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A viral Reddit post has struck a chord with Malaysians by putting something many have been feeling for years into perspective: even though salaries are higher now than they were in 2010, our ringgit just doesn't stretch as far
Instead of relying on official charts or dry statistics, the Redditor used a simple but relatable measure: how many Ramly burgers a fresh graduate's salary could buy then versus now.
The results show how much buying power has slipped over the past 15 years.
According to the post in the r/Bolehland subreddit, in 2010, a fresh grad earned about RM2,000 a month, while today that figure is between RM3,000 and RM3,500. At the same time, a Ramly burger that once cost RM2.80–RM3.00 now averages RM6.30.
That means a fresh grad could afford around 664 burgers in 2010, compared to just 524 burgers in 2025 — a 21% drop in burger-buying power, despite higher salaries.
The Redditor didn't stop at Ramly burgers
They extended the comparison to other Malaysian favourites, showing similar declines across the board, with even essentials like eggs showing a 17% drop in affordability compared to 2010.
- Mee goreng: −31%
- Satay sticks: −34%
- Cendol: −35%
- Banana leaf rice: −27%
- Kopi O: −25%
The Redditor shared a table showing the price inflation and corresponding change in units sold for popular Malaysian food items between 2010 and 2025
Every single item on the table has seen a significant price increase, with most items doubling or more in price
The post argues that while wages have gone up, they haven't kept pace with the rising cost of food and daily essentials.
"Sooner or later, you can buy nothing with the money as you can buy fewer and fewer items with wage stagnation," the Redditor warned.
The thread has since drawn plenty of reactions, with many Malaysians echoing the sentiment that their paychecks don't stretch as far as they used to
"Excellent post. Forget the Big Mac index, we need the Ramly burger index!" one user joked.
Others, however, said the issue is more complicated than burger math.
One commenter pointed out that while admin and HR grads might still earn around RM2.5k, those in tech or cybersecurity can start at RM4k and above — meaning the "average" hides big income gaps.
Another argued that food is still the clearest signal of inflation.
"You can totally say we are poorer because we can buy less food. In economy, food is the main mover of price. Food increase everything increase, because food is such an important basic need that it drives everything up when it goes up."
Still, most agreed on the bigger picture: whether you call it the "Ramly Burger Index" or not, Malaysians feel their money buys less than it did 15 years ago.
AI-generated image for illustration purposes only.
Image via SAYS