception would be during the great Singapore sale held mid-year, when prices come down considerably in Singapore. The other would be if you have excellent bargaining skills and are willing to walk around a bit in Singapore, especially in places like Little India, Chinatown and Arab Street. However, Malaysia has its own Chinatown and specialty bargain stores as well.
Both Singapore and Malaysia have their fair share of up-market, high end shopping malls like Suria KLCC in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Takashimaya down Orchard Road in Singapore.
Most major brands are available in both countries. There is little variation in price, although Malaysia has a slight advantage because of the better exchange rate. For rare or niche items however, Singapore is a better bet than Malaysia. For instance both countries have premium chocolates, but only Singapore sells award-winning Italian chocolates.
For more than 30 years, people from all over Asia, and even the world, have come to Singapore to shop for state-of-the-art, high quality electronic items. So it goes without saying, Singapore is miles ahead in this department, both in terms of price and quality. From Sim Lim Square to the famous Mustafa's store, any shopping guide will give the information necessary to find the best and cheapest electronic goods in Singapore. That said, Malaysia is fast catching up, and Malaysian shopping guides now tout the place as a key destination for buying electronic goods.
